Julia Paulucci

Fratolish

About the project

This project was for Fratolish, a vintage fashion and decor “brechó”. Its founder, Pablo, started in 2017 by selling his own pre-loved clothing on Instagram. As his eye for curation grew, so did his inventory, which expanded to include a unique mix of vintage apparel and home décor.

About the job

This growth led him to a challenge: dependence on third-party marketplaces like Shopee and Enjoei. While these platforms provided an audience, their commission fees were significantly cutting into his profit margins. Pablo needed an affordable, self-hosted e-commerce solution embedded within his existing portfolio website.

The Developer & Designer's Mindset (My Then-Perspective)

The process was very collaborative. My main task was to listen to Pablo’s ideas and requirements. He wanted a space that felt uniquely his, blending his personal brand with his business. We had an iterative process with constant feedback loops, creating mockups and prototypes until the design perfectly captured the Fratolish aesthetic.

To bring this vision to life within a tight budget, I chose a flexible and cost-effective low-code combo. The site was built on WordPress, leveraging its powerful e-commerce plugins to handle the core store functionality. I used the Elementor page builder to visually structure the layouts and integrate the shop into his portfolio.

However, to achieve the look Pablo wanted, the standard tools were not enough. This is where I pushed beyond the low-code environment, applying my HTML and CSS skills to heavily customize the design, overriding default templates to ensure every detail was aligned with his brand identity.

Expanding the Brand Experience

The project scope went beyond the digital platform. I also designed two sets of business cards to be included with every order. This was about extending the brand’s tangible touchpoints and creating a more memorable unboxing experience for the customer, reinforcing the boutique feel of his shop.

Full Product Lifecycle

I witnessed the product’s entire journey:

Ideation: Pablo’s frustration with marketplace fees.
Development & Launch: Our collaborative build and go-live.
Operation: The site ran successfully for approximately two years, serving customers and generating revenue with over 1000 sales.
Sunsetting: The decision was to close the store when Pablo decided to change his career. This taught me a valuable lesson: not all products are meant to last forever. Success can also be defined by a product fulfilling its purpose for a specific period and being retired gracefully when it’s no longer aligned with strategic goals.

How This Experience Forged My Product Management Skills

From Client Requirements to User Stories: I learned to listen more than a list of features and identify the fundamental problems that need solving for the user (in this case, the business owner).
Prioritization Under Constraints: Building a robust solution on a tight budget forced me to prioritize what was truly essential for the MVP. This skill of making strategic trade-offs is a daily reality in product management.
End-to-End Ownership: By managing the project from the initial conversation to the design of physical assets and the final launch, I developed a sense of holistic ownership that defines the PM role.

Design by Julia Paulucci