Emmi's Closet, Michelle Nguyen
Fashion has been a part of my life since I was a child from making clothes for my Barbies to buying my first sewing machine to ultimately creating collections as a hobby. I would nurture that creative side of myself after work hours and on the weekends because my job at the time didn’t allow me to be visually creative. After six years in my previous job and no longer feeling fulfilled with what I was doing I decided that it was time to finally pursue my dream. That year I set out to start my own sustainable fashion brand but was met with many challenges, a major one being the pandemic. When the pandemic hit it caused many fashion brands to shut down. I decided to put that dream on hold and try to find a way to survive. With a nudge from a magazine article on how to make extra money selling your clothes online, I decided to give it a try for the time being and didn’t think too far ahead. Not thinking much about this business venture, I started with just the clothes from my closet and now four years later I’ve expanded my inventory and turned my online secondhand business into a fashion brand.
Emmi’s Closet is a curated online boutique carrying the latest in secondhand and sustainable handmade clothing. From my first venture in fashion, I learned about the wasteful and harmful culture of the fashion industry so now my mission as a secondhand reseller is to give these items a new purpose. I strive to be intentional with the way I curate my shop to make sure I offer quality brands and items, in the best condition, and styles that can be worn for many years. Another aspect of my business is upcycling secondhand clothing and textiles into new garments. With so many materials and supplies already available and unused, I want to make sure these get utilized rather than creating a whole new supply chain. In addition to my business, I want to educate consumers on sustainable ways to dress and purchase clothing. I also want to be an example of what the future of fashion should look like, for me, this means being environmentally and ethically conscientious.\
I’ve always been a bit of a shopaholic since I could remember and would spend my money on clothing and fabric. My closet was constantly filled with items I barely wore but couldn’t part with and my room was stuffed with yards of fabric waiting to be sewn into dresses. The idea that my shopping habit was causing environmental harm had never crossed my mind until I watched a documentary titled “The True Cost”. This was when I learned about fast fashion and the damage caused by the fashion industry. With 85% of clothing going to the landfill every year and 60% of what we wear are made of plastic I couldn’t deny my part in this. Fashion is what I consume the most and learning about fast fashion brought on a lot of guilt for me as a consumer. This led me to cut out fast fashion altogether and seek sustainable and ethical ways to shop to reduce fashion waste. When I started my first fashion brand I focused on using natural and environmentally friendly fabrics. This idea carried into my reselling business as now I source only secondhand clothing and upcycle them into new garments.
My background in art and fashion set me apart from other secondhand sellers as I believe I see clothes differently and have an eye for styling and curating a fashionable wardrobe. I understand the design, construction, and quality of clothing since I design, draft, and sew my own garments. My creativity and enthusiasm for fashion allow me to visualize the potential in clothing that most people would otherwise overlook. What most people see as a used shirt I can style and reimagine it in many different ways. Sustainability is at the heart of my business as I curate my store to show customers that they can dress in a modern and sophisticated way while shopping secondhand. There is a stigma about secondhand clothing and thrifting but I want to change that mindset and showcase these clothes in a positive and influential way.
I was a year into my business and didn’t see it growing the way I was hoping it would. I decided I needed help and did a search for mentorship programs in my area. That was how I found out about SCORE. I was matched with a local mentor who really helped me lay out my business plan. When I needed help with technical questions such as SEO and website building, my mentor introduced me to another SCORE mentor, Kenneth Lo. Kenneth has been tremendously supportive and helpful. Kenneth also introduced me to another SCORE mentor to help with the financial side of my business.
Through working with my SCORE mentors, I have achieved many things and built a successful business. I launched my website and added it as a source of revenue for my business. I’ve increased my revenue every month this year and am on track to double my revenue from last year. This was due to a push from a mentor who was honest and upfront about my growth which set a fire under me to work more strategically and take bigger risks. I applied for and won a $10K business grant and completed an entrepreneurship program and pitch competition with the encouragement and support from my mentors. I learned how to make decisions as a business owner which was something I had a hard time doing because I was afraid to make the wrong decisions.
"I’m very thankful for my SCORE mentors, they have been extremely supportive and beneficial on my journey as an entrepreneur. Since meeting my mentors, I have become a completely different type of entrepreneur than I was when I started my business. I have gained a lot of confidence in myself and my business.
Jeremy helped me set up the foundation of my business and understood the struggles I was facing as a first-time entrepreneur coming from a corporate background. I could go to him for advice on making business decisions and how to weigh my options.
Kenneth pushed through the early stages of my website as I was working on gaining traffic. We worked through strategies such as a lead magnet campaign and cross-listing my items to piggyback off the Google searches. This helped my website increase in views.
Beyond that, I’m most thankful for Kenneth because he pushed me to believe in myself and my business. Especially, when I hear from others that the route I’m taking is very difficult and not many people make it. He didn’t see it like that, he saw my passion and understood my purpose and through that worked on strategies with me to help my business grow.
I had one meeting with Don but he was very honest and upfront with me about my financials and that really set a fire under me. He went through my P&L with me and I realized where I was lacking. I've been working on my sales strategies and have seen significant improvement in just the last two months."
My advice for those thinking of starting a business is to do it and do it now. I wish I had started earlier rather than let fear slow me down. Once you get started it’s going to be hard but if you’re passionate about your business you won’t have any other options. I tell myself all the time, there is no Plan B. Make sure you’re passionate about what you’re doing because then it will keep you focused and grounded. When things get tough find a way to destress. My way of destressing is to go to the gym, be in nature, and meditate. Finally, my sister told me this and it stuck with me. She told me that she believes my business will be the success I’ve always wanted. It's just a matter of when it will happen. Believe in yourself and your business wholeheartedly.
Kenneth Lo is a founder-first investor and technologist with deep experience in turning strategy...
I can help you plan, fund, and grow your business, drawing on my experience as an entrepreneur...
