Métier's Melissa Morris on filling the 'market gap' for a new luxury leather goods brand

Summary

The Glossy Podcast: Métier’s Melissa Morris on Filling the 'Market Gap' for a New Luxury Leather Goods Brand

Release Date: March 5, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of The Glossy Podcast, host Jill Manoff sits down with Melissa Morris, the visionary founder and designer behind the UK-based luxury leather goods brand, Métier. Established in 2017, Métier has swiftly carved a niche in the crowded luxury market, earning a cult following and recognition on high-profile platforms like the TV show Succession. With plans to expand into the US market, Melissa delves into the challenges of maintaining a luxury price point, the significance of craftsmanship, and the strategic leveraging of celebrity endorsements to boost brand awareness.

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Brand Differentiation and Philosophy

Creating Timeless, Functional Luxury

Melissa Morris founded Métier with a clear vision: to produce leather goods that are not only exquisitely crafted and timeless but also resonate with the dynamic lifestyles of the 21st century. She emphasizes the importance of functionality without compromising on luxury.

“I wanted something that reflected how we're moving throughout our day, how busy we are all the time from morning to night... meant to be sort of a companion for life.”
—Melissa Morris [01:14]

Métier’s products are designed to adapt to modern life, balancing form and function to create pieces that are both beautiful and highly practical. The brand’s commitment to high-quality materials and meticulous craftsmanship ensures that each item stands the test of time.

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Craftsmanship and Production

Partnering for Excellence

Achieving the envisioned quality was no easy feat. Melissa recounts her journey of establishing strong partnerships to maintain high standards.

“The first person to join Métier was Luca... he oversees all of our craftsmanship, development, production... we really talk through all of different ways for construction.”
—Melissa Morris [02:26]

After six months canvassing Italy to find the right supplier, and three years of re-engineering bag construction, Métier perfected a method that ensures each bag is both lightweight and durable. Inspiration from vintage luxury cars, particularly the iconic vintage 911s, influenced the brand’s approach to blending luxury with functionality.

“We've developed different methods of putting secret, sort of secret pockets within seams... with the most thorough luxury hand.”
—Melissa Morris [04:01]

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Product Philosophy and Collection

Minimalist yet Multifunctional

Melissa emphasizes a minimalist approach with an expansive functionality. Every piece in Métier’s collection is designed to serve a unique purpose, avoiding redundancy within their product line.

“Every piece is made to be something you should have for life. It's sort of anti replacement.”
—Melissa Morris [05:53]

The selection of materials is deliberate, featuring options like French calfskin that patina beautifully over time and smoother, matte leathers that resist marks. This variety ensures that each bag not only looks stunning but also aligns with different customer preferences and lifestyles.

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Target Customer Profile

Discerning, Global, and Dual-Gender

Métier caters to a sophisticated clientele that values quality and understated elegance. Melissa describes her ideal customer as someone who is confident, busy, and appreciates true craftsmanship without the need for overt branding.

“They are people who are charting their own paths in life. They're busy, they have discerning tastes, they know what they like and they don't need logos to do the talking.”
—Melissa Morris [07:40]

The brand proudly maintains a dual-gender approach, ensuring that both men and women find equally appealing and functional products, fostering a diverse and inclusive customer base.

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Marketing and Growth Strategy

Omnichannel Presence and Strategic Expansion

Melissa underscores the importance of an omnichannel strategy, balancing e-commerce with a strong retail presence. The flagship store in London serves as an anchor, providing customers with a tactile and immersive brand experience.

“Having a space where clients can come and interact is the best marketing I can do.”
—Melissa Morris [09:19]

The decision to open a physical store, despite the e-commerce boom during the COVID era, was strategic. By offering a unique in-store experience, Métier builds deeper connections with its clientele, fostering brand loyalty and word-of-mouth promotion.

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Celebrity Endorsements and Collaborations

Leveraging Visibility Through High-Profile Presence

Celebrity endorsements have played a pivotal role in Métier’s rise. High-profile appearances by individuals like Kate Middleton on Succession and Nicole Kidman wearing Métier bags on red carpets have significantly amplified the brand’s visibility.

“Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton... had a massive effect.”
—Melissa Morris [10:53]

Additionally, collaborations with esteemed costume designers, such as Joanna Johnston for Indiana Jones: The Last Movie, have further cemented Métier’s reputation in the luxury market.

“We collaborated together to create the bags were in the Indiana Jones the Last Movie which was really, really cool.”
—Melissa Morris [17:54]

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Challenges and Solutions

Navigating Market Dynamics and Production Hurdles

Operating out of London post-Brexit presented its own set of challenges, particularly in supply chain and production. However, by maintaining production within Europe and avoiding reliance on the traditional fashion calendar, Métier sidestepped many common pitfalls faced by other brands.

“I produce everything in Italy... which avoids a lot of issues that a lot of brands face when you're importing from outside of Europe.”
—Melissa Morris [16:45]

This strategic localization ensures consistent quality and timely production, allowing Métier to maintain its high standards without being bogged down by external uncertainties.

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Recent Investments and Team Growth

Building a Strong, Passionate Team

One of Melissa’s proudest recent investments is in her team. Recognizing the importance of collaboration, she highlights the addition of a talented assistant who has brought fresh, inspiring ideas to the table.

“Having great people who inspire you and bring so much to the table and believe in you, and you believe in them.”
—Melissa Morris [23:29]

This investment in human capital has not only eased Melissa’s workload but also infused the brand with new creative energies, ensuring continued innovation and excellence.

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Future Goals and Expansion Plans

Global Retail Expansion and Enhanced Brand Presence

Looking ahead, Melissa is focused on expanding Métier’s retail footprint, with a particular emphasis on opening a store in New York. Each new store is envisioned to reflect the unique character of its location, enhancing the brand’s global appeal.

“I want every store to feel different and inspired by the location that it's in.”
—Melissa Morris [14:55]

Despite macroeconomic challenges, Métier remains resilient, poised for steady growth. Melissa’s dedication to staying true to the brand’s ethos ensures that Métier continues to thrive while maintaining its core values of quality and timelessness.

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Conclusion

Melissa Morris’s journey with Métier exemplifies the delicate balance between maintaining luxury and embracing modern functionality. Through strategic partnerships, a keen understanding of her target market, and leveraging high-profile endorsements, she has successfully positioned Métier as a beacon of quiet luxury in the competitive leather goods market. As the brand prepares to enter the US market and continues to innovate, listeners can expect Métier to remain a standout name in luxury fashion.

“I believe in my product so much and I believe in the store design experience. I want every store to feel different and inspired by the location that it's in.”
—Melissa Morris [14:55]

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This summary captures the essence of Melissa Morris’s insights and strategies in building Métier into a respected luxury leather goods brand. For those interested in the intersection of technology, fashion, and luxury, this episode offers valuable lessons in brand building and market positioning.

Transcript

[Melissa Morris]

Foreign.

[Jill Manoff]

Thanks for tuning in to the Glossy podcast. I'm your host, Jill Manoff and today I'm sitting down with Melissa Morris, founder and designer of the UK based leather goods brand Metier. Metier bags are the definition of quiet luxury, even showing up on succession. And they've earned a cult following fueled by sightings on celebs including Kate Middleton. As the company is currently in growth mode preparing to open a US store, I wanted to ask Melissa about the challenges of introducing the brand with a luxury price point. I also want to get her take on the power of celebrity as I hear the brand is leaning into awareness opportunities both on screen and on the red carpet. Welcome Melissa.

[Melissa Morris]

Thank you so much for having me. Jill.

[Jill Manoff]

So happy you're here. I have to say I think we talked about this in the past that I discovered your brand at a local store here in St. Louis, which is the chicus of the chic retailer. And then I started getting hip to the fact that, you know, I was seeing it everywhere after that, you know, I was like, I've been in the dark. Hello. It's clearly very popular and everywhere, but tell us about your brand, its differentiators as you see it.

[Melissa Morris]

So I started Metier in 2017 and I had a really specific vision of what I wanted to do. I wanted to create a collection of leather goods that were as well crafted and timeless and really thoughtfully made, but also understood how our lives have changed in the 21st century. So, you know, I wanted something that reflected how we're moving throughout our day, how busy we are all the time from morning to night, really how travel has changed so much in the 21st century, but with a luxury hand that is really the highest quality there is and makes you feel amazing when you touch the materials and makes you feel amazing because you actually know where your things are and really stands the test of time and is meant to be sort of a companion for life.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. Tell me about getting to the quality that you envisioned from day one. I hear a lot about the state of like these are made in Italy, your bags. I hear a lot about the, I guess the dying breed that is the craftsperson in Italy and the competition for those folks, but maybe not so much. Did you just have have some luck there?

[Melissa Morris]

No, I mean it's hard work and the first thing that I did was found sort of a partner in crime and all things product. So my first, the first person to join Metier was is he's still very much important part of my team. His name is Luca and he is in Italy and oversees all of our craftsmanship, development, production, everything around that. And he's really my partner in crime with creating the product. So I design it and come up with the shapes, the ideas, what I want it to look like, feel like, how I want it to function, and I sketch it all out and then I come to him and we look at it together. And it sort of takes, in a way, a whole other life. We really talk through all of different ways for construction. You know, thickness of different panels of leather becomes really important. All of the ways that you can infuse artisanal details so that every piece is as lasting as possible, but also as lightweight and effortless. First, it took us six months to canvas Italy to find a supplier that could create at the level that we wanted it to be made at. And second, it took three years to re engineer how you craft a bag that is as functional and yet as is lightweight, slouchy, luxurious. I think a lot of more traditionally functional products have sort of big, bulky pockets or made from more traditionally functional materials. But I was really inspired a lot, especially by vintage luxury cars, vintage 911s in particular.

[Jill Manoff]

Oh, my God. Iconic. Yes.

[Melissa Morris]

And that is a very functional item. It needs to. First of all, if you just even think about the seat, it's comfortable, but the material on it was alcantara, which is a microfiber, which is what we use inside our bags. But it's sort of. Everything's sort of balancing what feels amazing and luxurious and inspiring and all of the reasons that we love luxury and what, you know, that beauty of the product, but also the form and the function to make it work. And that's really what we set out to do, was to sort of study pressure points on the bags to only reinforce in those places and develop very specific ways to make them as sturdy as possible in places that need it and is light and the rest. We've developed different methods of putting secret, sort of secret pockets within seams. So you can't tell that it's actually a pocket, but there's just sort of a hidden seam and then a magnet pocket to be able to easily access your things. And just lots of different ways of sort of bringing it to life with. With the most thorough luxury hand. Because it is challenging, it is a dying breed, and it is concerning. Yeah. But I'm really proud that we're part of a group that's really sort of carrying the torch. And, you know, the response from the market shows how savvy clients are and how much they appreciate Real luxury and real quality and can see. See through it.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. I love your. Also your approach. I think that last time we spoke, you were. I don't know if you worded it as, like, the only tote you'll ever need. The only, like, it's less is more. In terms of your assortment, I think at the time, you were also considering or dabbling with the idea of creating your first backpack. And it was like, but what's the perfect backpack? Because you wanted to make sure that it was the one.

[Melissa Morris]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jill Manoff]

It was the quintessential backpack. But, yeah, tell me about that take and if that still applies and how large the assortment is.

[Melissa Morris]

Yeah, no, it does. There's. So every piece is made to be something you should have for life. It's sort of anti replacement. You're not meant to replace your bag. It's not that you're meant to buy this one tote and then need to buy another. I have different totes in the collection, but they do different things in the same way. You would have a white cotton shirt that's very crisp, and you might have a white silk shirt, and you might have a white shirt that's more lineny with maybe sort of utilitarian pockets. They all function in a different way, and you have needs for all of them, but it's not two things doing the same job. And that was really important to me. And our bags are investments, that's for sure there. It's a luxury handmade product, and it is an investment, but it's a way for us to ensure we're offering the best value to our clients. And, you know, by not having seasons and not having markdowns, I designed sort of one bag for a specific need, and you know that that's the one that you're buying, and you can guarantee that. It's the best that I can do. Yes. And you won't see another one next season that you think, oh, I wish I would have gotten that one. They all are meant to do different things. And same thing with the way I choose materials and colors. You know, there's different leathers, but there's one that it's a French calfskin that patinas, but it can develop a mark on it. It's very smooth, it's shiny, it has a shine to it. It gets more and more beautiful with age, but it patinas. And for someone who doesn't like scratches or anything, there's something different that's equally beautiful, but it's a little bit more matte and has a Little bit more grain, so it just is a different feeling. So leathers that I use, they don't ever cannibalize each other, so.

[Jill Manoff]

Interesting. Well, tell me about who this customer is, who's shopping the brand.

[Melissa Morris]

I have the best customers. No, it's, you know, I think one of the things I'm really proud of is it is a dual gender brand. So it is for men and women. We have really strong businesses for both. And it was set out to be dual gender from day one. I found that having something to carry your things with in a way that's beautiful and timeless and functional with something that applies to any way you identify. And I wanted metier to not be a brand that was meant for something in the beginning. And then you try to translate to, you know, for example, if it's a women's specific brand that then extends into men's, it's never really seen as appropriate and vice versa. And so setting it up from that, from the start was really, really important. And also setting it up as close global was really important. I had a very specific idea of who my client is, which is just. I describe them as people have plenty to say and nothing to prove. They are people who are charting their own paths in life. They're busy, they have discerning tastes, they know what they like and they don't need logos to do the talking. But they also really appreciate true quality and when for them, the way the zipper moves on a bag like butter is the equivalent of why you choose the hotel that has the best bed, not that has the busiest seen in the lobby, per se. It's a specific sort of client. So it's men and women, very global, from around the world, which is really cool. And they're just people who are charting their own paths and super. Just really inspiring.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. How do you achieve that global customer base? Is that happening through E commerce and maybe some advertising or.

[Melissa Morris]

Yeah.

[Jill Manoff]

What's going into that?

[Melissa Morris]

No, I mean, we do. We launched E Commerce with the view to sell pretty much globally from the beginning, which we have always done. The sort of. The global catch of it has happened slowly with time. I think part of it was a very strategic decision. I'm really, really in favor of retail. So we launched the brand with our store on the same day. I signed the lease on the day of the Brexit vote. I mean, everyone thought I was nuts. This was like, you know, E Commerce heyday. And. But I just, I'm a shopper, I guess, and I. I love going into shops when it's a special experience and people know about the product. And I that's something special to discover. And I knew that that could be something really important for us. And having an anchor where you can touch and feel the product and designing an environment where you walk in and have to say little else, it was really important to me. And so having our store in London, which it's in Mayfair just off of Mount street, it's on South Audley Street. So now actually South Audley street is much more popular. But when I took it over, it was a little bit, a little bit just off the beaten path, but it was really important to me. And I think from there we started to develop a global following. And then a few really lucky things happened with press and film, which started then a bigger us following and it slowly just caught on.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. Tell me about those moments. What were some of the ones that made an impact on the business?

[Melissa Morris]

So definitely, I mean, one for sure, which you mentioned earlier, was when her Royal Highness, the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, during COVID stepped out in one of her first appearances and then I think twice more after that at the same time, which really was really lucky. Nicole Kidman, I had no idea. But the stylist for the. The TV show, the undoing that everyone was watching because it was Covid and we were all watching tv, she was wearing the bags exclusively and then started wearing them on the red carpet too. So off screen too. And that had a massive effect. And so those were definitely some of the earlier moments that really made an impact.

[Jill Manoff]

That's exciting. Well, you mentioned, like, logo free. We're not going wild. And that's why. Yes. You become, in my eyes, the definition of quiet luxury. Do you want to gag when you hear that term because it's been overused, or would you agree that your brand says quiet luxury? And tell me about your growth trajectory, because quiet luxury had its quote, unquote moment. It was a trend. And also we hear about luxury that reached this huge growth pattern and then has since kind of like leveled or tapered off. Tell me what you're seeing in relation to that trend.

[Melissa Morris]

Yeah, I mean, I don't gag when I hear quiet luxury. Not at all. I laugh because I'm anything but quiet. So I guess, you know, and I think in the same way, going back to that white shirt analogy, when someone's wearing that perfectly tailored, crisp white shirt, it says a lot. You turn and you look like it's sort of effortlessly striking. So it's not quiet, it's just not screaming. It doesn't need to. And I guess that's probably the difference. And I. And I think it's great. I think that clients are really pushing designers not to trade on more obvious tricks. And I think it's a welcome fresh of breath air probably for a lot of designers even of big houses that maybe feel forced to be using those tricks. So I think it's wonderful and I don't think it's going away. I mean we even have the tiniest non foiled embossed logo. Tiniest, like I can barely see it on a bag. And a client came in the shop and was like, I just can't have that even there.

[Jill Manoff]

You're like, calm down.

[Melissa Morris]

You know. But I think people really are. It's becoming. Having absolutely nothing is becoming something of itself. And it says something about you in its own way. But you know, nothing that we do is so minimalistic that it doesn't have a voice or a personality. It has clear brand codes and clear things. I hope that if I've done my job well that you recognize that are metier. It's just using design as the signifier rather than a logo, which I'm proud of.

[Jill Manoff]

You're newer to the luxury scene since 2017.

[Melissa Morris]

We're coming on eight years in April.

[Jill Manoff]

Congrats. And you've seen the consistent growth or how would you describe your trajectory?

[Melissa Morris]

Yeah, I mean to launch a new luxury brand anyway, you know, I knew not only by choosing to open a store with the brand was risky. I also knew, you know, there really isn't another real new luxury leather goods brand. There's a lot of revitalized heritage brands or a lot of amazing ready to wear brands that will expand into leather goods. But doing something of what we're doing. And I really look up to a lot of the luxury heritage houses and sort of where they came from and I'm trying to do that today. Why can't we start something today like that? And so I knew that that was was risky, but it just felt like the right thing to do because it felt like the market gap that was missing.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. Well, tell me. I got really excited when I heard you were considering opening a store in New York in the States. What's the time frame or what is the goal there and does it require some funding or what's your take on that?

[Melissa Morris]

Yeah, I mean I am all for retail. Our London store was profitable in its first year and the concept of meteor, I mean the products come alive in person. I think that my E Commerce team does an amazing job and it's been a really successful part of our growth, especially during COVID and, and thereafter while we are generating the cash that's needed to open the store. But ultimately where we all believe in is retail expansion. And having a very omnichannel strategy that's led by retail is really important. I believe in my product so much and I believe in the store design experience. I want every store to feel different and inspired by the location that it's in. So the London store is very much like a gentleman's London sort of bar. And New York, you know, has a lot of art deco elements. I've started working on that. But I want every site to feel different and inspired by where it is and you know, that's really where the strategy is. And it's sort of. You could put a lot of money into marketing. To me, having a space where clients can come and interact is the best marketing I can do. And it's, you know, sells at the same time, I think when you, when you believe as much in your product as I do, that's all you need to do. Just get it places that people can experience it.

[Jill Manoff]

Well, you mentioned earlier, you mentioned Brexit. I hear we have a reporter based in the UK and you know, I hear a lot about London Fashion Week and the I guess challenging market that it is. And the BFC is always supporting local designers because of those challenges and all the things. How would you describe it being based there? Have you kind of cracked the system and you figure out what works for you and I guess what are the challenges for you?

[Melissa Morris]

Well, I think one of the challenges that we thank God we're able to avoid. So I produce everything in Italy. I have a metal worker who makes all my hardware in Italy. I have one French calfskin, but everything else is from Italy. So I think just by the fact that it's all European made, all Italian made, other than this one French calfskin, you avoid a lot of issues that a lot of brands face when you're importing from outside of Europe. So that's, that's one thing. And then I, you know, because I, I don't have ready to wear, I don't really exist within the fashion calendar. So I don't rely on people coming through London in the same way I think other brands would for, you know, if they're having their shows here or, or whatever else. So I think the nature of a, an Italian made leather goods brand avoids a lot of the pitfalls.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. Well, thank goodness. Tell me about you were talking about some of those coincidences in terms of I guess celebrities or famous folks carrying your bags. But now you are leaning into that. You've seen the power of it. Tell me what you're doing to orchestrate some of those moments right now.

[Melissa Morris]

Well, a lot of them have happened by. I think the undoing was really luck because that was so early on. And then once we started becoming more known Succession, the costume designers from Succession requested a bunch of bags. So there was a bunch of metier pieces on Succession. And in this current season of White Lotus I saw a few pieces in the first episode. They requested to have about 20 or some bags samples on set for the entire season. So I'll see what happens. But I don't nice. We don't pay for it or we don't go out with it. It's sort of people are coming to us requesting. So I only know what samples that they have. I have no idea what's going to actually make it. So it's kind of fun. And then I think probably one of the more special moments was I got to work with Joanna Johnston who was the costume designer for Indiana Jones and she randomly discovered metier through Instagram of all places and reached out and we collaborated together to create the bags were in the Indiana Jones the Last Movie which was really, really cool. So those have been just really fortunate on screen moments. And then also I've had some really just lucky ones that have happened and some where stylists will come and request. But it's really cool to see the type of women I realized they're sort of all multi hyphenate. So they're. Whether they're directors and actors or writers or it's just they sort of are all doing different things which is. Which is so metier and so exciting. And some have are proper clients as well, which you're sort of pinching yourself for. And then I think there's been a bunch that were worn last night at the Vanity Fair Oscars party, which is really exciting.

[Jill Manoff]

Oh, that's amazing. I need to look this up now. Do you put this, something like that on your Instagram or is it not your style?

[Melissa Morris]

It's funny we're debating about that. We so don't really do that. But I, I just also was like I think we have to get over ourselves. It's Vanity Fair Oscars and the most amazing women. So we probably will figure something out. But we are more quiet about a.

[Jill Manoff]

Lot of that stuff, I think. So tell me about what marketing is taking place. The story that we lasted was about the kind of breadcrumb strategy and kind of putting out little hints about the brand or letting people discover it. But you're being strategic about where it's discovered.

[Melissa Morris]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jill Manoff]

I would think, like, going back to the. The discussion about entering the market as a luxury brand. I would think a lot of education is needed to tell your story about the craftsmanship and such. But you tell me.

[Melissa Morris]

Yeah, no, it still is. You know, I think the tricky part is how. How you grow and how you scale and you maintain what you love about yourself and what, you know, your clients love about you, too, which is sort of if, you know, you know, and that sort of. Yeah, I hear from so many clients that they'll see each other at the airport or something and you just give each other a knowing smile. I've heard it so many times. It's hilarious. It's like a little special nod. And so the trick is how you grow and maintain that. And I think we have a long way to go. And there's definitely some brands that I really admire, from an Hermes to an Apple, actually.

[Jill Manoff]

Oh, interesting.

[Melissa Morris]

Rolex to Porsche, you know.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes.

[Melissa Morris]

You know, I think if you stay true to yourself, then that. Then that really works. And so breadcrumbs is still very much our marketing strategy because mostly if I cringe, then I know it's not right. So we just. I love to collaborate with people. I love to. I love to talk to people. I love to throw events, and I love curating every detail of an event and to design it into something that feels like you never want to leave. And it's so inspiring. But you're also as comfortable as if you're at your best friend's house. And these experiences and, you know, an entire world around the brand that. That infuses what it's all about and sort of, yeah, I can imagine what the Metier Hotel would look like or the cafe or, you know, the airplane. You know, you can imagine sort of it's such a specific lifestyle. And, yeah, I like imagining it in different elements and bringing that forward through. Luckily, getting to collaborate with different types of people.

[Jill Manoff]

So cool. When I'm famous, you can design my airplane.

[Melissa Morris]

I know. It's the dream. I actually trademarked, if you believe it, something called Metier. Like, I don't know where it came from. And it just came to me a few years ago. I was like, oh, my God, why? I just know it. Like, one day we're going to have our own whatever. I don't know. But manifesting it's something. It's like, we'll see.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. No, I love this. Well, tell me about a recent investment that you're really proud of or that worked to your business's advantage. We have a lot of founders, entrepreneurs who listen and, like, in terms of they're making hires or they're wondering, do I need to invest in a chief marketing officer? Or maybe it's about kind of investing, going up the funnel. And I'm hearing a lot about the importance of a brand campaign as opposed to, like, performance marketing. But where have you maybe spent money recently?

[Melissa Morris]

Interesting. I want to hear more about that.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. This is the talk of this Etail west event. Last week it was. Yes, but it takes patience and brands don't have. It was the moral of the story, anyway.

[Melissa Morris]

Yeah.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. But what was a great investment?

[Melissa Morris]

I was going to say, people, I think it's the hardest thing to slow down. And everyone. And for sure, most founders will think, oh, you can. You know, it's faster to do it yourself, or I don't have time to properly train, or what if I'm not a good manager? I don't know. It's scary to grow your team. It's like letting someone into your house. It's, you know, working for a startup or, you know, small brand, it's. It's tough. It's taken a while to build my team to what it is, but it's worth it. It is so worth it to have great people who inspire you and bring so much to the table and believe in you, and you believe in them. And, you know, I've been the only designer in the company since day one. And it was Luca, actually, who said he's like, melissa, you need an assistant. Like, this is crazy with everything else you're doing. And I got so lucky with the best person ever. She's so brilliant and so amazing, and I just. She just presented her first project to me. I mean, she's been working with me now for about six months, but she just presented. She felt confident enough to put some ideas together for me. And they were so. Just this morning. They're so brilliant and so inspiring. And just the way she took all of the different inspirations that I've been talking to her about from different artists that I love, and she put together all of these incredible striped designs. And it's sort of. That's the moment that you think, this is why I do this. It's just I'm learning and I'm inspired. And, yeah, you feel really proud to.

[Jill Manoff]

See that that's awesome. I love it. Well, it seems like you're setting yourself up for amazing ongoing success. What are some goals that you have for the year ahead?

[Melissa Morris]

So, definitely opening. Expanding our store base is really, really key. I think we are ready to go, and it's scary. You know, you mentioned earlier that macroeconomic impact in the last year has been really tough. And while we didn't feel it, we still grew nicely in the last year. It wasn't by as much as we had thought we would do. And also the. I've never seen such ups and downs and swings of highs and lows, and it was. It's. It takes a lot of grit to navigate and ensure your team isn't feeling that fear of the ups and downs that you have. So I'm scared, in a way, to expand and grow. It's putting yourself out there in such a big way. But I also know that we're ready and the product is ready, and that's always been my ethos, is to just believe so much in the product and get it out in the right places, and the rest does itself, and that's what it's done to date. I think there's nothing more that I'd want to do than allow ourselves to express who we are through just seeing what we do.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. Well, I think the market is going to eat up your styles. I'm excited to see how it goes. It's exciting. And also, we will be watching. I'm going to be checking in with you. We'll say 2030 Metis Air.

[Melissa Morris]

Yeah, exactly. Oh, my gosh.

[Jill Manoff]

You got five years.

[Melissa Morris]

Five years. Okay. Okay, I'm on. It's like. I was like, who can I. I was thinking to ask. My friend Alyssa has a brand called High Sport. And I was like, that would be the most perfect outfits for flight attendants because they're, like, chic but stretchy and comfortable. And I was, like, starting to. I'm like, who would do the food? Who would do it? Like, I was starting. I was like, we need organic wine. And, you know, anyway, this is so fun. I think after I design a clone machine, then I can work on metier.

[Jill Manoff]

No big deal. Oh, my gosh. Well, so exciting. Thank you, Melissa, for being my guest today. This was fantastic.

[Melissa Morris]

Thank you so much for having me, Jill. I'm so happy to be here.

[Jill Manoff]

That's all for this episode. Our theme music is by Otis MacDonald. Be sure to give us a rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening to the Glossy Podcast. See you next week.