Antonieta Moreland, Quince | Modern Retail Vanguard 2024
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Quince’s Antonieta Moreland has a unique challenge in retail: building a brand around selling seemingly unbranded products.
Quince, which was founded in 2018, is a direct-to-consumer apparel and home brand that offers luxury goods at lower prices than many competitors because it works directly with factories, often the same ones that other high-end brands use. Cutting out the middleman drives down costs significantly; for instance, Quince sells cashmere sweaters for $50, whereas others sell ones for $200 or $300.
Moreland, Quince’s head of brand, previously worked for Spotify, Harry’s, Yum! Brands and Procter & Gamble – all companies that put a lot of stock in their names and logos. But she’s been able to make Quince’s un-logoed products a social media must-have.
“It’s allowed us to hyper-focus on the value of the product itself,” says Moreland, who joined Quince in 2021. “And it’s been really fun to watch how many consumers have become attached [to Quince] because they feel so proud of the quality and want to share that with people.”
Quince’s sales reflect this demand; in 2023, the brand clocked annual sales of around $300 million. It’s aiming to bring in $1 billion in 2024, sources told WWD.
Because Quince isn’t “getting behind a logo or brand name,” it primarily relies on influencers and creators to spread the word about its clothes and bedding, Moreland says. The company works with about 300 creators a month, and very few are paid a flat fee. “We spent the first half of 2024 just gifting our product and allowing partners to test it for themselves,” Moreland says. “We want to build a community of people who can attest to the quality.”
Quince’s typical customer is an older millennial, someone furnishing an apartment or creating a staple wardrobe. While the majority of Quince’s business comes from women’s apparel, the brand has also started branching out. It recently ventured into linen bedding, and it launched cookware and furniture in the last year. This fall, Quince rolled out candles and perfumes. In 2025, it plans to expand into men’s clothes.
Quince wants customers to view its products as complements to brands they already love. Its mission involves sticking to the basics, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for creativity, Moreland believes.
“There’s going to be some really new, disruptive categories for the Quince brand coming down the pipeline in the next six months,” Moreland says. “Hopefully, that will establish that we’re… truly a destination for everyday, approachable luxury.”