Written by Menswear Style in Interviews on the 26th August 2020

Jason West started his first online business aged 15, and he’s since gone on to pursue and engage in a list of projects, some of which have succeeded, and others which have failed. Taking the lessons learned from these early ventures - along with a finance degree - he's now turned his focus to an eCommerce business aimed at the limited edition and luxury trainer industry. LUSSO was founded in 2018 and the business aspires to become a success story in the secondary sale market for limited edition sneakers. The brand ethos is to provide the customer with the best experience of buying and selling apparel. LUSSO have experienced and talented team members which sell and buy a wide range of shoes and clothing, including luxury and exclusive brands.

In this episode of the MenswearStyle Podcast we interview Jason West, Founder of LUSSO Footwear about where his drive for entrepreneurship comes from, the priceless experiences gained from helping to digitally transform a business, and the process of starting his own company with help from digital marketing agency Visualsoft. Our host Peter Brooker and Jason also chat about the benefits of using Klarna for his customers, the importance of having the correct brand size guides, how to combat fraudulent orders, why profit margin matters, the meaning behind the brand name, and aspirations for the future.

Please tell us about yourself and LUSSO 

“I’ve always been an entrepreneur, wanting to buy and sell things to make profit. It's always been ingrained in my personality. The first business I had was selling parts from games consoles on eBay. I don’t know where that drive and instinct came from because nobody in my family was ever a business owner. Since then it has been a roller coaster of career paths. I trained in financial management at University and worked for an accountancy practice, but I quickly realised it wasn’t what I wanted to do. My business operates in the secondary market which is an industry which has been created over the past 5 years. People are willing to pay more for exclusive releases from the likes of Kanye West and Travis Scott when they missed out on buying them first time around. We facilitate the exchange and purchase between those selling and those who are happy to pay more to get them. We focus on building trust through offering good customer service and transparency. I initially built my own website, but I quickly found out the importance of having the right size guides for different brands and I couldn’t do all that myself. I was good at building websites, but I wasn’t a professional. This is when I came across company Visualsoft who specialise in eCommerce and digital marketing, who happen to be located nearby where I live and they are very good at what they do. I actually walked out of that meeting with a job offer. It was a part deal where they would help with my website and I would consult for them. It's great because I’m able to extend on my knowledge working with them whilst growing my own business at the same time.”

We see you’re using Klarna. Is that working well for you? 

“Yes, Klarna is one of our biggest partners. It’s not so much because our customers cannot afford the products, but it’s just a great opportunity for people to break down the costs when paying for high value goods. It’s better to have your money in your bank for longer rather than outlaying the full cost at once. It’s the same premise as a mortgage when buying a house. It also protects the client because the money isn’t released until the product is packed and dispatched. It has been great working with them.” 

This is a shortened transcribed edit of episode 76 of the MenswearStyle Podcast with Jason West, Founder of lusso-life.co.uk. You can listen to the full version below or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast player.

We sit down and interview Jason West, Founder of LUSSO Footwear, about working with Visualsoft and the benefits of using Klarna.