How Internet Sensation Sophadopha Built Her Fashion Empire
The Aussie star reveals the family history behind her cult brand, plus the viral “boob job” buy that everyone is talking about.
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For 21-year-old Sophia Begg, starting a fashion business at just 19 years old with her mother was definitely not always the plan.
“In school, I wanted to be a doctor and my mum was a lawyer before this, so we went into it with absolutely no e-commerce or supply chain experience,” she tells news.com.au checkout.
It was October 2020, when her life changed overnight.
The then-16-year-old posted her first-ever TikTok and would go on to become one of Australia’s top content creators.
At the time of writing, Sophia, more commonly known as her social media handle Sophadopha, has a combined following of over two million followers on Instagram and TikTok.
With a few years of popularity under her belt, the Aussie star certainly knows what it takes to go viral online and used this to her advantage when launching her own brand, All For Mimi and their new cult “boob job” tank top that Aussies are obsessed with.
‘CREATE PIECES WOMEN COULD FEEL BEAUTIFUL AND CONFIDENT IN’
With her mother, Suzy Cotter, as a co-founder, All For Mimi officially launched in November 2023.
While starting a new business is always risky, it’s a passion project for the mother-daughter duo. They began work around 12 months before even receiving their first sample.
From there, it took another year to get the product right and launch the brand onto the market.
The name is an ode to Sophia’s great-great-grandmother, who had her own bridal couture and lingerie boutique during the 1920s and is a source of inspiration to her family.
“Her love for glamorous fashion, coupled with her refusing to accept the status quo, has stayed with me as I’ve grown into the woman I am with a desire to follow in her footsteps,” writes Sophia on the brand’s website.
“I wanted to dedicate my brand to Mimi in her honour, and I hope to carry on her legacy in my work.”
This legacy is evident in the brand’s products.
“Both my mum and I wanted to create pieces women could feel beautiful and confident in,” says Sophia.
With this in mind, the brand has a large size range from XS to 3XL, something the co-founders are very proud of.
“Lots of small businesses and even larger ones don’t offer this,” Sophia says.
This proved true at Australian Fashion Week. Only 1.1 per cent of looks presented by designers were plus-size (AU 18+), 8.7 per cent were mid-size (AU 10-16), and 90.2 per cent were straight-size (AU 4-8), according to Vogue Australia.
And according to research from body-positive fashion app Mys Tyler, the average Australian woman wears a size 14-16.
They also report that 52 per cent of Australian women wear size 16 and above and over 36 per cent are considered plus-size, wearing a size 18 and above.
For All For Mimi, a small and fairly new brand, to actually cater to these sizes is truly an incredible feat.
‘BOOB JOB’ TANK TOP
Despite being less than two years old, the brand has already had multiple sellout buys.
“In our first year, it was definitely our Harper jacket and our oversized tees, but since launching our tank tops a few months ago, they have gone crazy,” Sophia says.
The $59 tank top may seem like your average singlet but Aussies have gone mad for it and its “boosting” effects.
TikToker @jacquiealexander_, who regularly posts about having a smaller chest, is obsessed with the tank and joked about it giving her a boob job.
“I’m actually dead. I don’t know what Miss Sophadopha has put in this thing but guys, I have boobs,” she said.
Sophia says the virality was not something they expected but something they are “so excited” about.
“They are currently sold out and restocking very soon. The pre-order for them went ballistic,” she says.
At its peak, two units were sold every minute and over 3000 customers are on the waitlist for the next drop.
‘HAVING THAT AUDIENCE BUILT ALREADY DEFINITELY HELPS’
The 21-year-old has worked with some of the world’s biggest brands, including Dolce & Gabbana Beauty, YSL Beauty, Maybelline and Princess Polly.
She says it is this exposure to top brands that has helped her know what works and what doesn’t.
“My experience with being a creator has helped a lot more than I thought it would,” Sophia says.
“I know exactly what I like and don’t like when it comes to clothes after wearing and trying on so many from other brands in the past few years.”
Plus, while other small businesses struggle with exposure, thanks to Sophia’s in-built fanbase and customers, this wasn’t a problem for All For Mimi.
“Having that audience built already definitely helps with growing All for Mimi,” Sophia says.
“It influences the brand in so many ways, such as the pieces we create, the way we portray the brand on socials (especially TikTok), and just the overall messaging of the brand.”
But as anyone knows, growing up in the public eye is never easy and Sophia credits her mum for all her success.
“I definitely couldn’t do this job or journey without my mum, I owe everything to her,” she says.
“She is my absolute rock and any slight inconvenience you will see me running to her.
“I’m not going to lie, it has been very tough but I’m so glad we have each other to lean on.”
And it’s clear, this family bond has ensured that All For Mimi is going from strength to strength.
“When it first started, it was a mum and daughter brand, with just us two working on it,” Sophia says.
“My sister helped out by doing the website and emails and my brother-in-law, uncle, and boyfriend helped us in the warehouse at the start.”
All For Mimi now has eight employees and Sophia says they are so beyond proud of every employee and what they’ve done for the business.
When asked one tip that will stick with her, Sophia says, “Every day you learn something new. It’s all trial and error and we are all just figuring it out in real time, every day.”
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This mantra will no doubt keep Sophia and All For Mimi in good standing for years to come.
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