DeepSummary
In this episode of the Behind Her Empire podcast, host Yasmin Norrie interviews Rebecca Hessel Cohen, the founder and CEO of LoveShackFancy, a fashion and lifestyle brand known for its unique floral prints and bohemian dresses. Rebecca shares how the brand started as a side hustle making bridesmaid dresses for her own wedding when she couldn't find anything she liked, and how it eventually turned into a full-time business catering to women of all ages with its vintage-inspired aesthetic.
Rebecca discusses the early challenges of building the brand, including facing criticism for the feminine and romantic aesthetic that goes against fashion norms. She also talks about the unglamorous realities of running a business and how social media played a crucial role in LoveShackFancy's success. Despite not having a business plan, Rebecca followed her instincts and passion, which ultimately paid off.
The conversation delves into Rebecca's upbringing surrounded by fashion through her mother's career, her transition from working as a fashion editor to becoming an entrepreneur, and the importance of staying true to her vision. Rebecca also shares insights on juggling motherhood with the demands of running a rapidly growing business and her plans for expanding into new product categories like fragrance.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Stay true to your vision and passion, even when faced with criticism or naysayers.
- Building a successful business often involves overcoming fears and stepping out of your comfort zone.
- Social media and storytelling can be powerful tools for connecting with customers and building a brand.
- Achieving work-life balance as an entrepreneur requires setting boundaries and prioritizing self-care.
- Being open to learning and adapting is crucial for the growth and evolution of a business.
- Surrounding yourself with a supportive and competent team can help drive a business forward.
- Finding inspiration from various sources, such as travel, vintage aesthetics, and customer feedback, can fuel creativity and innovation.
- Perseverance and a willingness to challenge industry norms can lead to success, even without a traditional business plan.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “I live, breathe, eat, sleep, like love shack. Fancy, as a world, as a business, as a lifestyle, it is like you see what you get.“ by Rebecca Hessel Cohen
- “There is nothing that I go to the office and it turns on, or I go home, like home, work, travel, kids, husband, it's all there.“ by Rebecca Hessel Cohen
- “I really do believe that you can do it all. You can be a great mom and you can have your own business.“ by Rebecca Hessel Cohen
- “When I'm thinking about designing or pulling inspiration, because everything for me starts with vintage and vintage textiles, vintage clothing, and then we reinterpret and bring it into this more modern new world.“ by Rebecca Hessel Cohen
- “I think for me, it's very much all of it coming together. And that's why I really picture, and that's why so much we have content overload here, whether it's on her iPhone, whether it's photography, it's so much the world that she's in and the world that she's creating and being inspired by it.“ by Rebecca Hessel Cohen
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Episode Information
Behind Her Empire
Yasmin Nouri
1/8/24
Rebecca Hessel Cohen is the Founder and CEO of LoveShackFancy, a fashion and lifestyle brand know for its unique floral prints and bohemian dresses.
LoveShackFancy was born out of necessity when Rebecca was in search of the perfect bridesmaid dresses and was out of luck. After creating her own designs, she garnered lots of support from family and friends and began selling dresses from the trunk of her car and the rest was history. Born and raised in New York, Rebecca was surrounded by fashion starting at the age of 4 and her story is nothing short of spectacular. Today, LoveShackFancy has gained mass appeal from her vintage-inspired details, flattering silhouettes and playful dresses and ultimately catering to all age groups.
The ultra feminine super-maximalist clothing and lifestyle business now has 17 retail locations in the U.S. and is continuing to expand. What started out as a dress company in 2013 has evolved into an all-encompassing lifestyle brand selling fragrances at Sephora to kid’s clothing and a home collection that is set to launch later this month.
In this week’s episode we chat about her upbringing surrounded by fashion, her early career as a fashion editor and why she felt like it was time to do something different in her life despite her incredible career. We talk about how her interest making a few pieces of clothing turned into a successful side hustle and eventually years later, her full time gig. Rebecca opens up about how many people told her that the feminine prints and vibe would never sell, and that her brand’s name was horrible - and why she didn’t let that stop her. We also chat about the unglamorous days of building the brand, overcoming fears in business, and using social media for success. She stresses setting boundaries, LoveShackFancy's mission, and shares dos and don'ts for running a business for over a decade.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Jesse about:
* Rebecca's upbringing influenced her early fashion and confidence. [04:03]
* Impact of Rebecca's mom on her upbringing. [06:31]
* Rebecca’s fashion ideation process. [08:32]
* The concept of LoveShackFancy. [10:25]
* Starting LoveShackFancy as a side hustle and career pivot. [13:49]
* Dealing with the fear of change. [21:14]
* Confidence in LoveShackFancy’s vision. [23:36]
* LoveShackFancy’s first store and Rebecca’s key learning. [27:14]
* Juggling high in-store demands and early social media presence. [31:13]
* Balancing business with motherhood. [33:37]
* Launching fragrance and partnering with Sephora. [40:30]
* Going viral on TikTok and its business impact. [47:04]
* Maintaining her creative momentum. [52:26]
* Discoveries during a decade with LoveShackFancy. [55:30]
* Rebecca's belief in operating without a business plan. [58:33]
* Upcoming plans for LoveShackFancy. [01:03:13]
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* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
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Follow Rebecca:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becknyc
* LoveShackFancy Website: https://www.loveshackfancy.com/
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