Local swimsuit cover-up company Tracy Marcus recently launched online sales of its first line. (Courtesy Tracy Marcus)
After a long career in finance, Tracy Marcus has made a foray into the fashion business.
The former local bond trader recently launched an eponymous swimsuit cover-up company. Its initial collection features 28 styles of white lace cover-ups for women to wear over their swimsuits when not in the water.
Marcus, who for 25 years sold primarily municipal bonds for firms such as Signet Banking Corp. in Richmond and Ramirez and Co. in New York, said the concept for her clothing brand has been a decade in the making. The venture is inspired by her own affinity for white lace cover-ups and her feeling that there weren’t enough options on the market.
“I would say that I am the only brand that’s doing all white and that’s really setting me apart. For me, I like wearing white and I just couldn’t find a brand that was just doing just white. You might find a piece or two in a collection, but not anything you could consistently go back to,” she said.
Tracy Marcus
The company’s online store went live in February ahead of a formal launch slated for later this month. Marcus is planning to hold a series of pop-up events locally and elsewhere on the East Coast in late April and early May to help raise awareness of the brand.
The cover-ups sell for between $254 and $445. They come in a variety of styles, including halters, one-shoulder dresses and more.
“The pieces are luxury fabrics, primarily high-end lace. They’re really soft. They’re beautiful and they’re also comfortable,” Marcus said. “It’s classic and timeless. The piece I had just never went out of style and that’s what I want to emulate with my brand.”
Marcus said the transition from finance into a new and creative industry was a challenging one. She navigated the hurdles by making connections in the industry.
“I reached out to other business owners in the retail fashion space just asking about their business and how they got it going, what I needed to do. It was amazingly helpful,” she said.
A break came in 2021 when Marcus met Haifa “Cindy” Abdulhabi, who along with her husband owns Cindy’s Alterations & Cleaners in Henrico.
Marcus, who isn’t a seamstress, credited Abdulhabi with making the vision a reality with her sewing machine.
“That was one of the stumbling blocks, finding the fabric I wanted and finding someone who could bring these samples to life,” Marcus said.
Tracy Marcus cover-ups are made by a contract manufacturer in New York. Marcus declined to share the investment made to launch her company. The startup is currently home-based, and Marcus said she has about 500 cover-ups stored in her living room.
Marcus said her goal for 2024 is to figure out what styles are most popular with customers and lean into them to grow the business.
“This year I’m going to focus on figuring out what styles clients are trending toward and I’ll continue those styles,” she said.
Looking further ahead, Marcus hopes to turn the company into an international brand and is banking on word of mouth to get there.
“It’s people seeing other women in it,” she said of her path forward. “It’s brand awareness and people loving the product and coming back.”
Local swimsuit cover-up company Tracy Marcus recently launched online sales of its first line. (Courtesy Tracy Marcus)
After a long career in finance, Tracy Marcus has made a foray into the fashion business.
The former local bond trader recently launched an eponymous swimsuit cover-up company. Its initial collection features 28 styles of white lace cover-ups for women to wear over their swimsuits when not in the water.
Marcus, who for 25 years sold primarily municipal bonds for firms such as Signet Banking Corp. in Richmond and Ramirez and Co. in New York, said the concept for her clothing brand has been a decade in the making. The venture is inspired by her own affinity for white lace cover-ups and her feeling that there weren’t enough options on the market.
“I would say that I am the only brand that’s doing all white and that’s really setting me apart. For me, I like wearing white and I just couldn’t find a brand that was just doing just white. You might find a piece or two in a collection, but not anything you could consistently go back to,” she said.
Tracy Marcus
The company’s online store went live in February ahead of a formal launch slated for later this month. Marcus is planning to hold a series of pop-up events locally and elsewhere on the East Coast in late April and early May to help raise awareness of the brand.
The cover-ups sell for between $254 and $445. They come in a variety of styles, including halters, one-shoulder dresses and more.
“The pieces are luxury fabrics, primarily high-end lace. They’re really soft. They’re beautiful and they’re also comfortable,” Marcus said. “It’s classic and timeless. The piece I had just never went out of style and that’s what I want to emulate with my brand.”
Marcus said the transition from finance into a new and creative industry was a challenging one. She navigated the hurdles by making connections in the industry.
“I reached out to other business owners in the retail fashion space just asking about their business and how they got it going, what I needed to do. It was amazingly helpful,” she said.
A break came in 2021 when Marcus met Haifa “Cindy” Abdulhabi, who along with her husband owns Cindy’s Alterations & Cleaners in Henrico.
Marcus, who isn’t a seamstress, credited Abdulhabi with making the vision a reality with her sewing machine.
“That was one of the stumbling blocks, finding the fabric I wanted and finding someone who could bring these samples to life,” Marcus said.
Tracy Marcus cover-ups are made by a contract manufacturer in New York. Marcus declined to share the investment made to launch her company. The startup is currently home-based, and Marcus said she has about 500 cover-ups stored in her living room.
Marcus said her goal for 2024 is to figure out what styles are most popular with customers and lean into them to grow the business.
“This year I’m going to focus on figuring out what styles clients are trending toward and I’ll continue those styles,” she said.
Looking further ahead, Marcus hopes to turn the company into an international brand and is banking on word of mouth to get there.
“It’s people seeing other women in it,” she said of her path forward. “It’s brand awareness and people loving the product and coming back.”
Congratulations Tracy! Your designs are beautiful. I wish you all the best!