Green Cinderella: proof that shoes can change your life

The Secret to Partnership Success

Song of the Day: I Can Tell That We Are Gonna be Friends: White Stripes

When we started our business, one of the things we heard most often was to be careful of partnerships. The standard advice is that they don’t work. And while I know there are hundreds of examples of failed partnerships, I can say without a doubt that I wouldn’t want to do this any other way.

I first met Lauren while interviewing her to be my boss at a software start-up in Silicon Valley. She was being brought in by one of the top executives and it was pretty clear that my “interview” was just a courtesy gesture to make me feel like I wasn’t totally unimportant. As I scanned her resume, I thought, great, this chick is going to be totally harsh. After all, she was from New York, had an MBA, and had come from a few companies famous for having cut-throat environments. Your basic nightmare.

But then I found a gem at the bottom of her resume- she went to F.I.T. While this did not ease my concern of her being a scary harsh New Yorker, it did pique my interest and give me something to talk about during the faux interview. I was surprised to find someone that was not only smart but also hilarious, easy going (who knew New Yorkers could be mellow?) and all-around wonderful. Even when the company we worked for was going down in flames, she always had a positive attitude, made the best of it, and most importantly, made me laugh. 

It’s those same qualities that have made our partnership so smooth. We laugh through EVERYTHING. The truth is, I never really wanted to start a business, I just wanted to work in fashion. It was Lauren that had the idea to make vegan shoes, and it was Lauren that made the idea of starting a business fun. I started doing research and found that while vegan shoes already existed (I really thought she was the first person to ever think of this), most were not eco-friendly or sweatshop-free. Or stylish. Seeing a hole in the market and feeling a pull towards creating something both fun and meaningful, we jumped in and haven’t looked back since. We’ve had an incredible amount of ups and downs since starting Charmone, but one thing I can rely on is that ever-present sense of humor and even-keel attitude. Not only does having a partner make the ride a lot more fun, collaboration creates more ideas and momentum than I would ever be able to create on my own. I think if you’re both committed, always give one another the benefit of the doubt, and set aside ego, partnerships can not only work but be more rewarding than you ever thought possible. Here's a pic of us laughing our way through a Chinese New Year party at London Fashion Week!

 

A Different Kind of Fashion Inspiration

Song of the Day: Magic from Xanadu

Last night I had the opportunity to re-watch the movie: What the Bleep Do We Know? 

If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend this amazing look into Quantum Physics and the power of the mind. At one point the movie showcases the work of Masura Emoto, a Japanese scientist who found that water molecules became vibrant when placed on positive words and deformed when on negative words. The thinking goes that if we are 70% water, what would happen if we wore positive messages on our body?

Well a cool little company called ZENsei is trying to find out. I came across them late last summer when I bought the "Summer Dress"  pictured here,

largely because it looks fabulous with the Gingko flats and more pulled together for running errands than sweats (not that I would really wear sweats). What I didn’t notice until later was that there was a message on the inside of the dress that read:

Be Fearless.
Understand You Have the Strength and Power to Do
Whatever You Choose.

Now I tend to get really excited about dresses and may sometimes feel that I have a relationship with them, but this is the first time one talked to me! This was particularly cool because I was going through a bit of a rough time and I felt like this message was exactly what I needed, when I needed it. And now that it's summer again and life is getting more and more “interesting”, it’s once again the perfect dress at the perfect time.

For something more eco-friendly, check out this awesome hoodie made of organic cotton and lycra! 

And whatever you’re wearing, be aware of the subtle and no-so-subtle messages you take in every day. If they make you feel bad, stop listening to them. Life is too short, and, it could be the dress talking, but I do think You Have the Strength and Power to Do Whatever You Choose.

You have to believe we are magic.
Nothin' can stand in our way.
You have to believe we are magic.
Don't let your aim ever stray.