Volume 02

knock on their door and plant a seed there, because
if we get into Saks, we can get into forty-two stores
nationwide. Then hopefully get into Harrods.
Long-term goals would be to have my own boutique,
and be able to completely control the consumer
experience. Make sure when a customer comes in,
they get the experience we want somebody to have. A
lot of luxury brands make people feel nervous when
they walk in, and I don’t want to be like that.”
“Do you have any advice for other aspiring
fashion designers”
“Yeah, talk to other people, and try to learn
from others in the industry. Unfortunately, the
people you think might be willing to help you are the
ones who don’t call back. It’s not necessarily going to
be that one person who you shared a dorm or a class
with. But then there’s people that you never in a
million years would expect to help, and those are the
ones who go out of their way, so keep an open mind
to who you reach out to. Also, try to think outside the
box in terms of getting into the industry. You don’t
necessarily need a fashion background if you can go
into it with a product you believe in. And consider
intangible factors when you start a business. It’s not
what everybody thinks. It’s not how much money
you have going into it, it’s the kind of support system
you have. Do you have a supportive spouse Do you
have time to work until midnight every night There’s
a million different intangible factors that influence
whether or not somebody’s going to be successful, and
that’s in any industry.”
As we wrap up the interview, Phillips and I
stand and gather our tea cups. Before I put on my
jacket, she adds. “I hope they see you don’t need to
have everything line up. The stars are never going to
perfectly align. So you start it now. I used to think I
would wait until I was thirty-five, save up a money, get
some industry experience, build some contacts. But
then by then maybe I’d have had five kids and had no
time to work. You never really know, so you just do it.”
With those words, the interview comes to its
close. I wish her luck with her Fall 2015 Collection,
which she will present to buyers in February. Andrea
Phillips continues with her evening, and I drive home,
my thoughts full. It’s true that starting a business,
especially a fashion label, is a lot of work, but having
spoken with Phillips, it seems the payoff is absolutely
worth the trouble it is to get there.