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In 2013, Rebecca Hessel Cohen, a former fashion and beauty editor for publications like Cosmopolitan<\/em> and Glamour<\/em>, decided to turn her love of all things fashion and feminine into a business after designing the bridesmaids\u2019 dresses for her own wedding.<\/p>\n The born-and-raised New Yorker started selling dresses via pop-ups and trunk shows in the Hamptons, and soon, customers were clamouring for pieces inspired by Cohen\u2019s vintage-influenced and romantic aesthetic.<\/p>\n In 2018, Cohen and her team opened LoveShackFancy\u2019s first permanent bricks-and-mortar store in Sag Harbor in the Hamptons; as of this June, the brand has 20 bricks-and-mortar stores \u2013 and counting.<\/p>\n Cohen shared how her background in the editorial industry influenced her creativity and attention to detail with brand design and promotion and a piece of advice she would give to herself on day one of her brand founder journey. <\/p>\n Inside Retail<\/em><\/strong>: Before launching LoveShackFancy, you spent a significant portion of your career working in the editorial field for publications like <\/strong>Cosmopolitan <\/em><\/strong>and <\/strong>Glamour<\/em><\/strong>. How do you think your previous experience has prepared you for your current role as a brand founder and creative director?<\/strong><\/p>\n Rebecca Hessel Cohen:<\/strong> Before I started LoveShackFancy, I spent years in the editorial world. I interned at Vogue<\/em>, Elle<\/em>, and Teen Vogue<\/em>, and eventually became senior fashion and beauty editor at Cosmopolitan<\/em>.<\/p>\n That experience completely shaped how I approach my role today as a founder and creative director. I\u2019ve always been a visual storyteller, and working in magazines really taught me how to build a world through imagery. <\/p>\n That\u2019s still at the heart of what I do now. I love creating those dreamy, emotional and layered moments that bring the LoveShackFancy world to life. Additionally, with social media, especially Instagram, it feels like I have my own magazine to share with the world every day.<\/p>\n It\u2019s such a powerful way to tell our story, connect with our community and take our customer on this magical journey with us, in real time.<\/p>\n IR<\/em>: What have been the biggest challenges in building the brand off thus far? How have you dealt with these issues?<\/strong><\/p>\n RHC:<\/strong> When I first started LoveShackFancy, I had so much to learn. <\/p>\n I didn\u2019t come from a fashion or retail background, and I didn\u2019t go to business school, so a lot of it was just figuring things out as we went. <\/p>\n One of the biggest challenges early on was navigating wholesale. I remember learning the hard way that if a partner placed an order and couldn\u2019t sell it, we were responsible for taking the product back. <\/p>\n There was this one moment I\u2019ll never forget when we had to take back hundreds of hand-dyed dresses, which I had dyed myself in my mom\u2019s backyard in the Hamptons! We were like, \u2018What do we do with all of these?!\u2019 It was such a learning curve.<\/p>\n Then, during Covid, things got really tough. There were moments when we didn\u2019t know if we\u2019d be able to produce a collection or continue, but we pushed through.<\/p>\n Looking back, I\u2019ve realised every challenge helped shape who we are. We\u2019ve learned to be scrappy, creative and to never stop believing in the magic of what we\u2019re building.<\/p>\n IR<\/em>: <\/strong> What have been some of your biggest accomplishments thus far? <\/strong><\/p>\n RHC:<\/strong> I\u2019m honestly so proud of how far we\u2019ve come, as both a business and a brand. When I started LoveShackFancy, I never imagined we\u2019d grow this quickly or have the opportunity to partner with so many amazing people across so many categories. <\/p>\n It has always been a dream of mine to have a home collection, and I love our partnership with Pottery Barn so much. We see the incredible consumer response and appetite for our home products. This spring, when we launched our first mainline collection for adults, after doing a kids and teen collection, it was so surreal. It felt like all those years of vintage furniture shopping and collecting treasures finally had a place, and the response has been incredible! <\/p>\n I love that we\u2019re able to offer something that\u2019s both beautiful and accessible.<\/p>\n IR<\/em><\/strong>: What does the day-to-day look like in your role? <\/strong> <\/p>\n RHC:<\/strong> For better or worse, I\u2019m very involved in the day-to-day, probably to a fault, but I truly love it.<\/p>\n I work super closely with our marketing and social teams on everything from daily messaging to upcoming launch activations. <\/p>\n I\u2019m in the depths with our creative team too, planning shoots, picking talent and locations, reviewing concepts, and I still personally approve every model we work with, even for the smallest shoots. <\/p>\n One of my favourite things is working with our design team. We’ll sit down to go through inspiration for the upcoming season, talk about vintage silhouettes, fabrics, prints and really consider what\u2019s resonating with our girl. Then we loop in merchandising to figure out which styles to carry forward, what needs a refresh, and what\u2019s missing from the mix.<\/p>\n Also, now that we\u2019re opening new stores again, I\u2019m spending a lot of time with our visual merchandising team and architects dreaming up how each new space will look and feel. I\u2019m obsessed with the details, every store should feel like a little jewel box, totally unique but still LoveShack through and through.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a lot and totally all-consuming, but I love every part of it. At the end of the day, I try to carve out as much time as I can with my husband, my friends and my two girls. They\u2019re nine and 12 now and just so much fun. They inspire me constantly and are my ultimate muses!<\/p>\n IR<\/em><\/strong>: What is one piece of advice you would give to the day-one version of yourself regarding your brand founder journey?<\/strong><\/p>\n RHC:<\/strong> I\u2019d tell \u201cday-one me\u201d to trust the process, trust your team and don\u2019t forget to take a breath. <\/p>\n In the beginning, I was doing absolutely everything myself. I built this brand from the ground up, and for a long time, it was just me wearing every hat. Letting go has never been easy. <\/p>\n But over time, I\u2019ve learned that the real magic happens when you surround yourself with incredible people who bring their own talents to the table. I\u2019ve been so lucky to build a team that not only believes in the brand, but also brings skills and perspectives I don\u2019t have. I often remind myself that I don\u2019t have to do it all alone anymore, and that sometimes, stepping back actually creates more space for creativity and growth.<\/p>\n IR<\/em>: What was the last item you got yourself from LoveShackFancy?<\/strong><\/p>\n RHC:<\/strong> I\u2019m so in love with our fall collection right now! <\/p>\n We showed it this past February at The Duke Mansion in New York City, which was a total dream come true. I\u2019ve been obsessed with the Gilded Age era, and that space just brought the entire vision to life. The pieces are finally starting to arrive, and I\u2019ve been getting my hands on the most beautiful styles from the collection and I can\u2019t wait for everyone to see them. They\u2019re romantic, rich and full of that magical old-world New York charm we channeled in the show!<\/p>\n The post A day in the life of LoveShackFancy founder Rebecca Hessel Cohen appeared first on Inside Retail Australia.<\/p>\n