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- [00:00]
Melissa Morris
Foreign.
- [00:05]
Laura Vinrit
I'm Laura Vinrit, Pool of capital and this is what we wore. Melissa Morris is the founder of luxury leather goods company Metier. Her unique way of coming to fashion through sculpture and business has created a completely innovative handbag. Looks like you have sunshine in London.
- [00:24]
Melissa Morris
No, it's just probably good lighting. No, no, very gray.
- [00:31]
Laura Vinrit
Is it? I was in Paris last week and it was. It was when I left home it was like 10 degrees. And when I got to Paris, it was like a vacation. It was 45.
- [00:41]
Melissa Morris
You know, Britain's been so nice there.
- [00:44]
Laura Vinrit
And we've never met. And I, Melissa, I was trying to think where we even found out about the collection. And I'm thinking it was from a friend of yours in Brentwood. Is that correct?
- [00:55]
Melissa Morris
Or how did it will be through? I mean, she's really now become a really dear friend. But she is a client that I met actually just by total coincidence. I happened to be in the shop one day and she came in and her name's Liza. So I. I think she's. Yeah, quite with the team there.
- [01:21]
Laura Vinrit
The shop's in London and she just happened upon it and was buying things and said, this is the best thing I've ever seen.
- [01:26]
Melissa Morris
Well, apparently her husband was in London doing some work and was flying home and read. We were like six months old at that time. And I guess there was something in British Airways magazine about this backpack that we have on the men's side. And he ripped it out of the magazine and delivered it to her and was like, I need this bag. And so then she ordered it online and I saw her name and I'm a big fan of her husband's work. And so I knew who it was and we got very excited and blah, blah, blah. And then fast forward six months later or so, my store manager was off sick. And again, the brand at this point was one year less than one year old. We had four employees. So store manager's off sick. Designers coming in for founders coming in for the day. And so I was in the. In the shop and all of a sudden I look up and they all walk in as a family and he backpack.
- [02:29]
Laura Vinrit
His name's Conan o' Brien. And the only reason I say that is because he's also like 6, 7. Yeah, he's really tall and pretty memorable looking.
- [02:37]
Melissa Morris
Yeah. And he said, hi, you don't know me, we're from America. And his family waved around him. They're all really funny, actually. And he said, you. I got this backpack and I've nominated myself for the winner of the best purchase of the year award. So we had to come to the home of my backpack to see where it was from and it was just an incredible coincidence that I was there.
- [03:03]
Laura Vinrit
Oh, that's so sweet and so unusual.
- [03:07]
Melissa Morris
Yeah, so nice. And they've just become really good friends and especially she's become also just a confidant and just they're incredible. And she's. Yeah, I can't say enough but I, I have to be honest that it's not just me saying it. My clients are the best, the nicest, most interesting people that are doing the most mind blowing things. And yet they're so humble, interested, impressed by what I do. I think they must be crazy in comparison. But the brand really attracts really fascinating people that are sort of charting their own paths in life. And I feel really lucky because I get really inspired by them.
- [03:51]
Laura Vinrit
Tell me where you're from.
- [03:52]
Melissa Morris
So originally I'm from Philadelphia or just outside, it's sort of a small suburb called the Main Line, which is just right outside of Philadelphia. My dad's family is from New York and my mom's family is from the Main Line as well. My parents met studying at the University of Pennsylvania and fell in love and decided to stay in Pennsylvania, which is where I was raised.
- [04:18]
Laura Vinrit
What did you love about growing up in outside of Phil? Well, with access to Philadelphia really and.
- [04:23]
Melissa Morris
Outside of it because my dad worked in Center City. But my mom had a very serious rule that 6:30 every night without fail we were having family dinner, sat down at the table, me and my sister, my parents and then my grandmother as well. So and that was a thing. And even if my dad had to work after we were home. So I think having a family home that was so in proximity to Center City was really important. But it's a great city to grow up in. Even more so now I haven't, you know, I left when I was 18 so it's been more years than I care to admit. But you know, it's. The city itself is very much supportive of art, sports, education, outdoors, family life. So it really is a really nice city to grow up in. But in specific I think I got very, very, very lucky with the family that I came from and the way what they valued which was exactly the sorts of things like family dinner. And every summer we would go somewhere different as a family. Two weeks with like always us, always somewhere different. Nothing fancy, just with this idea that you're always going to experience some different culture, different food, different way of speaking, being and, and finding not only Appreciation. But such inspiration from that. That was sort of parent to how I was brought up.
- [05:52]
Laura Vinrit
You have siblings? Where are you in birth order?
- [05:54]
Melissa Morris
I'm the youngest. We're different. I mean we're. I'm. We're typical older younger sibling. My sister is quieter and yeah, I'm sort of the loud one that never really did what I was told.
- [06:10]
Laura Vinrit
So. And how would you describe yourself as a child? In three words.
- [06:13]
Melissa Morris
Oh, gosh. Rebellious, inquisitive, loving.
- [06:19]
Laura Vinrit
I read that you grew up in a STEM oriented household. How did that philosophy play out in your family?
- [06:25]
Melissa Morris
My mom was a mathematician and she actually was a computer programmer. One of the first female computer programmers. It was actually cool. There was this exhibit in the Tate here in London. My mom came to visit me a few weeks ago and we went and it was called. It's called Electric Dreams and it's about the history of computers and these giant art installations inspired by them, but showing all of the old programming and the old language that she knew. Some of it, it was so wild. But between that and. My grandmother was a physicist in World War II. Wow. And my dad also was. He sadly passed away when I was a teenager. But he. Yeah, it was pretty. He was a genius. So I just. I grew up in a very intellectual household where. But they made it really relatable and fun through puzzles and games. I ended up getting quizzed on my homework most nights. Ironically though, I love math. Horrible at science. I still can't.
- [07:36]
Laura Vinrit
Oh, wow, that's interesting. Wow. Yeah, it's not genetic. So tell me about style. Who. Who influenced your style growing up?
- [07:46]
Melissa Morris
So my mom's mom, her name is Eleanor or was Eleanor. And yeah, she was everything to me. So because my grandfather passed away when I when relatively early and they live so close to where we grew up, she was over every single night with us. Yeah, so she was like a second mom really. She originally was from Manhattan and got set up on a blind date with my grandfather and they fell in love and married. And so she relocated to Philadelphia. But she just. Yeah, she had such an elegant style. It was very classic, almost Katharine Hepburn, a little bit of Jackie O. She just always looked totally immaculate. And she also loved to travel the world. She and my grandfather were so interested in explor drawings all around, you know, not the typical places. And she'd pick up little pieces of jewelry or things and incorporate them into these like incredibly classic, beautifully tailored outfits that it was just. Yeah, it was just so flawless.
- [08:55]
Laura Vinrit
Did you start to study style and fashion independently or was that A connection for you with Eleanor.
- [09:03]
Melissa Morris
I always loved style. I mean, always loved reading fashion magazines growing up. I think I was always really interested in it. I always. I somehow always gravitated towards it as a way to express myself, sort of testing a little bit who I was and where I fit in and trying to define my own identity and.
- [09:24]
Laura Vinrit
And was your mom, the mathematician, supportive of that?
- [09:27]
Melissa Morris
Yeah. Yeah, that. I mean, my. My. I'm really lucky. My parents sort of said, you can be anything you want if you try hard and you work hard. And they were so supportive of whoever. Whoever my sister and I wanted to. You know, how we. Yeah, they were completely supportive of our individuality. And I especially, you know, having left home after high school, and I went to university down in Atlanta. So I was already leaving the Northeast, and then I moved to California, back to the Northeast for a few years in New York, before I immediately went off to Berlin and now London. And my mom's not happy about it, but she's supportive of it and proud of me.
- [10:10]
Laura Vinrit
And so how did you find your way to sculpture?
- [10:13]
Melissa Morris
I always loved design and sort of the way my grandmother would explain what real design is and what real consideration is behind something, and the thought around doing something with. With. With care. I think that led me into a real obsession with all aspects of design. But I fell in love with interior design and sculptures and specifically chairs, because I loved the way a chair is designed. It's a beautiful art piece. It's a sculpture, but it's also for function. And the way you sit in it is. And sort of the shape of the chair is based on what you're doing. So if you're going to relax or you're going to eat or converse or work or. Or sleep, the chair should be shaped in different ways and sort of that sculptural consideration should be there. So I fell just completely in love with the idea of. Of sculpture. I think there's such a strong hybrid between architecture and interior design and functional design and the art around it.
- [11:19]
Laura Vinrit
You went to Emory in Atlanta and studied art specifically. Did you think you were going to be an artist?
- [11:25]
Melissa Morris
I double majored. I studied sculpture, and I stud. So I guess some of the math.
- [11:32]
Laura Vinrit
The only artist with a business background. Thank you. Good job.
- [11:38]
Melissa Morris
I think probably. I mean, I think it's all actually two sides of the same coin. I like rational thought, and I think that's why I like drawing lines, and I like to color inside them. My color sort of goes out of the line. I look and see. Do I need to redraw that line or because the color should go out in that direction or should I bring the color back in? But I like having a reason for what I'm doing. And then I like. Then I put the reason aside and then allow myself to sort of freely express what that is. And then I see where the two match up and don't and use them as points to sort of inform where they shape from there. And so I think that's the way I approached why I loved sort of more functional design, like chairs as a sculpture. Didn't really like the idea of something that I felt was superfluous. I wanted it to have rational reason. And I think that's also why I like numbers as well. And sort of the creativity around them of what they. I'm constantly teaching my team, which they look shocked to me, how the designer is like getting so excited in the weekly meetings. But I like seeing numbers, I like seeing stats because they're. They're able to give you ideas. I actually walk out with so many ideas of different things I wouldn't have thought of otherwise. And I guess that's why the collections are designed so much with my clients in mind, because I can really understand what they need and what they would want and think about things specifically for them. And it's not something necessarily so esoteric.
- [13:17]
Laura Vinrit
And so how did sculpture and business turn into fashion? How did you seg into wanting to work in the fashion industry?
- [13:24]
Melissa Morris
I found one thing I wanted to do after school, which was mostly about where I wanted to go. And I found one, yeah, one thing that I wanted to do. Luckily I had to apply pretty early to get into it. And I got into it and that was what I did. So the Gap at that time had Gap in San Francisco, had the most incredible executive training program. It was nine months long, and every three months you rotate to a different part of the company. And half of the. There's about. About 20 of us in a class in. In accepted. And half of the time you're shadowing executives, and half of the time you're in a classroom being taught by executives. So everything from presentation skills to working on it as a team to, you know, crafting an assortment plan. And yeah, I just got such a crash course and how a fashion company should work. And it really is exactly that way of having clear structure and goals of how to keep a business alive and growing, but how not to stifle that with these goals and then not allow creativity and free thinking to flow.
- [14:42]
Laura Vinrit
Tell me about the 20 people in your class, what were their backgrounds? Had they all come from art or. Or were they all interested in fashion? And was the point of the program all for you to fold into the Gap?
- [14:54]
Melissa Morris
I guess I don't know how many are still at the Gap, but a lot are sort of running a lot of similar companies.
- [15:03]
Laura Vinrit
But what were their backgrounds? Were they mostly art majors or what was.
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Melissa Morris
No, I would think most of them were business majors. I can't totally remember. Yeah, it was probably a lot of marketing and psychology and customer sort of thinking.
- [15:19]
Laura Vinrit
So you finished the program, and were you gonna maybe stay with the Gap? Were you definitely on your way out?
- [15:24]
Melissa Morris
I loved the Gap, and I did. I stayed for another year after, and I think I left because I'm really inquisitive and I'm interested in what's out there and wanting to see everything and experience everything. And there's sort of this insatiable amount of questions I have and wanting to experience things, and I think that's the only reason that I left. I. Looking back, other than Metier, it was my favorite place I've ever worked. I'm so happy to see that they're finding their way again. It's a great company and had great values, you know, the understanding of how to build a business and a creative business, because I think that's the struggle where a lot of. A lot of brands and companies struggle with is how can you take something that's inherently creative and shouldn't be reined in? But the fact is that we have bills to pay and salaries to pay and real responsibility, and that. That responsibility for my team, my suppliers, their families, I mean, that's really heavy. And I think it's so critical that you are allowing creativity to flourish and the room for. For ideas to come. But it is also a real business, too. And so you have to be able to set parameters and be able to have points of your process to be able to take those parameters and feedback. And it is allowing yourself to have lines drawn for you or with you, and then you draw the color inside them. And that it can't be every minute. You're constantly drawing a line and someone's over me. And it's like, Matt, you went colored out of the line. But, like, you have these clear points where you're reviewing how that comes together. And I think I learned that so well at the Gap, how these. How this is supposed to. Supposed to work. And I think that's why I hope what I'm doing well here with the team at Metier and What we're doing as a business here is really working cross functionally and understanding whose inputs are when and how and how we all have to work together as a team and how to really like data and not, you know, I always tell the team, you know, you could cook the books in any way you want. You could say, oh, that had a hundred percent sell through but you've sold two because you bought.
- [17:52]
Laura Vinrit
Right.
- [17:53]
Melissa Morris
Versus you had a 10% sell through because you've bought a thousand. Which is better, the a hundred or the two. So it's sort of being able to enjoy data and question it and look at it as a way to help shape what you're doing and allow you to think outside of the box of how to use it rather than it feeling oppressive or confusing. And I think probably in, especially in the last 15 years, what I experienced, which was a real shift because when I came into the industry, E commerce was not a thing.
- [18:30]
Laura Vinrit
Right.
- [18:31]
Melissa Morris
And I don't know if you would agree, but there was such a notable shift in the way people were doing, were operating their companies when E commerce came in because it was almost like you got all of this information but didn't know how to use it. And it can easily steer you in the wrong direction.
- [18:48]
Laura Vinrit
What is also all this information of people you don't really know? I mean, I think like when we used to work with Farfetch and they would say this is so amazing for you because you're selling things to people all over the world. And I'm like, well, it's not that amazing for me because I have no idea who they are and what they want and why they wanted it and how they're going to use it and you know, any. There's really no data. You just told me you sold something to somebody in Saudi Arabia. Okay, great. You know. Yeah, yeah, that's so interesting.
- [19:16]
Melissa Morris
That was exactly why, I mean it was so I, I opened, I launched the brand with a store in London.
- [19:25]
Laura Vinrit
Oh, wow. Okay. Wait, can, can we go back one minute though? So after the Gap, you came to New York and you worked for several brands. Helmut Lang, Bell staff.
- [19:33]
Melissa Morris
Yeah.
- [19:35]
Laura Vinrit
Armani and always in New York. Were you always in New York? New York, and always in production design and merchandising.
- [19:43]
Melissa Morris
I loved merchandising.
- [19:45]
Laura Vinrit
You're really good at it. But I think that's one of the best things about your brand actually. Well, many. But that you do that so, so well. Which is really interesting to think back about your Gap experience. I think actually, you know, like when you really look back like that, that probably is where you learn the fundamentals a thousand percent.
- [20:02]
Melissa Morris
I mean.
- [20:03]
Laura Vinrit
Yeah, it's.
- [20:04]
Melissa Morris
Yeah. And if you walk into any Mickey Drexler run company, so I know you're.
- [20:09]
Laura Vinrit
After the Mickey era, but do you think that a lot of the things that he, he set into place were still there when you got there?
- [20:15]
Melissa Morris
Oh, yeah, it wasn't. I'm probably not as young as you think. Yeah, yeah, it was just after. Without a doubt. Yeah, it makes sense because it's sort of buying is, you know, how I was taught a really creative process. You know, I remember one of the first things that. I remember one of the first lessons they in at Gap, they said, right, so you're in your department or your business has sold. It's summer or it's whatever, whatever time, springtime. And you've just sold a ton of denim jackets that. That year. And you're looking back now, it's a year later. And you realize the year before you sold a ton of denim jackets. So what do you do? And someone said, I buy more denim jackets. And they said, wrong. What is that of this year? And so like the fisherman's cardigan or whatever it is, it's. What does that do? That denim jacket is that layering piece that you can wear inside and outside. And it's sort of. It's not like you're wearing a coat, but it just, it is that third piece. And what is that of this year? And I think that sort of creative thinking has been lost.
- [21:28]
Laura Vinrit
You know, it's funny because you would always, especially in these big appointments, like, I mean, I've been doing this almost 30 years, so this is many years ago, but thinking about going into, say, a celeron appointment, and it was my buying team, which is me and one other person. And then you'd walk in with Neiman Marcus and there would be 15 people, they have Excel spreadsheets. And they'd say, so we sold 473-2-X9, so we're going to need that again. And we sold it in red. Do it in red again. And like, that was the whole appointment. There was zero joy. It was like it was just a completely different thing. And it was always the saddest thing. But it's weird because it's like buying is a really hard thing to teach. You know, I mean, you know, innate taste, but. And then numbers and understanding that. But there's something really big in between that can't be taught.
- [22:21]
Melissa Morris
It is, It's a creative. It is a really creative field. It's intuition. It's knowing your customer, knowing people having an idea that you know they're going to love something before they realize that they love it. Yeah, it is. There is a certain amount that really can't be taught, which is why, yeah, it's. It is an art.
- [22:46]
Laura Vinrit
So. So it's interesting. So around this time you said, at its core, I believe design should either solve a problem or improve an experience. And was this around the time when you found that you weren't able to. To. To find the bag you wanted or were these other jobs like, boring you? Like what. What was happening then and how did this push you towards.
- [23:06]
Melissa Morris
I think there was, you know, at the, you know, at this point, e commerce, of course, was getting bigger and bigger and bigger and social media was getting bigger and bigger and not like anything it is today, but I felt that what was being. What was unique about a brand and a unique. Unique about the sorts of products we were putting out a. We didn't have time to do them well because seasons were getting faster and faster and faster. And even if products were. Designs were successful, you were being. We needed to make different ones this time with a fringe or some novelty or it just.
- [23:49]
Laura Vinrit
It.
- [23:50]
Melissa Morris
It a. I didn't feel. It felt like an endless cycle and not in a good way that you felt like you were improving on what you're doing. It just felt like you were just throwing stuff at a wall and that feel good. And I think also ultimately what I love about why I fell in love with the industry was it sounds cheesy, but it's true. It's a teamwork and how everyone works together. And I think that understanding of what all the different departments are meant to do and how they're meant to work together was aw. So getting lost in the shuffle as well. I found a lot of politics. I just, I struggled and I wasn't happy.
- [24:29]
Laura Vinrit
It was your last corporate job was at bellstaff?
- [24:32]
Melissa Morris
Yeah, yeah, it was.
- [24:33]
Laura Vinrit
Which is kind of interesting too, just because it is sort of a technical product, I guess. Right. And.
- [24:38]
Melissa Morris
Yeah.
- [24:39]
Laura Vinrit
And automotive a little.
- [24:41]
Melissa Morris
Yeah. I think at that time they were. I was brought in and they were going through a pretty big rebrand, but it was sort of is this brand going, staying with its roots or is it going to something much more fashion? Referencing Phoebe Filo's Celine or Hermes even? Personally, I would always say you have to stick to the core of what the brand always was. And there's evolution, of course, but not such a big drastic change. But regardless of whatever it is I think the bigger issue is that the entire team wasn't united.
- [25:20]
Laura Vinrit
And was bell staff the first time you'd worked with leather?
- [25:22]
Melissa Morris
Yes. Yeah.
- [25:24]
Laura Vinrit
That's interesting.
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Melissa Morris
Yeah.
- [25:26]
Laura Vinrit
And so.
- [25:27]
Melissa Morris
But then. Yeah.
- [25:28]
Laura Vinrit
And so tell me, so how did it go? How did this go down? I mean, what was your first bag?
- [25:31]
Melissa Morris
So I wanted to leave my job, and I wanted to go to culinary school, just try something, you know, have a cafe. And I had a whole vision for what this would be and have a very different life, I guess. I left my job and I traveled a bit, and I realized that sort of as I was traveling, I had my bag, but then a mini bag inside that was like a little pouch that I thought organize my passport and all of these other things and how clever that would be. And I realized that that became a mini bottomless pit inside of a bottomless pit. And it sort of reminded me of, you know, when I was traveling to the work every day. You know, it's sort of this notion of travel and how I would always be on the subway floor, panicking, looking for my subway, missing the train and then missing my meeting or whatever, and how many other women I saw. And we all had the same giant bag, and everyone was doing with the.
- [26:29]
Laura Vinrit
Satellite bag inside of it, the satellite.
- [26:30]
Melissa Morris
Bag, and then your shoes spilling out, and it was just a disaster. And so I realized that sort of when I was actually traveling, that there was this correlation between the way we travel, the modern sense, and how the things we need with us, you know, chargers and whatever, all the things that you need with us. It's a lot more complex than when my grandmother was going, have a little handbag. It's really. Was really, really different. And, you know, I realized that the core of what handbag design was. Was sort of made around the time that, you know, you had the great. The Kelly bag that was made, or even the Birkin was made as a travel bag.
- [27:13]
Laura Vinrit
It's huge.
- [27:14]
Melissa Morris
It was a bag because she wanted something for traveling, which now that would be a tiny thing for traveling. We couldn't deal with it. That consideration to what we actually need didn't evolve.
- [27:25]
Laura Vinrit
Living in the suburbs is different than living in New York. I mean, I always say to the salespeople in New York when they're saying, this is our number one bag, and I'm like, well, bags for you people are your apartments. Like, we don't. We have cars, you know, like, you know, these girls are. Our women are in their car the whole day going to carpool and picking. So it's A different need. I mean, just. But generally idea of really understanding what people's needs are is. Is unusual, I think. You know, like, it doesn't seem like people really give a lot of thought to that.
- [27:52]
Melissa Morris
Yeah. And it was such a challenge to try to figure out how to create something that was so functional and technical, but still so elegant and beautiful, because I'm not. I. I'm. I like sports. I do a lot of yoga, and I like to rock climb, and I've gotten into surfing, but I'm not sporty. I'm not utilitarian in the way that I. My aesthetic, I would say it's very similar to my grandmother's, I would hope, but it's much more suited to the 21st century. It's more relaxed. I'm in a. I have a messy bun. Her bun would have been perfect. You know, there was, you know, I think, a bit of a difference there. And so the trick was how to create something that was adapted for the way that we live today and also transferable from going to city life to suburban life, to world apart, overseas and everywhere in between and allowing yourself to move as seamlessly as possible. You know, the first thing was to figure out how to solve this sort of mini satellite bag and to make it organized. So that was a Stowaway, which was one of my first designs.
- [28:59]
Laura Vinrit
And so how many did you produce and what did you do with them?
- [29:03]
Melissa Morris
Well, so first I needed the Stowaway, and then I made the Private Eye, which was the sort of the everyday bag to go to work with, which had this clipped in. But then when I was done work, I could put it in the coat check, take this out and go have my drink. Martini. And that was sort of the. The beginning of what I wanted to do. And then I wanted to create one bag for each for a different need. In light, in sort of your journey, and having the Stowaway being able to clip between it so that you would never have to look for your essentials, and it would always be easy. And I didn't like the idea. We don't do markdowns. We don't do seasons. I like to tell my customers that. I like my customers to know that the price that they're paying is the best price that we can give. It's not like you need to wait for it to go on sale. This is what is value versus expensive. You know, it's good value for money. It's an expensive product, and it's an investment, but it is. You can know that it is. Made with such care and quality. And that was really important to me. And so I think in doing that, I needed to have one perfect product for every journey. And that was the way I sort of thought about it. And then the trick was, you know, okay, I know that whenever I'm heading to the passport control, I, like, everyone around me is freaking out that they've left their passport on the plane. They've lost it. Oh, my God. Okay. Well, actually, we have a hidden. Like a hidden magnet pocket at the top of a seam. I put sort of. I split a seam so you can't see from the outside. I didn't want it to look utilitarian, and also I wanted it to be a hidden pocket. But you just slip your hand and then you get your passport and you go sort of having so much fun thinking through all of the ways you're moving through your day and how to make that as easy as possible. Because that is luxury. Knowing where your are and not having that stress is a luxury. You wouldn't buy a luxury car if it didn't drive.
- [31:04]
Laura Vinrit
So you. You made these things and then. And then what?
- [31:08]
Melissa Morris
Yeah. So I was adamant that we launch with a store. Going back to your point around data, I felt that if we couldn't understand who our clients were and meet them and explain to them and see their questions around the concept. I mean, we're the first new luxury leather goods brand. There's been many revitalized heritage brands or leather goods brands that come off the back of a clothing brand, but like a real standalone leather goods brand, luxury leather goods brand in the space. I. I knew it was a risk. And, you know, at the time I got asked, well, why don't we just take over one of the sleeping heritage brands and then at least you have the name and all of this. And I said, but then I'm stuck with their heritage. So I needed a store to do that, which seemed crazy, especially as we signed the lease on the day of the Brexit vote. Right. And E commerce was booming. Every industry report said retail's dead, blah, blah, blah. But we did it, and it was the best thing we've ever done. And as. As you're with your stores, you know why? Because if you put proper attention and proper care for your clients, and A, you learn so much, but B, you establish a connection in the universe that explains everything that you stand for without having to speak.
- [32:32]
Laura Vinrit
I want you to remind me of that sometimes during the year when I'm stressing out, talk to me a little bit. About the process of perfecting the product and the leather. I mean, was that something that you. Did you have bags? I mean, were you a bag person? I'm not really a bag person. Until I met you.
- [32:51]
Melissa Morris
I got really lucky. It's. You're really. And you, you will know this by. Because you have had such an iconic, successful company that it's a team sport. You know, I come to the table with some real strengths, but it is such, it is, it is really is such a team. And so I knew right away I needed to find someone who would be as passionate as I was about what luxury design and craftsmanship could be and was crazy enough to do something like this. And so I found the first person that I was able to hire. His name is Luca Flavi. He's still with me. We're just hitting on our 10 year anniversary in a few months. But he was leading all of the product development and production at a company called Bali. And he, he comes from his. His father had a leather goods factory. He sort of comes from a multi generational background and is just so passionate about the craft. I had heard about him and knew how passionate he was. What I didn't realize was how concerned he was himself about industry was going in some ways of mass production and outsourcing production. Yeah, the speed of production and all of the similar things. He was also concerned about and was really excited to leave. Not to say it was a comfortable job and it was, but he had a team of 40 and he was, you know, leading an entire team of a, of a really big company to come be a team of two of us. Basically spent three years, first of all, six months, six months of driving around Italy trying to find and beg people to work with us and take a chance on us. Luckily we were able to convince slowly people to believe in us. And then we started developing all of our materials and we took three years to develop our unique method of crafting because to hang, to have something be so functional. There's a reason why a lot of these, a lot of functional products are made from very functional materials and have a lot of seams and a lot of pockets and a lot of, a lot of, lot of things. It's because there's you, you have to sort of have a lot of places to sew and keep things strong and yeah, to make something that looks seamless and lightweight, but on the inside it's like this whole world is really tricky. And it took us three years to figure out how to make something as lightweight and seamless. And effortless as possible, but lasting as possible. And luckily, he is maybe even more a perfectionist than me, which is crazy. And yeah, we just challenge each other all the time.
- [35:44]
Laura Vinrit
And then. At what point did you know that you were going to be successful?
- [35:49]
Melissa Morris
Still waiting for that minute.
- [35:51]
Laura Vinrit
I know.
- [35:54]
Melissa Morris
Any minute now.
- [35:57]
Laura Vinrit
Let me know what's been the most difficult part of your journey over the past 10 years?
- [36:07]
Melissa Morris
I launched in 2017 and then we went through Brexit shortly after and then Covid shortly after that. So I think those are just normal macroeconomic things that were really challenging and scary. I'd say the hardest part has been learning to figure out how to teach people and teach your team and coach your team and grow with them and allow the growth to happen and let go, but in the right amounts. You can't just let go, but you can't stay too much on. They no one teaches you how to be a good manager. And I have a lot of ideas around how teams are meant to work together. And as you say, some of these things just can't be taught.
- [37:01]
Laura Vinrit
And some of them take many, many years. And you're sort of like, I hate to tell you this, but it's probably going to take you 10 years to learn this. But I would never tell you that because you wouldn't stay right. You'd be like, nope.
- [37:10]
Melissa Morris
And then sometimes you take it for granted because it's so inherent to you. You don't realize that it's not to others. And we're based in London, but we're very multicultural in the office. And so there's also adapting to all the different cultures. You know, I think people is always the most important and always the most challenging to get to get right. And I think that has been something I'm really proud of.
- [37:43]
Laura Vinrit
What did you wear to prom on the Main Line in Philadelphia?
- [37:48]
Melissa Morris
What did I wear? I think I wore. I went to a lot of proms.
- [37:59]
Laura Vinrit
I love those answers. Which one?
- [38:05]
Melissa Morris
I wore a Nicole Miller gown. A gown by Nicole. It was. Now I would actually. Now that the 90s are so cool again. Now it'd be cool like this black long gown with little. Really pretty. Little floral embroidery. Just. But like not so much. Just a little bit. And pink. Hot pink velvet straps.
- [38:31]
Laura Vinrit
No. Oh, how pretty.
- [38:32]
Melissa Morris
And a sweetheart neckline. Yeah, it was really pretty.
- [38:36]
Laura Vinrit
That sounds really pretty. Shoes, Black?
- [38:37]
Melissa Morris
I think it was straight across, actually.
- [38:39]
Laura Vinrit
Yeah, that sounds really, really pretty. And hair and shoes.
- [38:43]
Melissa Morris
Jewelry.
- [38:44]
Laura Vinrit
Any memory? Handbag?
- [38:46]
Melissa Morris
Yeah, exactly. No, no handbag. There was not messier.
- [38:51]
Laura Vinrit
It didn't exist. That's a good one. Yeah, I love that.
- [38:56]
Melissa Morris
What did you wear? I want to know what you wore.
- [38:59]
Laura Vinrit
I went to several also not surprised. One I really liked was the Laura Ashley puff sleeve sweetheart that I got in London at the Laura Ashley summer sale.
- [39:13]
Melissa Morris
That's cool.
- [39:14]
Laura Vinrit
Like a French blue polished cotton. I really like that one.
- [39:16]
Melissa Morris
But I wanted so trendy.
- [39:18]
Laura Vinrit
Now I know exactly. But another one I really liked was an Ann Taylor and it was. Which was really nice at the time. And it was this super chic, like black to the knee, really slim cocktail dress with a pale, pale pink bodice sort of like on pure. I can't really. It was so pretty. And then this is. This is your podcast. And then.
- [39:44]
Melissa Morris
But I like this. Maybe we should have a dress side hustle and make some make 90s inspired prom gown.
- [39:50]
Laura Vinrit
But the best part, Melissa, for both dresses actually were these black peau de Soie Joan and David shoes with a bow on them. I'm. I am older than you, so just, you know, it was really chic at the time, but they were so pretty and I saved it for years and years to buy them. I did like actually years. They had a store near my house and I would go visit them and thank you. I'm grateful to you for creating something so beautiful.
- [40:20]
Melissa Morris
Thank you.
- [40:23]
Laura Vinrit
What We Wore is produced by Capitol and Balto Creative Media. The original song Someone so Enchanting was composed and performed by Britt Drazda. Please follow us on Instagram hatweworepodcast for additional content and show updates.