Melles Business Plan — SS26 April 2026
Confidential — Internal Document

The First
Drop.

A small, exclusive production run to launch Melles — built on scarcity, quality, and the kind of word-of-mouth that money can't buy.

Melles — SS26
Business Plan v1.0
Sel & Men
01 — The Idea

"A small run. Real pieces. People who actually get it."

Overview

Melles is a lifestyle golf brand founded by Sel and Men — built for the people who show up for the walk, the weather, and the company, not the scorecard. The brand lives at the intersection of golf and everyday life, referencing the culture of Malbon, Manors, and Macade while carving its own path.

For the first release, we're not chasing scale. We're chasing credibility. A tight, exclusive first drop of carefully selected pieces — each one made well, packed right, and delivered to people who already understand what Melles stands for.

Exclusivity is the product. The first drop sets the tone for everything that follows.

100
Total units
first drop
5
Styles in
the collection
DTC
Direct only —
no retail, no wholesale
02 — The Collection

SS26 —
The Capsule

What we're making

The first drop is a tightly edited capsule — five pieces chosen for versatility, quality of make, and the ability to cross from the course into the rest of the day. No gimmicks, no performance tech. Just well-considered clothing.

Each piece is offered in a limited colourway. Once they're gone, they're gone. No restocks for the first drop.

Piece Colourway Units Retail (€)
Quarter-Zip Forest / Cream 20 € 145
Knit Polo Oat / Charcoal 20 € 110
Camp Shirt Sand Check 20 € 120
Relaxed Chino Stone / Olive 20 € 130
5-Panel Cap Cream / Forest 20 € 65
Total 100 pcs —
03 — Production

Made
Right.

How we make it

Quality over speed. We're working with small-batch manufacturers — likely Portugal or Turkey — where MOQs are low enough for a 20-unit run per style and quality control is hands-on. These regions also carry the right brand associations: European craftsmanship, responsible production.

Sampling happens first. We get one sample per style before committing. No compromises on fit or fabric — if the sample isn't right, we delay the drop rather than ship something mediocre.

04 — Financials

The
Numbers.

Revenue at sellout

If we sell every unit at full price, the first drop generates approximately € 11,400 in revenue.

Piece Units Retail Est. COGS Revenue Gross Profit
Quarter-Zip 20 € 145 € 52 € 2,900 € 1,860
Knit Polo 20 € 110 € 38 € 2,200 € 1,440
Camp Shirt 20 € 120 € 42 € 2,400 € 1,560
Relaxed Chino 20 € 130 € 46 € 2,600 € 1,680
5-Panel Cap 20 € 65 € 22 € 1,300 € 860
Total 100 € 4,000 € 11,400 € 7,400
COGS estimates include fabric, cut & sew, and unit-level packaging. Gross margin ~65%. Excludes fulfilment, shipping, and marketing.
€ 11,4k
Revenue
at full sellout
~65%
Target gross
margin
€ 7,4k
Gross profit
at full sellout
05 — Investment

What We
Need.

Upfront costs

Total investment to get the first drop out the door: € 7,800 – 10,000

Cost Item Notes Estimate
Sampling & Development 1 sample per style, courier & revisions € 1,500 – 2,500
Production — COGS 100 units across 5 styles € 3,800 – 4,200
Packaging Box, tissue, insert, hangtag, stamp — 125 sets € 800 – 1,200
Photography Half-day shoot, course location € 1,000 – 2,000
Website & Tech Shopify / domain / basic setup € 300 – 500
Marketing & Launch Organic-first; small paid reserve € 500 – 1,000
Total € 7,800 – 10,000
Break-even at approximately 70% sellout (70 units). Full sellout returns ~€ 1–3k net after all costs.
06 — Go-To-Market

How We
Launch.

Strategy

No paid ads for the first drop. We launch on earned attention — friends of friends, golf communities, the people already waiting. Instagram is the main channel. The aesthetic does the heavy lifting.

We seed the launch quietly: a handful of pieces to people whose style aligns with the brand before we go public. No formal influencer deals — just people we'd genuinely give a kit to.

Phase What Happens
Pre-Launch Instagram teaser content goes live 3–4 weeks out. Story-driven: behind the scenes, the course, the packaging. Build a waitlist via a simple landing page or link in bio form.
Seed 5–8 pieces gifted to people whose feed already tells the Melles story. No brief, no script — just give them something great and let them talk about it naturally.
Launch Day Drop at a fixed time. Single link. Email / DM anyone on the waitlist first. Post goes up. Keep it quiet — no countdown clocks, no urgency gimmicks. Let scarcity do the work.
Post-Launch Content from the shoot goes out over 3–4 weeks after the drop. Show the pieces in real life — on the course, in the clubhouse, after the round. Keep building the world even after it sells out.
07 — Timeline

The
Road.

Apr – May '26
Finalise Collection & Manufacturer Shortlist Confirm 5 styles for the drop. Reach out to 3 manufacturers. Request samples. Confirm packaging brief with supplier.
Jun '26
Sampling Round Receive and review samples. Fit sessions. Approve or request revisions. Confirm colourways and final spec sheets. Place production order on approval.
Jul – Aug '26
Production in Progress 12–16 week production window begins. Begin building the website. Plan the shoot — location, team, styling.
Sep '26
Photography & Content Creation Half-day shoot on course. Build out the full content bank for launch. Begin pre-launch Instagram content. Waitlist goes live.
Oct '26
Goods Arrive — QC & Fulfilment Prep Inspect all stock. Pack in final packaging. Seed pieces go out to close circle. Website flips to live with product.
Nov '26
The Drop Public launch. Waitlist gets first access. Full drop goes live. Post-launch content calendar runs for 4 weeks.
Dec '26 +
Evaluate & Plan SS27 Review what sold, what didn't, what people said. Begin planning the second drop with the learnings from the first.
08 — Principles

What We
Won't Do.

Non-negotiables

As important as the plan is knowing what's off the table. These are the guardrails for the first drop — things that, if we compromise on them, undermine what makes Melles worth caring about.

Small run.
Big intent.
Melles — SS26 — The First Drop