Trinity Fussel Interviews Mya Goldberg, owner of Thirteen-Seven for ShopLocalDesigners.com
Host Trinity Fussel interviewed Mya Goldberg, owner of fashion brand Thirteen-Seven (@thirteen_seven), for ShopLocalDesigners.com. Scroll down to view the video interview and transcript where Trinity and Mya talked about the story behind the brand name, slow fashion, and owning a business during a pandemic.
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T: Hello, everyone, and welcome to shop local designers.com. We have some amazing, amazing designers on this platform and I want to introduce you to one today. So Maya is amazing. And we really want to know a little bit more about herself, her brand, what she has going on and what you could see in the future, for sure. So please, first tell us, where can we find you at, where's all that good stuff?
M: Okay, well, so the brand is called Thirteen-Seven. And you know, I have a website, which is actually thirteen-dash-seven rolled out, you know, I that's one thing, you know, you realize when your brand name is numbers, you have to constantly tell people to spell it out. So yeah, but you know, I'm 37 actually comes from my initials, MG, or the 13th, and seventh letters of the alphabet. And they're also kind of really important numbers and a lot of different cultures and spiritualities, they have about significance. So I found that correlation, really interesting. And part of also, you know, relates back to my brand, where I just really believe in making connections, whether it be between helping people find their style, or just, you know, the right garment, the right fabric, whatever, whatever it may be. So, that's kind of where that came from. I have always had a passion for shirting as long as I can remember. And as I got older, and started to develop, I really found some issues with wearing button down shirts that I you know, I knew a lot of women could relate to you know, I've been dealing with them on my own for years, you know, double sided tape safety pins, camisole, like it is so, you know, I decided to, you know, follow that ultimate dream. And, you know, start Thirteen-Seven.
T:I love that I was actually wondering, when I first saw your brand name, like Thirteen-Seven, where did that come from? But that's so cool. Like, that's really creative. I love that.
M: Yeah. Little like a crazy tidbit that I only realized about like a year later is it's also my house number that I grew up in.
T: oh, yeah. I love that. I love that it kind of like, it was like, let's see a name and it went really deep. So that's really cool.
M:Yeah, thank you.
T: Yeah, no problem. Okay, so the next question I want to ask you, um, is basically how would you describe your aesthetic or your fashion genre for your brand?
M: Well, first and foremost, I think that slow fashion is a huge part of the driver, you know, I was never interested in, you know, necessarily being like a big brand producing like, six collections a year and all that stuff, I really, truly believe in quality over quantity. And I know that that's not necessarily a reality for everyone. But I do think that it's important to, you know, create pieces that people can have for a long time, you know, and that's part of what draw is kind of the overall kind of wanting to have pieces that can have that not too trendy. Um, and that, you know, my vision also kind of comes from a problem solving angle, I really like puzzles and solving problems. And that goes back to what I was saying with, you know, I had this problem, and I really believe that so many women could relate to it. So I wanted to really solve this problem, however I can and put something out there that really combines fashion and function.
T: Yes, I love that answer. Because especially now, with quarantine times who were looking for something that's gonna last a lot longer and be very good quality. So we need timeless pieces, and that's perfect for that. So I love that answer.
M:Thank you. Yeah, no problem.
T: Okay, so the next question I have for you is, do you work with a team? Is it yourself? Like, how does this whole brand come together?
M: Yeah. So really, it is mostly myself, you know, I still consider myself a young brand. And I've put out two collections so far, and I'm mostly, you know, I'm alone and do everything by myself. But at the same time, it's impossible to do everything alone. You know, whether it's, you know, the technical designers, the sample makers, the fast reps, right? And even people who might help with social media or with different things, there's definitely a network of people, whether they're part of the brand specifically or not, that have a huge impact on what goes down. So even though Yes, I'm alone, I can never fully say that I'm alone, because there's all people that you partner with are a huge part of, you know, your success and how you feel about everything.
T: Yeah, it definitely takes multiple people doing multiple things to make one big vision come together, for sure. Yeah. Well, thank you for that answer. So the next question I want to ask you is basically, what's your favorite part about being a business owner?
M: I'm definitely just the fact of, you know, business owner/ designer, being able to come up with an idea and then see it come to, you know, reality, and you can touch it, you can wear it and being able to impact people, but also, as a business owner, it's just amazing to feel like, you build something from the ground up, even just the business itself, having a vision, having an idea, knowing like, this was my dream for so many years that I thought was just a dream. And then my family actually has the ability to make it a reality. And see it happen. It's just the most fulfilling thing. You know, you're like, wow, I actually did that thing that I was dreaming about. And I was a kid. Right? It's really powerful. And it's, you know, it's emotional, even.
T: Oh, yeah, I definitely agree. ‘Cause it's like, you have this vision. And now it's in your hands. And it's like, wow, I literally created this from my head. And it's real now. So yeah, that would definitely be the best part. I would definitely. Yes. So the next question I have for you is how do you find inspiration for your collections?
M: Um, so inspiration is definitely, you know, a multifold thing, I have always been very strongly inspired by men's wear. I wouldn't say that my brand is, you know, men's wear for women or unisex because physically fit wise. And fit is extremely important. You know, the shirts are created for women for a problem that women's bodies specifically have. But inspiration comes from menswear. And honestly a lot even though a lot of the aesthetic is very much like workwear, and some of my more formal, some are more casual, but street style, you know, I feel like, you know, walking around on the streets of New York City is just like the biggest inspiration, you see people, you know, in the most upscale areas, and, you know, uptown downtown, you know, mixing them combining, I say like the glamour and the grit, and New York has all of it and able to see all the extremes every day is what inspires me a lot. So, just the city in which the brand is born, and actually manufactured as well is my biggest inspiration.
T: Yeah, I definitely really vibe with that, for sure. Because New York is definitely a place where you can't go anywhere without being inspired. So it doesn't matter if you're going walking home, going to the store or meeting up with friends or just Yes. You can find it anywhere. Where Yeah, yeah. Thank you for that. So the next question I have is how were you affected as a business owner by COVID-19?
M: Well, we've, we've all been affected. You know, definitely not as much walking around New York City, you know, having to quarantine and be at home. I'm just kind of, I think that the whole pandemic, especially, you know, it's a global pandemic. And we've come to a place in time and in society where everything is global, you know, fashion trends, what people see how we communicate, we live in this global world, and to see that this pandemic globally, so as a business owner, and as a person in general, it really caused me to take a step back and to kind of need to take some time to reevaluate priorities. Not just in fashion and business, but in our own lives and how, you know, so it made me think a lot about how I want to move forward in business, you know, what do I want to push? Sometimes it's hard to push fashion when there's, you know, all these other crises happening around the world and you're like, Okay, well, what is my place in this and how can I maybe shift things? Try to be doing better things. Well, no, you know, the one thing that we all I think got to do is use all our extra fabric. You know, I asked that of sample swatches that I've received over the years and all the sample yardage and bits and pieces. So, you know, I think like everybody else started making masks at home on my old sewing machine and just seeing, you know, even if I was giving them to friends and family and not just selling them, my nurse so really felt that at home, too. And yeah, I don't I don't think there's a person in the world who hasn't been impacted.
T: Yeah, that's the crazy thing is like, like you said, this is a global epidemic, like it's affecting everybody.
M: Yeah.
T:And I would definitely agree that it definitely made people not look only at the business side of things like how do we move forward and keep thriving and being successful? But also personal, like, how can I myself move around this kind of situation? So yeah, for sure. And it definitely made everybody very creative. Everybody's been at home. So they're like, Okay, let me take something and make something that is something else.
M: So yeah, yeah, just slowing down. Yeah.
T: It's been a pro and a con. It's like, I'm stuck at home, but, you know, some new ideas, and some new things are coming out of it. So yeah, definitely see that for sure. Thank you for that answer. Okay, so almost to the last question. So this is the second yet we get right through it. Um, so what some good advice for fellow business business owners or others looking to become business owners in this uncertain time.
M: You know, I think that the best advice I would have for anybody is if you want to start a business, make sure that you work in that business first, and that you have really enough experience to build the confidence that you need to start a business in that industry, that you really know the industry well enough. And I say that because I don't think I had enough of it.
T: Credit.
M: Yeah, I think that was one of them even though I did have some experience, I think the hardest lesson I learned was really, you know, it was awesome, because I was like, I'm gonna learn everything, and I'm gonna, you know, do everything on my own. And I don't want to outsource and hire because I really, you know, wanted to really have my hands on every aspect. But then there were so many things that I had to learn as I went, and I did a little bit more variety of experience in different things. Because I think people don't realize that when you start a business, you're not just doing the fun stuff, you know, you have to figure out how to, you know, do your QuickBooks, you know, or you have to, you know, do all these other random things that you may not have been prepared for. So, you know, you just have to be ready for that. So I think that getting as much experience as possible, and continuing to do so while you're building your business is really important.
T: Yeah, that was a really great answer, I feel like somebody for sure, can definitely relate to either your situation or even learn from it. So thank you. Okay, so the last question I have for you is, what can we see in the future for your brands?
M: Um, well, I definitely still for now, focusing on the shirt, you know, the staple, I really do believe in it. And, you know, I would like to try to find ways to be a little bit more sustainable and keep pushing towards that, you know, producing locally was kind of my initial first way to really try to be sustainable and make sure that people, you know, I'm using factories that you know, play and places that, you know, I feel good about using fabric suppliers that I really trust. Yeah, I would like to find more sustainable Cotton's and stuff like that. But the other thing that is a little bit random is that I found that I know, a bunch of people running for kind of political offices in New York City, like city council here in their things, and I really want to get my shirts on those people because it's kind of your way to feel like, you know, what, really helping to do something locally. And I know it's just putting a shirt on a person, but I think that there's something behind that. It's like, Okay, well who are the people you know? I don't want to focus on celebrities, but I feel like focusing on people who can actually have an impact. Yeah, world, even if it's local, I think that is kind of really exciting for me and realizing that got me really excited. So I think that is like a cool angle and just kind of, you know, continuing to represent slow fashion, producing locally and doing things the right way. Yeah, no, that's very exciting.
T: I mean, even you saying I was just putting a shirt on a person, but sometimes putting a shirt on a person can mean so much, and it could really reach so many people so that's really, really great. Thank you. We're definitely excited to see all the amazing things that you have coming. I'm definitely excited to see especially if you're dressing some of these people who are making changes within our world. That would be really, really great. So for the people out there watching this, please go and vote, please go and make sure that you're a part of the changes happening in the world. Because whether it's just putting a shirt on a person voting or speaking up about the cause, it definitely makes a difference and our voices definitely need to be heard. So yes, so thank you so much for coming on this platform. We really, really do appreciate it and we can't wait to see all the amazing things you do. Where can we find you on social media? I have a Facebook page
M: I'm more active on Instagram. So it's @thirteen_seven. Okay. But yeah, and you know, I have more of a lookbook there and then I do you know, some other features and stuff like that I've been showing my masks on there, here and there. Um, so Instagram is the best way to reach me and or through the website. And you know, I just hope to continue to be putting good stuff out there. So I really appreciate you guys having me. It's been a pleasure.
T: Of course, we love having you on here and everybody please go check out the brand on her website and also on her page. You can find more information on shop local designers.com thank you so much Mya.