Fashioning their dream into a reality, the Tissue sisters have spent the last nine months rummaging wholesale racks in Dallas and New York in search of the perfect clothes to kick off a fashion website.

Junior fashion merchandising major Kaygan Tissue and her older sister and business partner Kailey Tissue officially launched their fashion website, Kissue, on Aug. 5.

Kissue features what Kaygan and Kailey said are unique, statement pieces that are anything but ordinary.

The launch was a collaborative effort requiring countless phone calls, shrewd marketing strategies and the majority of summer vacation, Kaygan said.

“I just wanted to make sure it looked very professional,” she said. “It took most of the summer to tweak everything.”

The biggest challenge was spreading awareness of Kissue beyond family and friends, Kaygan said.

Before Kissue launched, Kaygan handled vendors on the phone while Kailey used her marketing and advertising degree from the University of Florida to cover all social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram (@KISSUEtx), Kaygan said.

“As far as widespread acknowledgement, it’s kind of hard to get the word out there,” she said. “I’m behind the scenes, basically, and [Kailey] is getting the word to everybody.”

Fort Worth fashion consultant Amanda Davis started Ciao Bella Consulting and Ciao Bella Boutique with her friend and business partner Lacy Winter almost a year ago.

Having worked with leading retailers around the world, Davis said attracting attention to a new business can prove challenging, but that paving one’s own way is what counts in the fashion world.

“It’s really hard not to compare yourself to what everyone else is doing,” she said. “Setting your own goals and keeping your own vision. I think that’s what’s really important.”

Kailey said she remembers the moment Kissue opened for business, and that the resulting sense of accomplishment has led to greater ambitions.

“We kind of both just sat there for a minute. It was such a milestone,” she said. “It gives you that much more fuel and motivation to keep going.”

Kaygan said sales for Kissue have been going well, and she plans to continue to build on the brand. She also said she hopes to someday stock Kissue with her own designs.

"We just keep checking back on the wholesale websites and continue ordering more and more different styles," she said. “It’s a work in progress, but it’s getting there."