OFFICE SPACE NEEDED

Working with more creatives helps our brand direction. Times have changed, and adapting to the changes are necessary. The involvement from Gen Z so far has been incredible, and we desire more! 

Being together in person is the way to keep everyone focused and on track. Sure we meet at public workspaces at times, and we rent studios for our photo shoots, but it's limiting without a location to store all the things that a fashion company needs. 

Mostly everything is at my apartment right now. Sketches, swatches, development samples and patterns, and the clothing we're about to shoot in our next shoot. My apartment isn't possible though for team gathers. Travelling on the subway with all the things too is quite a feat, so it's been faster to do the work by myself than invite others into it.

But what if we could have a home base? Imagine fashion design and patternmaking interns to come and create the dresses on the design board. The space will have a drafting table, mannequin, and a wall of sketches. A marketing intern can capture the design process to later show it on social media. It would serve as a place for models to come to do a fitting with our stylists the day before their early morning shoot outside.

I would love the opportunity to have this dream come true. I believe it would make Elegantees flourish as a company because we'll get a marketing makeover in the process.

I think we could afford the rent for an office space in the more indie areas of Brooklyn. But there is more to having a headquarters than just the space - there's the staff too!

For a year now, I've been connecting and doing short-term projects with students from the main fashion college here. I've gotten to learn that they want to make a difference in the world. They are eager for an opportunity.

We can offer that, but what about pay? I can't right now, but it seems like many are willing to work for free just to get some experience. That can work!

The other day I heard a very fair rant from a stylist friend who has been in fashion for decades. She shared how unethical it is for companies to expect interns to work full-time for free, or to offer experienced pros a wage that isn't liveable. Reading her rant put the brakes on my dream to bring on a dozen interns.

The last thing I want to be is exploitative. It's everywhere in the fashion industry, and not being exploitative is basically our mission. However, a fair wage in Nepal is doable for us, unlike a fair wage in New York City.  

I unpacked this with friends because I felt like a hypocrite for even thinking unpaid interns is necessary. They affirmed me that I'm not that type of CEO. Also, if the interns are being empowered at a student level, it's a dream for them as well. 

I was also reminded that treating people with dignity is not just about money. It's much more. I know we can do that part really well when I'm not bleeding to try to pay the bills. Now I have the courage to fill our New York based team with unpaid interns. 

But first, the office space…