Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nora Menken. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Nora, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you tell us a story about a time you failed?

I do not believe in “failure” as long as something is learned from an experience. I’ve actually had two creative ventures before my current fashion brand, Enketta, that could be considered failures had they not pushed me forward.

First, I was a musical theatre performer, having come from a musical and theatrical family and attended the University of Michigan for musical theatre. Upon graduation, I was prepared and ready for a professional career in theatre, and the only thing in the way was myself. I always had one foot out the door — theatre was just what I did, not what I really loved, and it made the highs and lows of the industry impossible to bear. Quitting could’ve been seen as a failure, but it was the best thing I ever did.

Knowing that fashion was always my true love but not quite knowing how to get into it, I started a business called Le Pom Shop. It was part art project, part accessories and home decor business where I covered everything in craft pom-poms. It was certainly niche, but I branded the whole thing and had lots of excited customers. However, like acting, I still had one foot out the door in how to make it scalable. I used thousands of poms and hot glue, eventually leading everything to smell like plastic and prompting me to want to find a more sustainable solution. To this day, I do not know where in China these particular pom-poms are made, or how to make them more eco-friendly. Also, I knew I wanted to be in fashion, but did I want to have to put pom-poms on everything? I just couldn’t get behind it. Plus, the pandemic hit and derailed my plans to start selling in-person and having things made in India. It was the perfect time to reconsider moving forward with Le Pom Shop.

Eventually, I went back to school to study Fashion Design at Parsons, which taught me some basic industry skills and led to meeting people who could help me start my own brand. And that’s where I am now. Had I not been an actor, I would have always wondered if that was the path I was supposed to take. And had I not done Le Pom Shop, I would not have gained the practice and knowledge in what it takes to make a business work. It gave me confidence in my taste and helped me define my role as an artist and business owner. Though both of those ventures ended, neither were failures at all.

Nora, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am the founder and owner of Enketta, a womenswear brand set to launch in February 2025.

I got into this industry first from a love of fashion, and then a deeper love of the New York City Garment District. Some of my earliest industry experiences were as an intern at fashion houses like Oscar de la Renta and Adam Lippes, where I worked with patterns at the atelier and went from factory to factory, helping move each stage of production along. Being in factories and witnessing professional cutters, seamstresses, and pressers doing the finest work to bring some of the most renowned designers’ visions to life was the coolest thing I’d ever seen. For me, just counting buttons for factories was thrilling.

At Enketta, I work closely with my partner, who is an incredible patternmaker with an eye for design as well. I usually sketch and present ideas, and she will drape them. Then we look at each piece together and figure out if it belongs in the collection, if it needs any changes, and how it will work in production. It’s a strong collaboration where we each bring our taste and experience into the room and just try to make beautiful clothing.

Because so much of our research and development is done in-house, in our Garment District studio, we have control over the fit and can tweak as many times as necessary to get it right before sending it to factories for sampling and production. We have a reverence for the craftspeople who make each garment, and we design with people and their machinery in mind. We will be producing every item as close to home as possible, likely in NY and LA.

At Enketta, our clothes are feminine, classical, and whimsical. What sets us apart is the quality of our fit and designs at a contemporary price point. We are designing for the girl who picks up flowers on her way home from work, the girl who brings a charcuterie board to Central Park, and the girl who makes everyone feel welcome at her party. The Enketta girl elevates every room she walks into, without pretension.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

This was a huge roadblock for me in starting a brand, so I’m excited to share what I’ve learned!

I had worked in production quite a bit in NY, but the process still seemed like a black box to me when it came to getting from point A to point B.

The crucial element is my business partner, who has both worked in and managed production facilities. She has a deep knowledge of how to communicate, what information factories need, and how to avoid production nightmares, like using a difficult (or expensive) fabric or technique. She is also able to specify what kind of lining, interfacing, or seam is needed to achieve what we want so that the factories don’t have to come back to us with issues and questions before they can even start.

In terms of finding vendors and manufacturing partners, it’s a combination of using your network and being prepared. Interning and working in the industry before starting your own business is very helpful in making those connections and having people trust you enough to recommend you to their vendors. Once you make that connection, it’s about being prepared with patterns and sew-by samples that they can trust won’t be a headache for them.

My goal right now is to get this business off the ground and refine as we go. So far, everyone I’ve met just wants each other to succeed, and that’s the energy I’m relying on.

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

This goes back to my answer about learning from failure, but I’ve pivoted a lot in life. In my 20s, the end of every acting job felt like a pivot where I had to get another side gig, restaurant job, or sales job. It was exhausting, but every new gig taught me a new skill. When I stopped acting, I felt like I had spent my whole life until age 26 learning nothing but how to be on stage, and I was completely overwhelmed at the prospect of not only finding a new gig but a new career. I had to investigate my own history and figure out what I really wanted to do. Lots of actors realize that as children they would put on shows, directing their friends in skits, or write songs, and they pivot to being directors or musicians. I went through my childhood belongings and found sketches of clothing and garments I’d sewn, and that’s when I knew what I really loved to do. I leaned into my natural inclination and realized I needed to focus on fashion. I didn’t know how I would get there, but I decided that if I just inched closer and closer, eventually I would land somewhere wonderful and unexpected. And, at this point, all of those side gigs have built me an arsenal of experience I still draw from.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Enketta.com
• Instagram: @noralilygram
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noramenken/