THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE

on New York Fashion Week as a freelancer (and business owner)

PART II —  I had a lot of “pinch me” moments this week…

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Wardrobe Thirteen has always been (and continues to be) a work in progress, but as of September 6th, it’s taken on its latest (and perhaps most exciting) form: a formal LLC.

While this doesn’t change much about the day-to-day, there’s something undeniably empowering about officially stepping into the role of business owner — and this milestone just so happened to coincide with New York Fashion Week!

This timing made the week feel particularly special. Let’s recap.

HOW I GOT HERE

In January, I started working with Cassie Thorpe (who you should definitely follow and subscribe to if you don’t already). Initially, my role focused on curating a report — distilling the latest from publications like BoF and Vogue Business; highlighting relevant trends on social; spotlighting hot new products, trending brands, and emerging designers; coming up with video ideas; etc. Doing this every week reminded me of my time at UVA, where my Master’s Thesis required near-constant reading of these publications (more on that here). More importantly, it helped me rediscover what I’m drawn to most about fashion (aside from clothes): the intricacies of trend-making, the ever-shifting nature of consumer behavior, and the undeniably strong link between fashion and the creator economy. Ultimately, it was this report that inspired me to create my own newsletter on Substack. 

The format of the report changed quite a bit over time. I’d revise the sections and flow slightly each week to make it as concise and useful as possible. The cover pages also evolved over time.

As my remit with Cassie organically evolved, I began to collaborate with other creators in the space. This week, for example, I worked with Chee Smalls to organize and maximize opportunities around Fashion Week. 

And so, what started as a bi-weekly email to Cassie has since grown into something much bigger: a business and a vision I’m increasingly ready to own — both on paper and in spirit.

Perhaps I will talk more about the business of Wardrobe Thirteen another day, but that was enough for the purpose of context and stage setting. Now onto the recap as promised.