They told me that manufacturing was a long process. I was convinced I could get it right on the first try. Everyone else: 1, Jenny 0.  In honor of the long, arduous back and forth and shameless following-up that is manufacturing, here is a little recap of what’s happened so far!  April: Piece together the initial design May: Receive our first disaster of a sample June: Visited the factories, and asked 4 of them to manufacture our first design July: We receive all 4 samples from the factories we visited. We liked Factory A and Factory C’s samples the best, and decided to work with them ..read more

Peiki Lau | Luxury Consultant “For me, clothing is not only a necessity, it is a statement of personality and taste, and an investment.” I come from a family who loves high-end fashion brands. Through understanding the history and heritage of designer brands, I have come to appreciate the true value of clothing. For me, clothing is not only a necessity, it is a statement of personality and taste, and an investment. Although designer clothing is expensive, it is also gorgeous, luxurious, and made to last a lifetime. My passion for designer is what lead me (and my sister) to the luxury con ..read more

With an impending flight in two weeks and keen to avoid another sample fiasco, I enlisted the help of a sourcing agent that previously worked on a project for Alexis’s family.  Close the Circle specialized in sourcing eco-friendly and sustainable materials, and I asked her to deliver a list of potential factories. Our requirements were: Mature factories with on-site visits available  Dedicated Quality Assurance (QA) processes  Evidence of efficient processes (involved production manager present on the floor, quickly fixing problems, new equipment with records of maintenance) 3rd party qu ..read more

Elizabeth Shaller | Non-Profit Specialist “By switching to a plant-based diet, I know I’m doing my part to save the land, animals, and environment, and also be healthier as an individual.” One quote I live by is from Jessica Chastain: “ Living vegan is about trying to live a life where I’m not contributing to the cruelty in the world. … While I am on this planet, I want everyone I meet to know that I am grateful they are here.” It’s been around five years since I became a vegan. People often think there was one special incident that influenced me to change my lifestyle, but honestly I ..read more

GUYS I was SO EXCITED to pick up my sample.  Day of scheduled pickup, I texted Anna to make sure 3pm was still a good time. She pushed our meeting back to 4pm since they were still “finishing up the final details.” That should’ve been the first red flag. But I didn’t care! I was so pumped to see my bag come to life!! It was going be the perfect shape, perfect color, perfect weight…I had invested so much money, thought, and communication into this bag (or so I thought). I had been following up with Anna every week for progress reports and make sure she had everything she needed.  Anna ..read more

In April, I started commuting from school in upstate New York to New York City every weekend (5 hour ride) for more interviews, meetings with relibit, and browsing department stores and the garment district for bag silhouette ideas (yes, that’s all I was doing…just browsing…) I wanted to start small – with one tote and one crossbody. I watched a bunch of youtube videos teaching how to draw patterns, and bounced around coffee shops working on the first two designs. I doodled in class, at Bryant Park at 6:30am, on the subway, while watching rick and morty. I remember so vividly walking int ..read more

Life works in mysterious ways part two: Is spring break tax deductible?  ^ a serious thought I had when preparing for my Hawaii trip with my best friend.  Us parasailing in Hawaii. Aka the worst experience of my life (I’m terrified of heights)I don’t mean to brag, but I sure know how to pick my friends. When I updated Alexis (my best college friend) about my summer plans, she dropped the bomb that her family was one of the leading manufacturers of eco-friendly vegan ultrafiber leather in China.  Um, EXCUSE ME??  She seemed surprised that I didn’t know. But in my defense it’s not re ..read more

Myeisha Boyd | Graduate Public Administration Student “Because I am a first generation college student in my family, my goals are helping people who are struggling to learn in better environments.“ Since I was born and raised in a smaller city in Connecticut, I had a dream of living in a big city like New York. As a young girl, I was sensitive to fashion, makeup, and all sources of beauty trends. While I was following fashion trends on social media, Micahel Kors caught my eye. The brand has all bags for all occasions. I could buy any bags for party, work, date, picnic, etc.  From simp ..read more

Stephanie Chen | Investment Banking Walk boldly, but tread lightly. Take that contradictory statement wherever you go and show the world that you’re a New Yorker.  Who is this Steph Chen? I heard her hair is so big because it’s filled with secrets. Or maybe it’s just Maybelline. Actually it’s because I remembered to brush it this morning before I left for work, making my mom proud over here. Right now I’m two weeks away from entering my mid twenties. We don’t talk about that, last time I checked I was forever 21.  I think growing up in NYC it teaches you to be both bold and cautious a ..read more

Sometimes, life knows exactly what you need.  I’ve always believed in going with the flow. In fact, it’s something I pride myself in – taking things in stride and making the best of everything.  But for the first time in my life, I faced the reality of my passive nature. I was 23 and had really backed myself into a corner. I never found myself or my passion in college like I was “supposed to,” and had impulsively enrolled in grad school to give myself more time to flounder. Except now I was drowning. In a very, very expensive and prestigious pool, but drowning nonetheless. I didn’t kn ..read more