We were lucky to catch up with Melly Reyes recently and have shared our conversation below.

Melly, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

As a small sustainable business owner, I am extremely happy with the path I have chosen to take. Going the creative route with careers is always a scary and difficult path to choose, as all career choices are. Going the business owner route means you decide your own tasks and routine. It gives you creative freedom which can both grow and hinder you. Staying motivated and on task is a daily hurdle, you need to have a goal set and be extremely dedicated to achieving them. From time to time I have thought to myself what it would be like to have chosen a “regular” job. I would say the last time I had this thought was when I first moved to New York. Being in a new city can start off difficult when you are your own boss, looking for new opportunities and a way to survive with doing the creative outlet you love. My skills have opened doors for me to create and network with amazing businesses and designers. I am able to use my small business owner experience and grow my personal brand separate from my business.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Throughout the years I have been inspired to make designs sustainably and use this creative medium as a way of expression with the importance of being environmentally conscious. I originally started designing my own garments in 2015 to do my part in minimizing the over consumption in the Fashion industry by participating in upcycling & zero-textile waste practices. I decided to then start my small business after graduating college in 2018, calling my brand Waste Less Apparel, where I sell one of one handmade pieces I create and design custom items for clients as well. Separate from my small business I also freelance design in New York for other businesses and designers. I am most proud of the versatility I have been able to achieve as a designer by helping realize all the many different projects I have been able to be a part of and also by creating pieces of my own that push my boundaries as a designer and my personal creativity.

I love to take on any challenge in creativity & am continuously learning new techniques to grow my skills. Being in this industry has given me the opportunity to express myself and do my small part in sustainability.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

With being a creative, there will be a time where you will sometimes experience burn out. I decided I needed to pivot my business strategy when I started to feel this. I was beginning to become overwhelmed and lose my love for creating for fun in a slow fashion routine. I had personal goals to handmake items as fast as possible to keep up with fast fashion brands, which led me to try to achieve unattainable expectation as a one women business. After this realization, I was able to take a step back and not compare my routine to fast fashion brands, and to create at my own pace because quality over quantity is the beauty of slow fashion and sustainability.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

A moment that illustrates my resilience was beginning of 2022, when I applied to showcase a collection at LA fashion week. I was accepted and then had to create 10 full looks for the runway. Being a one women business this was a hard task to create these looks and a concept in less then 2 months. I woke up early, stayed up late every day for the time before the show, sometimes I would even pull all nighters. I was teaching myself new techniques as well to showcase pieces I’ve never created before. I pushed myself up until the very day of the show. I was sewing up until an hour before it was time to showcase, and was so proud of the pieces I had created and selling a few during the show. It was an amazing experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.wastelessapparel.com
• Instagram: mellly_reyes
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-reyes-37033012a/
• Other: Online portfolio: https://melaniereyes757.wixsite.com/website

Image Credits
Kelby Reck Lily Kiti