E:10 Reece Wabara founder of Maniere de Voir on churning 80% of customers to reach $8M EBITDA

In this episode, Drew Fallon sits down with Reese Wabara, founder of Manière De Voir, to unpack how he went from playing professional football to building one of the UK’s most disciplined and profitable fashion brands. Reese breaks down the evolution of MDV, how he’s navigated trend cycles, and the bold strategic pivots that protected margins and long-term growth. He shares why timeless product beats fast fashion, how retail expansion fits into the next chapter, and why building a strong, aligned team is central to MDV’s future. The conversation dives into profitability, repositioning, customer experience, and Reese’s long-term vision for scaling the brand without compromising on quality. Chapters 00:00 — Reece Wabara: From Footballer to Building Manière De Voir 00:07:37 — £35M Revenue & £6M EBITDA at MDV’s Peak 00:09:01 — Revenue Drops from £35M to £25M but Still Seven-Figure Profits 00:10:10 — Raising Prices 50%+ to Protect Margin 00:10:43 — Losing 80% of Customers During the Repositioning 00:12:29 — Staying Profitable Through a Complete Business U-Turn 00:22:54 — London Store Generates Seven-Figure Profit in Year One 00:23:54 — MDV Store Model Targeting £5M Revenue Per Location 00:31:17 — Self-Funding a £12–13M Repositioning Without Investors 00:32:36 — Avoiding the Private Equity Path by Reinvesting Cash Flow 00:34:12 — Forecasting £35M+ Revenue and £6M Profit by 2026 00:34:18 — Ambition: £50M Revenue and £10M Profit (20% EBITDA) 00:58:10 — £6.7M Profit and £8M Cash Flow Last Year