We were lucky to catch up with Molyan Dery recently and have shared our conversation below.

Molyan, appreciate you joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

Hello! Thank you for being interested in the process of making MOLYAN a brand. My first career is in anesthesia, and it has been quite the transition to apparel and textiles, but the expression of my creative side has been at the forefront over the last few years. Providing anesthesia to patients is extremely black and white, and not an environment to get creative, and for me, it was time to start accessing my colorful side.

I had an image of a design floating around in my head aimlessly for about 5 years that I wanted to put on paper.
In May of 2022, I sat at our dining room table week after week, sketching out colorful combinations of shapes and lines, attempting to recreate the design I had envisioned for all of those years. And of course, with emphasis on the NEON.
Before starting the drawing process, I was certain that I wanted the design to be chainstitch embriordery because I was interested in taking a playful and contemporary look at chainstitch.

After seeking reassurance from family and friends about the idea and design, I proceeded with the next step of having the design stitched on two jackets. The beta study ensued. My husband and I wore the jackets around austin, tx and the product was received with open arms. I had my green light. At a minimum, I knew that my mom would buy one!

It was important for the jacket to be completely designed by me and made in Texas, so I started the process of idea to production at a studio in San Antonio, tx. At this point, I am in way over my head and thankfully, I meet my first apparel mentor. Calley Andrews. She hand held me through the process of fabrics, buttons, samples, order sheets, trims, you name it, she guided. At the end of October, our jacket sample has been completed.

By the end of November, 5 handsewn MOLYAN jackets are created. All mediums. By this point, i had designed the 5 color run combinations for the debut collection, and I’m still calling it a project with the constant fear of failure.
The 5 jackets make their way from san antonio to lockhart to be stitched for our first photo shoot in December.
I wanted to prioritize being a female created brand, quality over quantity, craftsmanship, individuality, and of course, color!

Behind the scene, the beyond talented Hannah Medina and I are simultaneously co-creating our brand identity, imagery,
social media, and website. My dear friend, fashion stylish and muse, Huide Devore takes on our first 4 hour shoot with
e-commerce and a quick editorial as priority,

The promotion of the brand begins on social media by the end of December, and we launch the e-commerce site the first of february with all sizes available to the consumer.

At this point in time, we have been so fortunate to have our jackets in several brand aligning shops across the country which include: Slate, in Martha’s Vineyard, Hey, I like it here, in Marfa, Tx, Highnoon general store in Santa fe, NM, MODA in Nashville, Tn and FREDA in New Orleans, LA and Sabah dealer in Austin, Tx.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Molyan Hiett Dery, namesake to the brand and my grandmother. Most people call me Molly. I grew-up in the west texas town of el paso, and the juxtaposition of my hometown to mexico is the inspiration for the debut collection. desert rains, sunrises and sunsets, cotton candy skies, the tale end mountain range of the rockies, and an entirely different time zone to the rest of texas. Our first store front, the Sabah dealer on south congress. I currently live in Austin, tx and continue to practice anesthesia 1-2x a week. I am frequently driving from austin to san antonio to lockhart which makes me feel very on the pulse of the brand. because the inspiration for the brand is ingrained in the beauty of west texas, we found it relevant to find a shop presence in our origin. Fortunately for the brand so did the hotel saint george in marfa, and their gorgeous shop, hey, i like it here.

apparel is an industry which has always sparked my curiosity, and I was eager to explore and learn about something new and polar opposite to anesthesia.
MOLYAN is an all female, texas made brand and we pride ourselves in small batch quality craftsmanship.
the molyan jacket is a form of self expression, and it’s a piece you can take from day to night that travels well.
I wanted the consumer to be able to take one jacket on a vacation or a work trip, and know the jacket will portray our client’s individuality. I think what sets us apart from others is the shape and material of the jacket, the hand sewn quality, and the colorful, playful nature of the design.
we love our customer because it’s an extension of us. we acknowledge the investment in the piece, and we spend time with our client making sure the size and color combination is right for them. we want you to feel fabulous and original in our one-of-a-kind pieces.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Building a brand takes a team that sees and believes in the brand. Creating a story about your band that’s authentic to you will resonate to your audience. For MOLYAN, we want to grow organically and stay true to our small batch, quality products, and loyal to the colorful nature of our brand. Our social media building started a few months prior to the brand launch, and I believe this helped create a buzz of excitement for something new. We created teaser reel ads with coming soon weeks prior to the release of the jackets. MOLYAN reached out to friends with larger social media platforms and audiences to post on our behalf. But our intention has always been slow and steady.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

For Molyan, we are showing up around the country and being present! it is important for the brand to be in boutiques/hotels/shops that align with the ethos of our identity. Slow and conscience growth has become our motto, making sure our products are well-made, and never deterring from quality. Doing one thing really well.
We were so kindly asked to our first pop-up during SXSW at the hotel st. cecillia by Lisa Reile, an expert in connections and creating truly original retail businesses. Which brings me to word of mouth growth. Having people around you who believe in the product, wear the product, and organically promote the brand is one of our strategies.
One concept for clientele growth that has resonated with me recently is don’t chase. A very clever friend of mine gave me this advice, and it made me realize that not everyone will get it, and that’s OK.
We have participated in a few pop-ups through the summer and will continue through the Fall. The goal for MOLYAN at these events is brand awareness and networking. And maybe we don’t sell the entire collection on the day of event, but we most definitely create a buzz and ignite curiosity about our jackets. Being kind and supporting our fellow entrepreneurs will always play to your benefit.

Contact Info:

• Website: molyan.com
• Instagram: molyanstudio

Image Credits
creative direction/styling: huide devore photography: dagny piasecki photo of me & upclose on rack: adam moroz make-up: lauren anderson model: rachel kalantari,