Meet Stella Carakasi

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Stella Carakasi a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Stella, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
Delivering value and expertise with confidence and authenticity, while staying open-minded and receptive to different ideas and perspectives, not only demonstrates leadership but also professionalism and builds strong teams. Believing in one’s abilities and expressing ideas assertively while showcasing skills and work ethic matters to be effective. I have gradually developed these skills over my 30-year career, and I have developed a lot of resilience coping with many challenges.
Focusing on one’s strengths during difficult situations while learning from setbacks fosters growth, experience and wisdom that can be applied to new obstacles.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My professional story began in 1993, as an early advocate and pioneer in the sustainable and eco-friendly fashion movement. My business partners and I have been recognized as trailblazers in the industry for our commitment to environmentally conscious practices and ethical fashion. After more than two decades in traditional wholesale and international distribution we launched the Stella Carakasi clothing brand as a direct-to-consumer women’s fashion company in 2019.
This gave us the freedom to no longer follow the unsustainable fashion delivery schedule, where one must constantly produce and deliver collections ahead of season instead of focusing on what customers truly want and need within the actual season.
We focus on producing high quality garments that can be enjoyed for several seasons and our small batch productions with our ability to recut on a as needed basis reduces waste and allows us to sell through our style offerings, which aligns better with our values.
Consumers love connecting with purpose-driven, authentic brands that allows them to have a voice, feel seen and appreciated.
My styles are ultra-mixable and designed to work seamlessly with previous capsules and with my customers closet favorites. I focus on creating a positive fashion experience for the many women that feel left out of the fashion conversation by offering clothing that focuses on personal expression and body shape, size and age diversity.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. Be driven by a strong vision and commit to seeing it through. The most valuable lessons are learnt on this journey which is littered with problems, obstacles and endless challenges but also rewards. Business is a journey and success is not a destination.

2. Acquire the skills needed to succeed in your endeavor and continue learning. Keep a beginner’s mindset and surround yourself with great people that know more than you.

3. Learn from your mistakes quickly and move on, appreciate the wisdom gained. Remain flexible, learn to be uncomfortable and practice thinking outside the box.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
As a small, purpose-driven, e-commerce company, our biggest obstacle has been scaling our brand with limited funds. We have done an incredible job since our launch in 2019 but we know that we could be further ahead if we were funded. We managed to grow our successful fashion brand with revenue-based financing and will continue to do so, but real investment would be the game changer and we remain open to this possibility and are prepared to have this conversation with the right partners.

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Stella Carakasi

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