We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Paola Gonzalez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Paola, 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?
Let’s time travel to that forsaken 2020 place. I had just gotten laid off my film job that I worked so hard to get but was miserable in. I was paralyzed with fear. After a few days, I decided to start looking for bartending gigs since I had the experience from when I was in college. I found myself miserable yet again– the long hours, working weekends, high turnover and lifestyle just didn’t align. The day I quit was the day I decided that I was going to launch an online vintage Boutique. I quickly made the Instagram account and started sourcing vintage pieces from my own collection and all through out the thrift stores in Atlanta. Endless hours of youtube that taught me how to get an LLC through the Secretory of State, how to code so my Shopify shop reflected my ethos and how to even do accounting via Quickbooks. After two months of selling vintage clothes online, I wanted to challenge myself to learn how to upcycle secondhand materials. I watched endless tutorials on TikTok and Youtube and got really comfortable behind my machine.
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
Hi! My name is Paola and I run a sustainable clothing brand called Soigné (pronounced sewn-ye). I originally got into the sustainable fashion industry because I was unhappy working dead-end jobs and actually had the downtime to teach myself a new skill which was sewing– something I’ve been wanting to learn since I was a little girl.
The problem that I solve for my clients is providing them unique, handmade pieces that are made sustainably. In the age of fast fashion, a lot of people tend to wear the same thing. By purchasing a Soigné garment, you know no one else in the world has that garment.
I think what sets me apart is the fact that I not only sell my handmade items, I also teach and curate content surrounding sustainable fashion. Gratefully, I have built a community on social media that appreciates the transparency, the tutorials, and just me as a human being- flawed and all.
One of the biggest accomplishments this year was the opportunity to walk on a runway in New York City, wearing my very own sustainable design. I created a look surrounding e-waste or electronic waste. I took apart an old childhood computer and designed a look that screamed “retro futurism.” Using unconventional materials really lit something in me because of how far I was pushing my creativity.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
The biggest lesson I’ve had to unlearn is that you should made your business your whole entire world. Life is all about balance. Corny and cliche, I know but I really struggled with burn out a few months back. I made my business my whole life. I neglected working out, seeing the people I love and even disrupted my sleeping schedule. That type of lifestyle is not sustainable and it was a bit hypercritical because I preach sustainability so much. It’s taking me a few months but I’m finally now nailing a routine that feels right to me.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
People want to get know you as the face of your business. I understand that might be tough to hear but if people get to know you, your vulnerabilities, your weaknesses, your strengths then by default they’ll support your business. It can be scary to put yourself out there but I think cultivating a social media community is one of my favorite parts of running my clothing brand. Sure there’s a lot of hate and trolls but I truly believe there’s more love and support.
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