From sweater startup to an eight-figure success

Maria Knight grew up in Seville, Spain, among women who made things by hand. Her grandmother knitted for the family; her mother, a trained seamstress, created custom garments. That upbringing carried into Maria’s long career in fashion, including styling, modeling and design, where she developed a sharp eye for how a garment should fit and move on a person. When she and her husband, Carlisle, found themselves with time on their hands after their kids left for college, she knew exactly what she wanted to do.

“Maria said, ‘I think I’m going to start a sweater business,’” recalls Carlisle, who spent decades working in the music industry before retiring in 2005. “And I’m like, ‘Okay, well, go ahead. Start the sweater business.’”

Drawing on that experience, Maria set out to make cashmere sweaters that fit and flatter women her age—45-plus—an underserved group she felt had poorly designed, ill-fitting options. Cashmere was the natural place to start, as it’s a material that drapes well, lasts and feels as good as it looks.

In 2019, the two started Pura Cashmere, with Carlisle taking on operational and marketing duties and Maria overseeing design. “It just kind of fell into place,” he says.

Starting a business in the highly competitive fashion sector might seem daunting, but the Knights didn’t know exactly what they were getting into when they launched. “That made it easier for us, because we weren’t aware of how hard it was going to be,” says Carlisle. “Our ignorance was kind of a blessing in disguise.”

Still, they had enough business knowledge to find creative ways to make things work. For one, when it came time to source cashmere and set up production, Carlisle drew on relationships he’d built working overseas over the years—contacts spread all over the world who helped him find the mills, factories, photographers and production teams he needed to launch the brand. The business that started in their home now has three warehouses.

Pura Cashmere debuted with one product: a ribbed turtleneck sweater. “It was really about designing the fit and really overdelivering on the quality and presentation,” Carlisle says.

The company initially sold exclusively online, investing heavily in social media advertising to target women ages 45 and older who were looking for timeless wardrobe staples rather than fast-fashion trends. At first, the couple offered just 300 sweaters in two colors, which sold out in three days. 

Fortunately, they could quickly get more. Today Pura Cashmere earns annual revenue in the eight-figure range and has 10 employees. Carlisle credits much of that success to spending money in the “right places,” mainly on advertising. Last year, he spent $2 million in advertising through Meta, Google Ads and AppLovin, a platform that serves up ads in games like Candy Crush Saga. 

Carlisle relies on his Spark Cash credit card from Capital One Business to pay for online advertising and earn rewards. “The cash back is a huge part of that,” he says, explaining that the founders invest the rewards back into the business.

The company has also spent money on good photographers, models and packaging. Carlisle wants to create an experience for his customers rather than making clothes shopping feel like a typical transaction. “We don’t skimp on the bags that the sweaters come in, or the packaging, or any of that stuff,” he says. “How it makes the person feel is really important.”

A solid team has also played a role in the company’s success. Aside from Carlisle, the company is entirely staffed by women—a point of pride for the founders—and collaboration is a core tenet of the company’s culture. “Everybody gets to have their input on things,” he says.

Now Pura Cashmere is preparing for its next chapter. The company is in the midst of a major rebranding effort as it seeks to evolve into a broader lifestyle brand. Over the next year, plans include new product introductions such as puffer jackets, vests, linen shirts and denim shirts. The company also plans to change its name to reflect the brand’s evolution beyond cashmere.

When reflecting on how far the business has come, Carlisle says luck and circumstances have played major roles in its success. But trusting yourself is also key. “The most important part is believing that whatever you set out to do, you can do it,” he says. “I think that’s half the battle.”