L'DEZEN, PAYAL SHAH: The Icebreaker

Beauty and inspiration can come from anywhere. Some find it at the bottom of their shoes, while others find it on top of their ceilings. The act of translating ideas into products is what makes one a designer. A young lady, in particular, set out to as Beyonce would say “put a ring on it.”

Founder of jewelry company, L’Dezen, Payal Shah is no ordinary Indian gal. A honeymoon baby, born in Mumbai, India, she grew up in Hong Kong and considers herself half Chinese. With an educational background in Architectural Design from University of Westminster and Inchbald School of Design in London and her family’s long standing experience in the diamond industry, Payal launched L’Dezen in 2011. “I wasn't necessarily looking to be an architect, but I knew that it would open a lot of doors for me because we are heading in a direction where the world is changing so quickly and structure and form is becoming very important.”

Humble Beginnings

Founder, Payal Shah

After her studies in London, Payal moved back to Hong Kong and worked for a hospitality firm as a Junior Designer. She worked on furniture pieces and soon realized that she liked working with smaller forms as opposed to larger forms of design. “In the evenings, I would work for my father in his office and help him assort diamonds according to size, shape and color. I learnt a lot in that process and decided I wanted to create a small jewelry collection of my own.”

Shortly after, Payal produced 30-40 original pieces and showed it to a jeweler and he was instantly hooked. “They took me to an exhibition in Las Vegas as a Designer. Demand was amazing. People loved the designs!” Upon returning, Payal decided to quit her job and pursue her passion full time. Fun fact: by attending the exhibition, Payal got instant access to investors and clients. So next time you get such an invite, do not miss it!

The Name Game

“I wanted something that meant the same thing in every language and had a feminine appeal to it. I really liked the word design, but didn't want to be cliché.” So she took a French twist on those letters and voilà, L’Dezen was born. It means design and reinforces her one of a kind product. “The stones I use are all irregular shaped and everything is handmade so I can never create a repeat piece.”

“The two things I think women are fed up of are heels that kill you and earrings that make you want to die.”

Extremely light and comfortable, L’Dezen pieces are ice breakers, statement makers and conversation starters. The collection is currently worn by Hollywood celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Sofia Vergara, Angela Bassett, bloggers and gorgeous ambitious women of all nationalities. “I have so many cultures behind me, which adds to my edgy side. It is very art deco.” Her collection is inspired by chandeliers, nature, the urban jungle and architecture, especially skyscrapers. “My dad was a great mentor and always told me, if you understand the manufacturing world, everything else is so much easier because you literally know what can and cannot be done.” It takes a minimum of 3 weeks to 3 months from sketch to product. Her pieces are produced in China and sold via a variety of trunk shows across the globe and at boutique retailers like Plukka in London.

 

“Jewelry is personal. It should tell a story about the person who wears it.”

In our parent’s generation, our mothers purchased jewelry as an investment, to be passed down. Today, we purchase jewelry because we want to make a statement. Understanding the popularity of see now buy now and Instagram, Payal will be launching a new mobile app called InstaJewel App soon. The idea is to post the pieces customers are wearing and tag the store so that people can instantly buy or contact the store. “The jewelry market is so saturated that the hashtag jewelry gets tagged 2 million times per day on Instagram. I feel like there can be a social network based solely around this category. The coolest part of the app are the search engine and filters which help you find jewelry pieces according to your taste.”

On Being a #BossBabe

Payal has several accolades to her name including being crowned Ms. Hong Kong Jewelry in November 2011 (the first ever non-Chinese winner) and Young Leader Under 30 honoree at The JNA Awards in 2012. You would think that having become so incredibly successful early on, Payal may have become numb to the spotlight. Yet, when we met up with her at a nail spa in New York City, we were blown away by her humility and eagerness to help others succeed.  

When she is not globetrotting, designing new collections, modelling for L’Dezen or hanging out with celebrities at red carpet events, she is just another millennial woman looking to inspire others to work hard for their dreams.

Her routinely social media posts with hashtags such as #bossbabe and life quotes #LivebyPie are a way to share her learnings from starting a business and well, being her own boss! Plus, her personal blog celebrates “sharing information, not hoarding it” as a means to reaching new heights of success and has become a must read for aspiring jewelry designers and entrepreneurs alike.

Want to get your bling on and in the words of Rihanna, “shine bright like a diamond”? Shop Payal’s collection which ranges from $1,200 to $26,000 at their next event. Want to connect with her directly? Email us.

Photo courtesy of Payal Shah and L’Dezen.

MOTT & BOW, ALEJANDRO CHAHIN: In His Genes

Sick of paying ridiculous prices for your denim, but still want to seem cool? Worry not! Founder of Mott & Bow, Alejandro Chahin, bleeds indigo and has disrupted the denim supply chain by providing high-quality jeans at an affordable price. Some would say it's in his genes, but he believes it’s in his jeans.

Honduran, charismatic yet shy, Alejandro is the visionary behind Mott & Bow, an online denim fashion brand based in New York City. With a college major in Industrial Engineering from University of Michigan, Alejandro’s switch to the fashion world was no accident. “I saw the competitive advantage I had because of my history with the family business in denim and being involved with its supply chain. So with that expertise and with what I believe I can do with the market here, I wanted to start the company.”

 “I liked the nonchalant, cool spirit the NoHo neighborhood embodied and we wanted to give the brand a New York feel.”

Mott & Bow is named after the two major streets (Mott and Bowery) in New York’s hip neighborhood, Nolita, where RADICHE headquarters also reside. Launched in February 2014, Mott & Bow caters to both men and women and sells premium denim at an affordable price solely online. “I started seeing a lot of direct to consumer brands catering to an audience by delivering a good product at a fair price.” With a family background in the denim industry since 1982, Alejandro had a competitive advantage within the supply chain and decided to remove the middlemen (retailers) and sell directly from his factory in Honduras to consumers in the U.S. “The denim industry doesn’t have a standard bandwidth size, so sometimes you will be a 30 or 31 with bands in the waist. To solve and minimize that friction for the customer, we copied in a way what Warby Parker was doing. We started sending an alternative size of the same jeans to check for fit, which could be returned for free.” Talk about a free trial period! Oh, and did we forget to mention that they are extremely comfortable? Zip up boys!

“I believe in the power of branding.”

As an e-commerce business, having cutting edge technology and an in-house developer are at the forefront. Their best performing marketing channel is Facebook and they are highly active in remarketing to online visitors. Their free trial program helps new customers purchase the product since there are no pop-ups or retail stores to try the product. “Our biggest focus is telling a story of our core value and differentiating our brand. Customers are very happy with the product, and the way I look at satisfaction is when a customer sees a product, tries it on and perceives a value in it. If he feels he is getting a bargain, he will purchase. My job is to keep that perceived value as high as possible and the price point to be below that. This is how we maintain and retain customers.” 

“You really need to have something special to enter such a saturated market. There are too many brands out there; it’s a complex industry.”

Alejandro tells us how “there are a thousand other denim and clothing brands, so figuring out how to get the word out about your brand and what you are doing is the biggest challenge we have faced.” The first year for Mott & Bow was also a tough one since the numbers were not as expected, but Alejandro kept believing in himself and pushed to keep going. 

The Past

Not always a fashionista, Alejandro got his MBA from NYU Stern in 2013. He was also the Founder of a previous venture called ThreadMatcher, which was a spin-off Pinterest where users were encouraged to curate images of the clothes they love and discover other similar styles. Realizing early on that it would take years before seeing a revenue stream, they closed down shop, or in this case closed down the domain. 

Mentorship & Advice

Building a team for many startup companies makes or breaks you. The best way to go about it? Through connections and like minded people in the space. It took Alejandro three months to find one team member, but at the end of the day, you are only as strong as your team. For those looking to start their own fashion brand, just do it. If you have a passion and feel that you can have a competitive advantage and relate to an audience, execute. “Too many people talk about it. Study it and then act.”

Self-funded, Mott & Bow is going to be adding new product categories in the near future. “We believe there is a true demand for what we are doing in jeans in other basics, so we are going to go into shirts with the same proposition.” Alejandro will be sourcing fabrics from some of the best mills in the world, removing the middleman and offering t-shirts at a fair price. Talk about true product value!

Interested in purchasing a pair of jeans for yourself or your man? Use promo code: radiche for a 20% discount. Alternatively, email us at founders@radiche.com if you would like to meet Alejandro or pick his brain regarding e-commerce and the denim industry. 

Photo courtesy of Mott & Bow.

DAUNTLESS, PAULA MALDONADO: Vegan Leather

Shop, eat, trash, repeat. In a world where humans are constantly depleting our planet's resources, one lady hopes to start a movement towards sustainability for the fashion minded. Some might even call her Dauntless. 

Colombian designer and Founder of Dauntless, Paula Maldonado has always been obsessed with leather jackets. “I own almost every color: pink, yellow, brown, black, you name it!” The idea to enter the jacket space came about due to the garment’s flexibility to be paired with both a formal or casual look, and to be honest, who doesn't own a good leather jacket these days?

“Our mission is to bring affordable and socially conscious fashion to the masses, through high-end designs, top quality materials and a well-tailored fit for fashion-forward consumers.”

With a background in Industrial Design and Technology from Parsons in New York, Paula’s past work experience was working in the global luxury market and with creative agencies. She has had a passion for sustainability and authenticity. Having never touched a needle in her life, Paula’s life as a fashion designer emerged as a reaction to what she witnessed. “Originally I wasn't into fashion because my best friend (unfortunately, not RADICHE) was enrolled in the Parsons’ fashion program and I saw her suffer with deadlines, needles, and sleepless nights so I didn’t want to go down that path.” 

“My goal is not to be in Fashion Week. It is to create a philosophy around socially conscious fashion.”

During Paula’s freshman year in college, she got to be a lucky girl and attend fashion week with her sister in Bryant Park (yeah, back then it was held in Bryant Park!). “I saw PETA outside the show with images displaying how animals were being used in the industry and was traumatized.” As an animal rescue fanatic, she couldn't digest the information and knew that something needed to change. “I felt that if it weren't me, then who?” Unable to shake away her experience, Paula quit her luxury market job and entered the world of fashion. 

“My jackets don’t look like plastic. People always touch it and ask what kind of leather it is, but its faux leather.” 

Paula tells us how “people don’t really know the difference when it comes to clothing, which is the most shocking thing. So why use materials that support animal cruelty and add more waste to our environment?” She choose to start with jackets since they are a staple product and seasonless. “Most of the jackets created have different linings since we reuse faux silk.” On a hunt for ethically sourced and animal-friendly resources, Paula came across materials from Japan and Italy. Her advice: don’t order too much inventory before you launch. 

Boom, in September of 2015, Dauntless hit the market. To spread the word, Paula created an Indiegogo campaign to help raise funds. “I think I launched the crowdfunding campaign at the right moment. I raised $3,000 and people started talking about my brand.” Being cash poor, Paula looked towards friends to help her with Dauntless. “I had amazing photography friends who helped put my collection together.” They sent their images to Vogue and Dauntless became editor's pick for sustainable fashion. In addition to Vogue, Dauntless collaborated with our fellow Makers from the Pop Up Mob to do a pop-up event with Nobi 67 in Miami (yayee girls!). 

The Hurdles

After launching the e-commerce website, “for two months I noticed that customers were browsing and adding items to their cart, but no one was checking out. Turns out, my payment system was not working and the company did not inform me. I can’t imagine the amount of business I must have lost without knowing it.” 

Being a one woman show, Paula also hired a blogger from Australia to help her with her social media. The problem was that by using this individual, her Instagram account now only targeted Australians. We “reckon” it was a rookie mistake but Paula eventually regained control and now manages the account herself. 

Mentorship

Like most of us, Paula was looking for a mentor and found guidance through her friend who worked in private equity. “He had no idea about fashion but would constantly call me up to ask what he should wear. He really helped me learn how to make the company worth something and how to add value. Initially, I wanted a portion of my sale proceeds to go to a charity organization; however, he told me to focus on building the company first, generating enough profit and then giving back to the society.”

Financial Advice:

• Think of money last

• Money will eventually come

• You have to spend money to make money

• In order to make a change, you have to be selfish in the beginning so that you can make a larger impact in the future

The Minka Moto Jacket

So what plans does the future hold for Dauntless? Paula hopes to incorporate recycled bottles into her garments. “The cost is too high for me right now, but this is something I would like to do very soon.” Dauntless is also going to be sold in stores in Mexico City in the next few months. For those avid pet lover shoppers, the limited edition Minka Moto jacket is up for grabs. Mention promo code: radiche for a 10% discount + free shipping (typical jacket is priced between $195 to $295).

Looking to join her team? Email us at founders@radiche.com and we’ll put you in touch.

Photo courtesy of Dauntless.

THREAD & SILK, CHLOE GUSS: The Eco Fashionista

Do you ever think about where or how your clothes are made? Do you ever wonder why it is so cheap? After the collapse of Rana Plaza in Bangladesh in 2013, Founder of Thread & Silk, Chloe Guss decided enough was enough and wanted to improve the impact fashion has on the environment.  

 “Consumers need to become more conscious of the impact their fashion decisions make on the supply chain.”

“By no means am I moving the needle with my brand, but it is still a positive example of how you can be creative and help contribute to saving the planet.” Not to sound over dramatic but we are running out of water, resources and landfills due to our high rates of consumption. The American economy is based around one word: shopping. When we go through an economical crisis, what does the government tell us to do? Buy. Brands such as Zara and H&M are changing the way we purchase due to the rise of fast fashion and lower prices. But what is the true cost on the environment by implementing this economic model? (Hint: watch the documentary, The True Cost, to get the full background on how fast fashion is affecting the fashion industry).

“I didn't want to produce something that requires making new materials since the production of fabrics is very toxic to our environment.”

Built on the idea of not creating any additional waste, Thread & Silk is a fashion based company founded in October of 2013 that recycles old denim and vintage silk scarves to produce shirts for men and women. “I always wanted to create a product with a combination of a utilitarian fabric mixed with a high-end luxury fabric.” At a price of $150 per shirt, Chloe replaces the denim fabric with square vintage scarfs from luxury designers such as Hermès and Chanel. She then reuses the remaining denim material as a bag to deliver the garment in. Talk about zero waste!

“Thread & Silk came into being out of a series of circumstances.”

Chloe graduated from Tufts University in 2007 where she majored in American Studies. Consumed by wanderlust, she then took some time off to travel to Madrid for eight months to become an English teacher, took up a job in Boston for three years helping international students transit to the U.S. and then got lost for one year in the Sub-Saharan region of Rwanda working for Indego Africa. “I was always intrigued by artisans in the developing world. I had already traveled to Africa, Latin America and was always so drawn to local artist’s craftsmanship.” As a hopeless romantic dating a French man in Rwanda, Chloe decided to follow her heart and move to Paris. “During my time in Rwanda, I started working with a woman in Paris who had a young emerging brand in which she partnered with artisans in India and Tunisia. She was looking for someone to assist her develop products in Sub-Saharan Africa and I helped her create a line so that when I moved to Paris I would have something to do.”

The Aha Moment

New in town, Chloe’s first plan of action was to learn French! Just like Nasty Gal CEO, Sophia Amoruso, Chloe loves to hunt for vintage clothing and was constantly thinking of how she could make something different by the things she gets inspired by.

One Parisian afternoon, back in 2011, she stumbled upon a beautiful silk vintage blouse and thought “there are so many scarves that look just like this blouse. You know, scarves used to be an iconic piece in every woman's wardrobe, in every culture. It was then that I had this idea of turning them into blouses.” Since denim was making a big comeback, Chloe decided to combine the classes of the fabrics by mixing a utilitarian, casual property with a sophisticated iconic one. “Both of these fabrics have a lot of history to them and like two sides of a coin, they represent both the upscale and lower scale of fashion.”

Why The Name

“The name was inspired by the materials. I liked brand names with two words with an “&” sign such as Rag & Bone and Alice & Olivia. I used the needle and thread because it shows something that has been reworked and goes with our tagline which is refound, reworked, reinvented.” In the beginning, it was called Thread & Sequence because Chloe was extremely obsessed with sequences, but later thought it sounded juvenile and wanted something more sophisticated. Hence, Thread & Silk was born. 

“It took me a long time to get things off the ground. I got really tangled up in wanting everything to be perfect before I had even sold one shirt.”

Chloe tells us how she has faced a lot of challenges when starting her company. “Because the shirts are one of a kind, each fit and size is different and that is something I have struggles with, especially from an e-commerce point of view. However, the biggest challenge I have had is working alone.” Being cash poor as a company, Chloe has had to rely on her friends to call in favors. As business women ourselves, we know the importance and gift of having the opportunity of working with a co-founder.

Founder, Chloe Guss in Paris

RADICHE GUIDE: The Importance of having a Business Partner:

• Helps move the business along faster (divide and conquer)

• Holds you accountable

• Gives you more financial options than self-investing

• Provides open communication for brainstorming

• Adds new skill sets that you may be weak in

Chloe is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Strategic Design and Management at Parsons, specifically to learn the management skills needed to develop her company further. 

Are you driven and motivated by sustainability with a love for fashion? Contact founders@radiche.com and we'll put you in touch with Chloe to potentially join her team and help her grow the business.

Photo courtesy of Thread & Silk.

NEGATIVE, LAUREN & MARISSA: No Boob Gets Left Behind

In a world of frills, lace and overdone trims, Co-founders Lauren Schwab and Marissa Vosper want to bring the S back to simple and sexy in the lingerie space. Having launched in 2014, Negative’s belief of “less is more” is a reflection of both their price points and brand attitude.

“We believe that the shopping experience offline for lingerie today is rather broken, and so we are hopeful that we can streamline it and give one the opportunity to try it on in their living room.” Priced between $35-$200, Lauren and Melissa wanted to make high-quality lingerie but also have it be accessible for women to purchase online. By removing the middle man, Negative has managed to keep its price points lower than its competitors such as La Perla and provide a collection for everyday usage. Not to mention, their products are extremely comfortable, perfect for those long flights or for times when you accidentally lock yourself out (yes, we own a pair). 

Freshman besties from the University of Pennsylvania, Lauren and Marissa had no prior experience in the fashion world. Lauren majored in Art History and Diplomatic History while Marissa explored Politics and Spanish. Upon graduation, Marissa worked as a Brand Consultant for agencies and Lauren joined the dark forces by entering a private equity firm.

While you might be wondering, there wasn't really an “aha” moment for Negative. The idea came about while sitting at lunch with their girlfriends around the age of 26, discussing what the next steps for their lives were and how they didn't want to continue working a corporate job forever. Like most of us around this age, they were rethinking life.

“Our brand is all about taking away the unnecessary”

With no previous experience in fashion, “we decided to take classes together at FIT and it wasn't necessarily with the intention of ‘let’s do this’ and start a business immediately, but more from the mindset of we’re two smart women, and we love fashion, maybe there is something we can think about doing differently than just going and getting a job in an existing business.” By enrolling in classes together, they understood how they both worked as partners and as individuals. “Our time together in classes solidified that we both had a similar vision of why we wanted to do this and our aesthetics are very aligned so it made it very easy. We certainly weren't lingerie enthusiasts before we started. I think we spent most of our time in class and on the weekends exploring opportunities in markets where we felt there were innovative businesses and a white space. It’s funny, we’re all very brand loyal to the things that people can see but not to our undergarments and we thought that was a huge opportunity.”

Divide and Conquer

Coming from a branding background, Marissa is the guru behind the brand ethos and strategy for Negative while Lauren heads product development. Fun fact: Lauren’s family is fourth generation in designing and manufacturing children's wear. ‘I didn't want to go back and work for the family business because I didn't see a white space in that market. I don't have kids, but I wear lingerie and it just seemed natural to go in that industry because I was the target audience.” Working two jobs until the launch in 2014, Lauren explored the product development stage for three years and tells us how complex and technical the development of lingerie is. “We basically looked at our network and said who do we know, who can we ask questions to because at the time there were no books on how to make lingerie. You had to talk to people in order to learn how to make the product. So we asked a million questions which eventually led to finding our manufacturer in Colombia.”

As for the packaging, it was inspired by a Lacoste shirt, which was vacuumed packed and allowed you to see the shape. “We loved that idea and went with our current silver foil packaging. It is simple and also helps maintain our inventory efficiently.” (Talk about space saver!)

“Originally we had created the brand with ourselves and our taste in mind, but our target market has evolved. We haven't tapped into a certain demographic, but a psychographic where women range from teenagers to 80 years old. Some of our most loyal customers are in their 50’s.”

Before launching, Negative conducted focus groups and invited friends of all shapes and sizes, breasts and thighs. Not wanting anyone to feel left out, they started a campaign called “Support The Girls” to create a movement that helps women feel comfortable with their body instead of constantly criticizing it. “It’s about them dressing for themselves instead of their boyfriends, husbands, and significant others. It was extremely successful and we hope to continue to make it bigger.”

Negative’s exposure in numerous publications such as the Wall Street Journal before Valentine’s Day in 2014 also helped boost their brand and increase sales. Despite selling online, the brand is also available for purchase by appointment in their rad SoHo showroom. However, their most successful marketing channel has been Instagram as it is a good way to express the brand voice and vibe. Negative also engages in email marketing, which is a growing channel as well as conducts events (pop-up truck) around the city.

Their Piece of Advice:

• Go for it - you won’t know what to do until you actually do it

• Do your research

• Leverage your network, you never know what comes out of conversations

In the future, the ladies hope to expand the product line and have already released their t-shirts and bodysuits. If you’re looking to get in touch with them, want to collaborate or just say hi, contact us at founders@radiche.com

SABAH, MICKEY ASHMORE: The Rise of a New Salesman

Meet the Sabah Dealer. His passion, authenticity and love of building relationships has created a cult following for Sabah—not your typical retail business, or your typical shoe.

Suave and charismatic, Mickey Ashmore, the man behind Sabah and its popularity, is a creative entrepreneur with an inherent knowledge of how to connect with people. His adventurous, welcoming and curious attitude—along with core business and analytical skills—are the cornerstone of the success that the Sabah House has experienced since its inception in 2013. Starting as a pure fashion statement, Sabah has now transformed into a lifestyle brand with the help of a few friends.

“Sabah Sunday is going to be the best Sunday anyone has ever had with the best wine, best food, best crowd and best shoes”

Sabah was born after Mickey returned from Istanbul, where he lived and worked for Microsoft for a couple of years. During this period, he was dating a Turkish woman and was introduced to the Turkish culture; he is also fluent in the language (not bad for a Texan!). At a marketplace in southeast Turkey, the seeds of Sabah were planted when he was gifted a pair of genie-style slippers, called chark. Absolutely in awe of their comfort and style, Mickey wore them everywhere when he returned to the U.S. and we mean everywhere (he even attended a wedding in them and no, he did not look like Aladdin). When the time came for a new pair, he was able to locate a group of Turkish artisan shoemakers, request some changes to the original shoe and order several pairs of his personal design. The whole process, which took about six months, was “fun” for Mickey. Little did he know, he was on his way to starting a shoe business.

At the end of six months, Mickey named his personally designed shoe, sabah, which means "morning time" in Turkish. He loved the idea of a shoe that people could slip on in the morning and not take off till the end of the day. Once he had a large order of Sabahs shipped from Turkey, Mickey decided to throw a party and see if other people would love them, too. After a majority of the shoes sold that day, Mickey decided to go back to Turkey, get more Sabahs and start hosting "Sabah Sundays" in an open house sales environment, rather than be hung-over in bed like the rest of us. A few successful Sundays later, he was ready to quit his job and fly to Turkey to perfect his Sabahs.

“Sabah lives and dies by the relationships we have created”

As we said earlier, Sabah is not your typical retail business. The Sabah House, Sabah’s townhouse headquarters in New York’s East Village, operates to the likes of a hotel, welcoming buyers and friends of Sabah to an atmosphere more akin to a social salon than a store place. As Mickey says, "We are a small business that makes shoes in a very old-school way….Our customers are treated as guests and we run lots of dinner parties! We get to know our customers, their stories and their preferences. We are building relationships similar to those one would whilst running a hospitality space." With this ethos in mind, the Sabah team has literally made it their business to make people feel good à l’hotel Sabah as they shop and mingle.

Despite the norms of the fashion industry, Mickey has taken a very unique approach to marketing. They don’t sell their products online. Instead they host events, engage in social media, use email marketing and on the road branding via pop up shops (he likes to travel to Los Angeles & Texas, ladies). As a result, Sabah has grown primarily due to word of mouth. In fact, one of the most important guiding principles was inherited from a customer’s view of the Sabah business: “Sabahs are bought, not sold.” Shout out to Mark Merken for coming up with that!

Instagram has also helped curate a lifestyle around the brand. With usage of a trending hashtag, “#WhereToNext,” Sabah has managed to gain a large following. Although, when asked on his thoughts regarding the platform, Mickey says, “I value Instagram as a business tool, but I think it takes us away from what is real. At Sabah, we work really hard but only show the leisure side of our brand, similar to many brands on the platform. However, a big day of work for our team is when we are all, including myself, filling boxes with shoes but we don’t seem to post pictures that tell the behind-the-scenes story. Sitting by a pool is not aspirational. I think it is the people that work hard and are change agents that inspire us." We couldn’t agree more!

The Inspiration

When we asked Mickey what has truly inspired his creative genius, he named family, friends, travel and the Sabah customers as his biggest muses. “My grandfather sold cars, my father sold shoes, and my mother ran a travel agency. I was fortunate to inherit my love for wanderlust and people through my mother, who knew how to connect with them deeply. My father instilled the power of marketing and sales in me.”

And it seems the two loves Mickey learned from his mother are intertwined. As he points out, “My favorite part about traveling was the people I met—it is the only thing I remember from my trips.” Another fascinating aspect of traveling, studying and living abroad was that he was always stimulated seeing something new. So, in his words, even “going to the dry cleaners was exciting!” We now know why the Sabah house has become a sanctuary for nesting, shopping and enjoying interesting company.

How to run a passion business? “Just go for it”

Like many Millennials, Mickey was constantly toying with ideas and starting ventures. His past resumé includes importing women’s swimwear and lingerie, and a few other wholesale businesses. In his words, “As Nike said, just do it. I had a million ideas and I just did it. If one did not work, I moved on to the next one.” With Sabah, he recalls, “There was no white paper strategy to our business plan, it was a true reflection of myself. I don’t shop online and was always bringing people together. Sabah shows authenticity.” Basically, make something you’d want yourself.

Ups and Downs

Though the business is doing really well, Mickey doesn’t pretend he hasn’t faced obstacles and challenges in the past. As one would expect with a retail business, production was extremely difficult to streamline while organizational structure was “the hardest thing to do” for Mickey. His advice: "Don't overly structure things; build the business first and retroactively structure it as you go."

How would you want people to remember you? “He brought good energy to the world”

Next time you are in the East Village, make sure to stop by the Sabah House. Better yet, plan to attend Sabah Sunday and enter their home/hotel/safe space (whatever you’d like to call it) to meet Mickey and his super personable team. Let yourself be carried away to Turkey with the smell of musky oud and beautiful décor—all while shopping for the most comfortable artisan shoes around. Let them know we sent you over :)