According to a study by Business of Fashion, women design fewer than 50% of well-known womenswear brands, and women hold less than 25% of leadership positions in top fashion companies. Of course, great clothes can come from anywhere—and Who What Wear champions that—but today, it’s more important than ever to rally behind marginalized communities within the fashion industry, which includes women.
One of the easiest ways to show support is by learning more about the female founders that make the fashion industry what it is today. Ahead, you’ll hear from Marie Isabel from the Unique on why she started her brand, her advice to young designers, and of course, shop some of their favorite pieces.
1. HOW DID YOU START? WHAT INVESTMENT WAS NEEDED?
I started my entrepreneurial journey in the middle of my master’s degree, at the beginning of the pandemic. At that time I had several business ideas, but they involved a lot of investment. UNIQUE came along the way, it wasn’t planned at all. It was also the most feasible and that’s why jumped to it. The business started totally different from what it is today (a clothing brand).
Here’s how I started:
It all began one night when my cousin gave me the idea to start a personalized items business and I loved the idea. I remember my first orders were Christmas ornaments and clear mugs, later when we were all at lockdown, I started making custom PJs and it was a success.
My mom always loved the name I had for the business and one day she told me that it was perfect to start a brand carrying a message that we are all UNIQUE. I loved the idea and what I did was choose pieces of clothing that were totally my style: minimal, comfortable and most importantly: established “sets” that saved me time.
On January 10 2021 I managed to organize my first photoshoot with the help of my friends
and after taking courses on how to build websites, I created my own and launched it on February 24th. In that moment is when the business shifted from personalized items to a clothing brand. That was the beginning of UNIQUE OFFICIAL LLC.
I registered my business, trademarked my logo, and from then on I have worked on different collections, on a lot of marketing to create brand awareness and a lot of content that carries our message.
2. WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO START UNIQUE?
What motivated me to start UNIQUE was my great desire to be an entrepreneur. Since I was little I wanted to have something of my own and I remember telling my mom that one day I was going to be the owner of a “Hello Kitty” store. I also have an entrepreneurial streak from my dad.
But it wasn’t until I did my BA in Marketing that I took the Entrepreneurship class as an elective that I confirmed my true passion for creating something and owning my own business.
3. WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF AS AN ENTREPRENEUR?
What makes me most proud as a businesswoman is that at an early age I am doing what I love and what I feel is my purpose in life, which is: celebrating people as they are with my clothing brand.
We live in a world where we spend time comparing ourselves to others and where the beauty industry makes us feel like we are not enough. With UNIQUE it is the opposite. We celebrate what distinguishes you in others, we empower you, we break stereotypes and we make a difference.
4. WHAT ARE YOUR SUCCESS HABITS?
There are 3 habits that I have to be successful.
First: Believe in yourself. There are good days and there are bad days. But believing in yourself and having faith in what you do regardless certain circumstances and what others think is very important.
Second: Be passionate. Doing what we love and what genuinely makes us happy is key to success.
And finally, have a vision and work towards it and towards that goal. Running your own business is a mind game and having a focused and healthy mindset is crucial to succeed. “What you affirm as true in your subconscious mind, comes true.” And I affirm that UNIQUE will be a successful brand, recognized worldwide and I will make a positive impact in this world with my brand.
5. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU’VE FACED SINCE BECOMING AND ENTREPRENEUR?
The biggest challenge I have faced as a businesswoman has been the ability to be patient and enjoy the journey.
Sometimes I get desperate and want to achieve all of my dreams overnight and it just doesn’t happen that way. Success takes time and there is still a lot of work to do. One should enjoy the process and believe in the long-term potential.
Creating a brand from scratch has not been easy and, honestly, reaching the right audience is not as easy as I thought. It takes time to be recognized, for people to trust you and your product. That’s why most of the money goes to content creation, collaborations, and marketing.
6. IF YOU COULD SUM UP YOUR CAREER IN THREE WORDS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
-PASSION
-DISCIPLINE
-VISION
7. SHARE US SOME TIPS ON HOW TO BECOME MORE HAPPIER AND HEALTHIER PERSON.
(1) Be grateful. Good days bring us happiness and bad days bring us lessons and experiences. Both are necessary to grow and to succeed and that is why you have to thank God, life, the universe for everything. Also, when we are grateful, the universe rewards us with good and beautiful things.
(2) Be balanced, don’t be so rigid. Have habits that you can maintain in the long run. Do things that make you happy and surround yourself with people who genuinely love and support you.
(3) Rest when you need to. Working hard is good and it is important, but rest is also just as important. Sometimes we have to disconnect to come back with more strength, creativity and focus.
8. WHAT TIPS DO YOU HAVE FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO RENEW THEIR LIFE AS IN NEW JOB, MOVING, ETC?
I would them that:
(1) The time is now. You are never late to start the life of your dreams or a life that you genuinely feel happy and satisfied with. The simple passage of time does not make us lose our ability to evolve as a person.
(2) Don’t let the pessimism of your current reality paralyze you. On the contrary, make the necessary movements to achieve everything you want (that if you set your mind to it, it is possible). There is a wonderful world on the other side of our fears.
(3) Don’t get influenced by what others think of you and your life. What truly matters is what you think of yourself and how you feel about yourself.
9. IF YOU COULD BACK AND TELL YOURSELF ONE THING BEFORE BEGINNING YOUR CAREER WHAT WOULD IT BE?
If you have the ability to dream it, you have the ability to achieve it. The road will not be easy and it will take a long time, but BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND TRUST THE PROCESS!
10. HOW DO YOU THINK MODERN WOMEN CAN BE MORE FULFILLED IN THEIR LIVES?
Modern women can feel more fulfilled in their lives by doing what we enjoy the most and loving every part of our being. Feeling complete with ourselves without depending on anyone. Living our lives how we want to without seeking approval from others. Working to be the best version of ourselves by being confident, independent and leaders.
Once we begin to accept ourselves and take advantage of reaching our maximum potential, we will feel invincible and that will be reflected in our attitudes, decisions and in our lives. When you change your behavior, your thoughts and your way of feeling in a positive way, that is transmitted and perceived from the outside and this will reinforce your lifestyle.
![From Music to Perfume: How did your background as a music teacher influence your transition into perfumery, and how do you incorporate your musical sensibilities into creating fragrances? I’ve always thought in terms of metaphors, and music has many that can be related to perfumery! Beyond just thinking in terms of top, middle and base notes [soprano/alto/tenor in choir], I approach each fragrant idea as a composition. When documenting my ideas, song structures often come to mind. As the scent brief is visited, I meditate on what the fragrance should convey - do I want to create an accord or a “chord” of fragrance note combinations? Do I want an a capella soloist (a particular ingredient to stand out more than others?) Many of my thoughts regarding song composition transfers to my scent formulation process, with me treating each note as an intentional soliloquy at some point.
Brand Origin: What inspired you to start Pink MahogHany in 2005, and how has your vision for the brand evolved since its inception?
An avid lover of all things pleasantly scented (with slight modesty), looking back in retrospect, it’s no huge surprise that I’ve created an indie perfume house with just an idea to provide unique options for those who may be sensitive to unnecessary pungency. Initially, I just wanted to evaluate various blends to note their aroma profiles when “played” together…it wasn’t until I had friends and family asking if I knew of brands that catered to those who may be on the more olfactory sensitive side, that I really began to take my research more seriously. In the almost 20 years that Pink MahogHany has been in existence, our micro visions for the brand have evolved to larger territory. Where Pink MahogHany used to only be a personal brand, we are now also a bespoke formulation service provider to other indie brands seeking unique fragrance offerings for their products. These products range from (but are not limited to) perfumes, candles, body butters and lip balms. Ingredient Transparency: You emphasize transparency and the use of desirable ingredients in your products. How do you select your ingredients, and what challenges have you faced in maintaining this standard?
Being an indie brand often comes with a set of assumptions and misconceptions - one of them being more negative than positive as it relates to ingredients used. There is a lot of “fluff” in the industry with labeling falsification. Because fragrance formulas are a trade secret, not every molecular breakdown of a material has to be noted on the ingredient label (it would be incredibly long), but we at Pink MahogHany™️ adhere strongly to the IFRA [International Fragrance Regulatory Association] regulations that state for common and potential allergens to be listed on our ingredient label. We’ve taken this a step further to also include these ingredients listed on our website to promote further transparency, all while protecting our intellectual property. Unfortunately, we’ve had companies to unethically sell lesser expensive “dupes” of our artisan perfumes, so as a way to create a better authenticity stamp, we make it our duty to be honest about our claims. If our perfume says “Rose Bulgaria”, it is in fact just that and not a component of rose being passed off as the source material. Collaborations and Custom Scents: Can you share more about your work with private label clients? What excites you most about creating custom scent solutions for other indie brands? I could easily sum this up in one word and say “Funding.” True, there is money out there, but I’m always thinking outside the box. Having a program that has an “Each One Fund One” mentality doesn’t exist (that I’ve been made aware of). Bootstrapping can be quite the challenge, even when you’ve reached the 6-figure mark annually. Competition to be seen and set apart is extremely high, so having quality packaging and branding is a must. There are lots of factors to consider, though when desiring to make upgrades. If there were a unique, tier-geared funding operation available, it would help perfume brands offset packaging and bulk material costs in the beginning stages.
Industry Challenges: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an independent fragrance house, and how have you overcome them to grow your brand? As the brand continues on the path of organic growth, I would like to expand our reach into schools, offering perfumery as an arts elective for middle and high school. I’d love to partner with botanists, farmers and horticulturists directly to grow and source raw materials for the students to work with in the creation of tinctures. My passion is getting back to nature as best as possible, as nature was my first “scent experience” as a child. We would also love to witness our fragrance creations being used to scent model homes, our focus diffuser blends being used in automobile dealerships as well as partner with Air Bnb and boutique hotels that specialize in highlighting minority, indie brands. Personal Journey: How has your personal experience, particularly as a divorced mother and someone who has experienced the loss of a child, shaped your approach to life and your work in perfumery?
Because I homeschool my twin sons, we are together a lot more than most, so one thing we all do is have moments of sharing where a neutral “floor” is laid to converse about anything. Though they are quite communicative by nature, I realize that sometimes I can be in work mode so much that it spills over into what should be our quality time. My sons see the authentic me and learn how to communicate through seeing authenticity. I’ve learned not to feel as if I have to be the epitome of perfection but allow them to see my imperfections vulnerably but with discernment. Having had two traumatic experiences pretty close together has taught me how to truly slow down and enjoy the simplicities of life - igniting a spiritual aspect that I’ve always carried but never fully explored…until Kenji’s sudden passing (2018.) Grief has a way of catapulting us into a quest for more meaningfulness in both life and business. After Kenji’s passing and my processing through the initial stages of grief, I was able to incorporate our spiritual bond into Pink MahogHany by way of essential oil diffuser blends for both focus and sleep and most recently aromatic perfume elixirs. It’s been quite the process channeling the void of his physical presence, but I also have peace knowing he can be honored in a great way through scent. I noticed once I began to be more open and receptive to spiritual signs, synchs and “winks”, more ideas began to flow. It’s been this way since his transition. Emotional Expression: Fragrance is often tied to memories and emotions. How does your personal life influence the fragrances you create, and do you have a particular scent that holds special meaning to you? My creative process is much more alchemic now, and I include Kenji by talking out loud to him, believe it or not. I’m a firm believer that when our loved ones transition from the physical plane, they are still present - just in another form. I choose to keep his memory alive by not pretending he never existed (even if for a brief period of time). I am working (slowly) on a book and accompanying fragrance, but I know it will require me to revisit some memories I’m not quite ready for, so until then, his big brothers will launch their debut fragrance, The Peaceful Tiger (they chose the name.) I’ve learned that even in what we consider “small things”, our transitioned loved ones want to be recognized and acknowledged. When the twins and I designed their fragrance label (with a designer out of the country that didn’t know anything about me personally), we had issues with the graphic - so much so that the designer asked if they could rework the design. When they sent the proof for approval, the Tiger was not only younger but sleeping, with an uncanny, angelic resemblance to baby Kenji! Becoming more aware and being more sensitive to my intention for launching a fragrance has definitely made room for more divine situations like these to occur. Healing Through Scent: In what ways has creating fragrances been a form of healing or expression for you, especially after the loss of your son, Kenji Mwamba? I know my sons may not necessarily want to be perfumers, but they definitely have an entrepreneurial heart. My desire is that whatever they decide to pursue (acting, script-writing, music or architecture), they know that anything is possible with the right amount of determination, grit, belief and immersion. One reason I chose to homeschool is so they could enjoy learning without restraint and have ample time to devote to their own separate passions and it still be fun. They know Pink MahogHany is theirs if they want it (many, many years from now - lol), and we are already discussing business structures for whatever they choose their role to be once I retire. Work-Life Balance: How do you find balance between your professional responsibilities and personal well-being, and what self-care practices do you prioritize? I’m not just a perfumer; I’m also a consumer, and self-care is huge for me. I often take salt baths to reset my energy and clear my mind after being around large groups of people or free a long day. I’m a habitual perfume sampler, and I have so many to choose from to wear as my “nightcap.” Even if just for 10-15 minutes, I cherish each moment I’m able to have some “me-time.” When time and co-parenting schedules permit, I’m definitely on a flight somewhere to indulge in some delicious food and mouth-watering mocktails!](https://www.womenontopp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_3812-1200x720.jpeg)
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