Back in 2016, Zoe DeVine was working in the fashion industry. After a particularly difficult day, while venting to a relative, she said — half joking — “I am just going to quit and sell dildos online.”
With a bachelor’s in fashion design under her belt, DeVine had spent the previous eight years climbing the corporate ladder in the mainstream fashion world, designing apparel for big box retailers like Macy’s and Kohl’s, as well as runway icons Betsey Johnson and Heatherette. While she didn’t end up quitting the fashion industry altogether, she did feel called to channel her creativity into a new project: a part-time ecommerce venture in the adult space, which today is known as TheWhiteUnicorn.com.
When a customer walks away feeling sexy in a new piece of lingerie or with their first vibrator, that is a very rewarding experience for me.
DeVine started laying the groundwork for The White Unicorn by researching the industry in her off hours, setting up accounts with distributors and learning about adult manufacturers while evaluating the adult ecommerce landscape. At the time, the market looked a little different than it does today: turnkey websites were more prominent, as retailers capitalized on the convenience of data feeds that allowed them to offer every SKU under the sun. While there was cash to be made within that business model, DeVine chose not to adopt the familiar “more is more” formula and instead created a brand that reflected her own personality.
With its neon lingerie, fairy-inspired festival wear and whimsical fantasy costume accessories, The White Unicorn embodies DeVine’s unique personal aesthetic. Throughout the site’s apparel and sex toy categories, whether you are looking at her handpicked array of pastel-hued unicorn dildos or holographic kinky gear, every item shares the same fun, cohesive vibe. Incorporating her lived experiences and personality into The White Unicorn’s business model helped make the brand feel substantive and relatable.
Buzzwords like “authentic,” “curated” and “woman-owned and -operated” start to feel diluted when so many big companies are bending over backwards to weave those terms into their brand storytelling. Yet small businesses and solopreneurs that possess these qualities organically are often over-looked when they attempt to enter the adult industry, making them the dark horses of online retail. The White Unicorn’s playful, inspired shopping environment, however, makes the brand hard to ignore.
XBIZ: What inspired you to create your online business while you were still pursuing a full-time career in the fashion industry?
Zoe DeVine: The fashion industry is tough. You need thick skin and the hours are long. And to be honest, being plus size in an industry that cares so much about appearance was never an easy task. I realized start-up costs could be low with drop shipping — and there was an opening in the market for my point of view.
XBIZ: What initially informed your brand message and product offerings?
DeVine: I based my vision of The White Unicorn around my own personal style. I curated the product selection around things I personally found interesting and exciting. I have expanded to cater to a few different types of core customers, but I still personally select every item that goes into my inventory. I have tested almost everything I sell.
XBIZ: What guides your product curation and brand strategy?
DeVine: To this day, I cannot wrap my head around selling or recommending a product or brand that I don’t really love. I have a few core values in picking out the products I sell. One: pleasure products and sexual wellness items are body-safe. Intimate apparel and BDSM gear reflect quality materials. Two: the product reflects beauty in a unique way such as a pretty color or material, or perhaps the brand has exceptional packaging. Three: It needs to be special, something different from the products I already carry.
XBIZ: How do most of your customers find The White Unicorn? Do you invest in SEO or other digital marketing initiatives?
DeVine: Over the years I have tried a bit of everything. However, I don’t put a lot of money into marketing. I do almost everything myself. I taught myself SEO basics from watching YouTube videos. I’ve partnered with a few key blogs on giveaways or other sponsored posts. I grew my Instagram over the years with regular posts and Instagram-friendly hashtags. I do invest in copywriters to keep my blog up to date with sexual health advice and product recommendations for my target audience.
Aside from the digital space, exhibiting at live events is my favorite. Because my business is online, it is my only time to interact in person with my customer base. And it is a big opportunity to stand out and show them why The White Unicorn is different.
XBIZ: Do you see crossover in your shoppers’ purchases, or do fantasy-wear customers stick with apparel while sex toy customers stick with sex toys?
DeVine: I really do have two separate customers. There is some crossover, but people either shop the apparel section or they shop the sex toy section.
XBIZ: You bootstrapped everything by yourself when you started The White Unicorn as an “outsider” to the industry, including researching distributors and brands on your own. What was it like learning the different aspects of drop shipping and distributor dynamics?
DeVine: Honestly, I had no idea what I was doing when I first started. I knew the basics of business from my fashion career, and I knew how to build a website, but the adult market was totally new to me. I searched Google and YouTube extensively for ecommerce insights. I was fortunate enough to have some amazing salespeople at the distributors, who helped me fill in the blanks on what I couldn’t find through search engines, and they offered a lot of product advice. I owe a big part of my success to these few individuals.
XBIZ: Is there something that adult apparel manufacturers might learn from the fashion industry?
DeVine: Think of yourself more like a brand. Every fashion brand has a very specific target customer. They don’t try to be everything to everyone. They know what their customer does for work and for fun. How many kids she or he has. If and where they went to college. When you design for a specific target market, the line looks more cohesive and has a point of view. Also, don’t just look at what other lingerie brands are doing. Pay attention to what influencers, celebrities and small brands are doing. Examine colors and fabrics in other markets, like handbags or home accessories. Identify key trends in the global fashion industry and design for your target market with that trend in mind.
XBIZ: What are the most important things a new retailer should look for in a potential distributor?
DeVine: Location, product selection and a great salesperson.
XBIZ: How can the industry help support small or indie retailers who are new to this space?
DeVine: I think that a lot of folks, including distributors, would benefit by recognizing that just because someone is running a small operation now doesn't mean they won’t be big later. As a small business, you remember who was supportive from the start, and who blew you off.
XBIZ: How has your vision for the business changed since you first launched, and what do you see as the next big milestone?
DeVine: What started off as a bit of a hobby has become a much larger business that will expand The White Unicorn brand. Next year I will be launching collections of my own products that will be available for wholesale.
XBIZ: What do you love most about running The White Unicorn? What inspires you and keeps you motivated as a business owner in this space?
DeVine: The first thing I noticed about this industry was how amazing the people are. Friendly and genuine. Everyone likes to have fun, and they don’t take themselves too seriously. Let's be real, sex toys are supposed to be fun! I love to make people feel beautiful and special. So when a customer walks away feeling sexy, in a new piece of lingerie or with their first vibrator, that is a very rewarding experience for me. I love being a woman in this industry and breaking the stereotypes that are often associated with women and sexuality. And when I am dressed up in a fun outfit and talking to customers, I feel the most like myself.
XBIZ: How do you define success? What does it look like for you as far as the big picture for The White Unicorn?
DeVine: I think success for me is to continue to grow this business every year, have a great staff of full-time employees and become a notable brand within a niche market. I am not trying to be a household name or have a chain of stores across the country. I just want to be big enough that I can keep doing what I love.
