PICTURE: CLAIRE DE BARR: Rebekka Plane has the backing of three millionaires for her kumfy cotton business.

Dragons back kumfy clothes for eczema kids

15.09.2006
By Graham Skellern

Bay designer Rebekka Plane will do anything to protect her children from the maddening irritation of eczema.

So the young mother-of-three walked confidently into the high-pressured Dragon's Den - and after a 50-minute grilling from five of the country's wealthiest entrepreneurs suddenly realised her children's clothing business was taking off.

Three of the five "dragons" wanted to financially back her - and in that moment two years of hard toil trying to make her company work seemed all worthwhile.

Mrs Plane, joined in her company by her mother Jan and husband David, had an unshakeable belief in her product - specially-designed, 100 per cent cotton clothing - after despairingly seeing the eczema spread over the whole of her baby Reece's body.


Reece, now four, would lie in his cot and scratch constantly, leaving pools of blood everywhere. "Breaking the skin felt better than the itching," said 27-year-old Mrs Plane, who lives in Papamoa.

Her eldest son Sean, 8, has an allergy and her daughter Samantha, 4, has a mild form of eczema.

She couldn't find any comfortable and soft cotton clothing anywhere for her children; there were only polyester and acrylic garments, which she believed caused irritation and skin flare-ups.

She designed her own hard-wearing bodysuits, sleepsuits, mitten tops, pants with feet, arm socks, and beanies - with no tags inside - to prevent scratching.

Then two years ago she established her company and brand, kumfy cotton, and sold her range of children's garments by mail order through her internet website. She had 800 customers, mainly in New Zealand and Australia. But the strain was starting to tell - she was running out of money to pay for more stock.

Enter the dragons.

Mrs Plane, a qualified primary school teacher, appeared last night on TV One's Dragon's Den episode. Successful millionaires Julie Christie - her child had eczema - Barry Coleman and Paul Webb all liked her business plan.

Mrs Plane went looking for $80,000 in exchange for 25 per cent of kumfy cotton. Ms Christie wanted to do the whole deal herself - but so did Mr Coleman and Mr Webb.

They told her they would take 17 per cent each and have a controlling 51 per cent share of her business - and more support would come later.

Mrs Plane, the managing director, agreed - though she regretted not asking for more.

The Dragon's Den experience wasn't as bad as she had expected. "I was nervous before I went in but once I got there it was easy because I'm so passionate about the product. "I want parents who have children with eczema to be aware of what we have to offer.

"I spent 18 months selling the stuff and it wasn't hard answering the dragons' questions."

Her business has quickly moved forward since she entered the den in late July.

Two weeks later she was in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, with Paul Webb's business partner, Scott Leith, negotiating a manufacturing deal with Albetta, which supplies the British market with clothing and shoes.

The three dragons paid for her trip and the $170,000 order comprising 50,000 kumfy cotton garments.

They will be delivered within two months and Mrs Plane had doubled her business in one swoop.

Incredibly, Mrs Plane has reduced her manufacturing costs by up to 75 per cent and she can lower her retail prices by more than 50 per cent.