The life of the party and not easily missed, Rachel Nilsson, CEO and Founder of RAGS has created a brand and community that draws the attention of parents and the business community everywhere. The purple-haired, quirky and passionate CEO created RAGS, named one of the coolest kids brands, out of a need for her own children.
As a young mother, she needed a solution for clothing that would make dressing and undressing her wriggly kids a breeze. There was nothing available that fit her need so she set out to create her own solution…insert the RAG. This one-piece children’s romper was designed with a stretchy neckline for easy on and off, butter-soft fabrics and unique styles. In the early days, Rags were created and designed in her home where she began to sell Rags through Instagram to a growing audience of parents that couldn’t resist the stylish and functional benefits of RAGS.
Fast forward a few years and Rachel stood with a smile and confidence that won over the judges of the popular television series, Shark Tank. She walked away with an offer from a shark, which she eventually declined after the show aired.
With the airing of the episode, the brand began to take off. Nilsson created something more than an amazing product that both parents and kids were obsessed with, she created a community that would become a gold standard in brand building and captures the attention of major business leaders and investors. RAGS quickly became an obsession for moms around the world with many moms collecting and building up stashes of RAGS that would fill closets and dresses throughout their homes.
“We quickly recognized the community we were building that was becoming the core of our business. Our products began to sell out almost immediately and it became a sort of game for our customers. We aren’t talking a few moms here and there. We are talking thousands of parents who made sure they were on our site at drop time to make sure they scored our limited edition designs,” says Nilsson.
RAGS began to garner the attention of influencers, celebrities, and everyday moms. Recently, she was able to land partnerships and deals with Disney, Star Wars, and Marvel, as well as launch nationally in Nordstrom stores. With over half a million social followers, 16 thousand VIP members and over 12,000 five-star reviews, the brand has created a community that is rare.
“I wanted to build a company centered around quality products and a sense of community,” she says. “I am so proud of what RAGS has become and the future that is ahead.”
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