We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jordan Carter. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jordan below.

Alright, Jordan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

I do a lot day to day in this lifetime – from working my New Home Sales career to starting up and running my Vorise Brand. I always say that I don’t want to be remembered for how many homes I sold, or how cool a fashion show was, or for a collection I dropped. I want to be remembered as thoughtful. Whether it’s being thoughtful towards others, or thoughtful in the way that I present my projects, I want to always remain introspective and be remembered as the person that cared enough to always go the extra mile.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is Jordan Vorise Chantel Carter, and I was born in Wharton, Texas, raised in Lake Jackson, Texas and have lived in Houston, Texas since 2015. I am a New Home Sales Professional for a Home Builder as well as the Founder/Head Designer with my new clothing brand titled Vorise. I am also the founder of Millennial Merch – a fashion and creative agency that specializes in wardrobe styling, brand content and our Millennial Merch Fashion Show.

I’ve worked in Real Estate since 2016, and it has truly equipped me with the skills to run a successful business.
I started Millennial Merch in 2017 as I was trying to branch out into the Houston creative scene. It was a risk because I was relatively new to the city, but the reward was something that would be internally validating, so I needed to step out on faith. Millennial Merch started out as a fashion show where multiple designers would showcase their pieces on our runway. With shows in the years of 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021 – the growth has been exponential. Not only in show attendance, but there is also growth in what Millennial Merch is as a company. I wanted Millennial Merch to be a creative hub that focused on wardrobe styling, our MillMerch Magazine and the actual fashion show – so that’s what I have created. Since the start, I have been the wardrobe stylist on over 30 plus photoshoots with clothing being pulled from upcoming fashion designers all over the world.

Vorise, my clothing brand, started in 2020. It was the middle of covid, and I was trying my best to plan out my next fashion show. Every year, I always want to elevate and grow, so coming out with a namesake brand was only right. For years I wanted to design my own clothes, and the time off in 2020 gave me the perfect opportunity to do just that. The brand is named after my Great-grandmother, Lula Mae Vorise. My great grandma’s last name, Vorise, was given to me by my mother as a middle name. I chose Vorise as the name for my brand because of its uniqueness, and because I had an immense desire to honor my grandma – she loved clothes just as much as I do, and passed the love and appreciation for wardrobe down to me. Since the start of the brand, we now have all pieces on hand in bulk and are growing everyday. The inspiration for Vorise also comes from my love of music and movies, specifically those of which that have to do with love/romance. The first collection has a ready-to-wear vibe to it, with statement pieces and some mix-and-match pieces – most of the items are unisex. There is so much to come for the brand, and I’m blessed to even be this submerged in it, however I cannot WAIT to reveal what’s next. You can visit www.shopvorise.com to shop :)

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

My story of business funding is interesting. As previously stated, I started in the real estate industry at 19 years old. I was making “good” money for someone my age and just wanted to do something with it – so Millennial Merch became my investment. Real estate is a VERY lucrative career if you dedicate yourself to it. It’s for the hustlers. Don’t think of your 9-5 as something that takes time away from you accomplishing your goals. Use your 9-5 to fund your dream.

I will always advise to never be afraid to invest in yourself as long as you have a plan. As things grow within your business, you must ask yourself if business credit or liquid cash is the best way to fund what’s next – sometimes one is better than the other. Business credit buys you time, liquid cash saves you money long term (interest).

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

Being nice. HEAR ME OUT – most of the people that come to my shows, book my styling services and/or buy my clothes are people I have met or spoken to on social media or they’re a friend of a friend. Being a nice person can get you connections and clientele that will make your business fruitful. When planning pop-ups, events, or even when a photo from a shoot that I styled drops, the love and support comes in heaps and mounds. I am a firm believer it is because of the founder aka the foundation of the brand.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shopvorise.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/vorisechantel
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088869863089

Image Credits
Joshua Udeh Chinedu Chukuka