How Cyber Techwear built a wardrobe around futuristic streetwear
NICOLAS FALOURD is Founder & CEO of ONOIKO OU, the company behind Cyber Techwear, which brings together techwear, cyberpunk and Y2K-inspired clothing and accessories. The conversation looks at how a clear fashion identity attracts customers, why product details matter, and how to test advertising without mistaking attention for profit.
Build around a specific customer, then test demand with a manageable budget. Evaluate acquisition costs, conversion and margins together, and make product information clear enough for customers to judge fit and quality.
What’s the short story of how your business started, and what makes it genuinely different from the other options your customers have?
Cyber Techwear started with a simple idea: bring techwear, cyberpunk and Y2K-inspired fashion together in one place, giving people more ways to express their individuality through clothing.
Our identity comes from combining futuristic silhouettes with utility-inspired details across clothing and accessories for men and women. Pieces such as modular T-shirts, oversized cargo pants and hooded scarves let customers experiment with shape, layering and texture. We approach the collection as a wardrobe: customers can build a complete look or choose one statement piece to wear their own way. That balance of a recognisable aesthetic and freedom to personalise it is central to Cyber Techwear.
How did you win your first customers, and where does most of your new business come from today?
We built our early customer base by focusing on a specific community: people passionate about techwear, cyberpunk and alternative fashion. A distinctive visual identity helped us connect with that audience. Today, our acquisition efforts combine search visibility, social content and paid advertising. Individual products are important entry points: someone discovers a particular pair of cargos or a modular T-shirt, then explores the wider Cyber Techwear collection.
What’s one decision that changed the direction of your business, and one mistake that taught you the most?
One important decision was to build a broader wardrobe around the Cyber Techwear aesthetic, with clothing and accessories for both men and women. That gave us more ways to help customers express their style. One mistake was expecting a new advertising channel to perform like an established one. It taught me to test with a controlled budget and evaluate acquisition costs, conversion and margins together before committing further.
What has changed in your industry or in what your customers expect over the last couple of years, and how have you adapted?
Customers want to understand how a piece will actually look, fit and work within their wardrobe. Strong visuals need to be supported by useful information about sizing, materials and delivery. Our response has been to keep improving product presentation, prioritise photographs showing the clothes on models, and make the practical details clearer. We want customers to feel confident about what they are ordering.
If you were advising someone starting out in your industry today, what would you tell them to do first, and what would you tell them to ignore?
Start by understanding a specific customer and putting together a focused collection with a recognisable identity. Order samples, check the fit and quality yourself, and calculate your margins with shipping and advertising included. Then test demand with a manageable budget. Ignore vanity metrics and promises of effortless growth. Your first priority is to understand why someone buys, whether the order is profitable, and whether the experience gives them a reason to return.
Thank you to NICOLAS FALOURD and the team at ONOIKO OU for sharing what actually worked with Leaders Perception readers.
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