Lila Stewart owns Hari Mari along with her husband, Jeremy – Photo by SES
The husband and wife owners of sandal company Hari Mari knew it was unusual to start a flip flop brand out of Dallas, Texas.
Jeremy and Lila Stewart had spent three years in Indonesia prior to starting the brand. Jeremy worked as a political consultant there and Lila helped kids in orphanages around impoverished Jakarta.
When they came home, they opted to do something new and launched their own company after being underwhelmed by the sea of black and brown flip flops they saw in the market.
Hari Mari builds on their time in Indonesia, in part with Indonesian and Latin elements to the brand name, and also by continuing to help kids by donating 1% of sales to help children fighting cancer.
The brand’s biggest differentiator is its use of color which helps Hari Mari standout on the sandal wall, Lila told us at Surf Expo. Other hallmarks are the use of leather, a patented toe post for extra comfort, and a premium lifestyle instead of surf and beach focus. Prices range from $55 to $120.
When the brand launched in 2012, they purposely stayed out of California because there were already so many California-based brands in the market.
“We focused on Texas, the Southeast, the Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic and decided to circle back to California later,” Lila said. “We wanted to be different out of the gate.”
The strategy appears to be working. Hari Mari is now in 1,000 doors including large accounts such as Neiman Marcus, Stitch Fix, Nordstrom and West Marine, in addition to a wide range of specialty accounts, including men’s and women’s boutiques and resort stores at the Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton. Next year, Urban Outfitters and outdoor retailer Orvis will also carry the brand.
While they have focused on building their wholesale business elsewhere, California has become the No. 2 state for the company when it comes to e-commerce sales.
Hari Mari Men’s styles at Surf Expo
And now some California surf accounts are placing orders including Hansen Surfboards, South Coast Surf Shop, and Sun Diego, Lila said.
While the company is based in Dallas, it has a lot of design and product help from California, including several former Sanuk employees.
The brand continues to expand its product line with slides, sandals, runners, slippers and boots.
Currently, the men’s business is bigger than the women’s in large part due to a collaboration with upscale men’s apparel brand Peter Millar. Next year, women’s will likely make up the majority of sales.
Lila and Jeremy have done a few rounds of fundraising, but still own the majority of the company. When it comes to dividing up duties, Lila handles wholesale sales and public relations and Jeremy is in charge of marketing and e-commerce.
“We’re all-in seven days a week,” Lila said. “Our kids are our footwear models for our kids products. Jeremy and I run separate sides of the business. We’re very yin and yang in that my weaknesses are his strengths, and vice versa. So, it’s a great partnership in that way.”
Hari Mari Women’s styles
COVID initially devastated the Hari Mari’s wholesale business last year, but luckily people working from home began wearing a lot of flip flops, so e-commerce sales soared. While there were inventory challenges as well, especially with the portion of its line made in China, Hari Mari had transferred its leather production to Mexico prior to COVID so the brand was in a better position than many given the supply chain issues that developed in Asia.
Hari Mari managed to grow in 2020, but not at the 70% annual growth rate it had been used to because of COVID challenges. But with its product extensions and continued wholesale and e-commerce progression, the brand is expecting a big year in 2021.
“What’s exciting is that our customers have been asking for more from us, and have been for a while,” Lila said. “So, we’re morphing into more of a footwear brand versus sandals and flip-flops. It’s going to be an exciting year.”
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