The Digest | New Jersey Magazine
Issue link: https://magazines.vuenj.com/i/1197024
What inspired you to start your namesake line back in 2012? At the time I had been working at Elizabeth & James for three years as an assistant designer on the design team. I loved it but I missed creating something that was more personal and that allowed me to wholeheartedly express myself. I also felt that there was space in the contemporary market for a brand that was artistic, colorful and emotional without the designer price tag—so I decided to start my own company. I had a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance, an AAS in Fashion Design from Parsons, and wanted to start a career that combined both experiences. What has been the brand's evolution since launching eight years ago? A lot has changed! I started the company with one employee in a 200-square-foot office. We're now at about 30 employees in a space 20 times the size of where we started. is past year in particular was a big growth period for us; we brought Sales and PR in-house, hired a new design director, a full marketing team and expanded our other departments as well. e industry has also shied a lot from when we launched. When we started we were a predominant- ly wholesale driven business, but we have spent the past few years growing our e-commerce presence and understanding who our cus- tomer is on a deeper level, not just how she shops but understanding what she cares about and how she lives her life. V U E N J . C O M 58