Meet the woman that’s helping Boston reclaim its roots as a fashion and style hub – Taneshia Camillo-Sheffey.
Taneshia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m the youngest of four sisters. Growing up as a singer, songwriter, actress and model I worked closely with stylist and designers, which was my introduction into my love and obsession for fashion and design. In my years in the entertainment industry, I would always hear designers and stylist that we worked with would always say, “I can’t find a job in fashion in Boston” or “No Boutique will hire or showcase my work because I’m not a known designer”. A light bulb went off in my head, and I said to myself that I’m going to create a platform for emerging and existing designers that are the fashion industries best kept secret. A fashion house that will support and guide these brands to success. I immediately started researching how to start my business and where I can get great guidance and advice.
At the time of my strong willingness to start my own boutique business, my mom was very sick with Breast Cancer. I was working full time while taking night classes at CWE, (Center for Women and Enterprise). I was stressed and overworked to say the least. While making major strides in trying to build a business, I found myself saying “how am I really going to run a business with so much going on in my life”. My mom’s passing from Breast Cancer in 2011 really was the defying moment in life. I said no more waiting, the time is now to pursue my dreams of starting my business, Even if I fail at this, I don’t care. So I put in my two weeks at my job and went full throttle with The Haute House Design Studio!
The Haute House Design Studio is the umbrella company to The Haute House University & MadeINcubator Inc.
The Haute House is in the business of developing fashion businesses. The Haute House Design Studio is the creative side of the industry, building tomorrows fashion brands today, via an online fashion house. The Haute House University is the ED TECH arm, teaching the business side of fashion to aspiring designers and professionals through business development workshops and seminars in partnership with Microsoft.
MadeINcubator is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit organization that is revolutionizing the way designers learn, build and succeed in fashion. We use fashion as an anchor to build economic development in the greater Boston area, a region once revered for its rich textile industry. MadeINcubator is the City of Boston’s first fashion incubator and its mission is to change the fashion world through innovation, by developing ecosystems that allow exceptional fashion entrepreneurs to create new products and companies better and faster. We are here to support the business of fashion in Boston through a 5-month intensive program, as well as free and low-cost public workshops and networking events. MadeINcubator will foster in a new meaningful and impactful economy in Boston by giving fashion designers the technical product development, business tools and training they need to create innovative products and competitive businesses based in Boston.
During May 2018. Partnering with Microsoft and others, will provide students with industry know-how and more!
Has it been a smooth road?
Being an entrepreneur is never easy. You have to build Ford tough. In the beginning the struggles were finding good quality designer talent worthy to showcase. Also, the fact that you are doing EVERYTHING on your own. I’ve dealt with my fair share of struggles. Sometimes I was unprepared. Or not patient. Most of the time, I never saw hurdles coming my way until I had tripped right over them. Pretty early on I learned the truth, its okay to mess up and feel overwhelmed. Every entrepreneur, no matter how prepared, trips over unexpected hurdles. The successful ones learn to get back up as soon as possible. A commitment to being an entrepreneur is a commitment to change and evolution. I don’t think you ever really know you’re going the right way, but you must also be prepared to find, and build, a new way.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with MadeINcubator – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Starting out as a fashion house there were a lot of shoes I had to fill. Designers were looking for me to be a mentor, help with branding while providing a selling platform for them. With having evolved into an educational platform, I recognized early on that I needed to narrow the gap between the successful and unsuccessful in the Boston fashion industry. The challenge is that designers and creatives graduating from fashion institutions across the globe, are not being taught the business side of fashion. Which is the reason why more than 95% of their fashion brands don’t make it into the industry. A lack of funds nor proper network and business knowledge to help scale their brands. Most successful fashion brands will take 7-10 years before their opportunity.
We work to increase opportunities for the designer community, job development and economic growth in the Greater Boston region of the Commonwealth. By working with a variety of collaborators in the sectors of fashion, technology, manufacturing, banking and finance, retail and legal services. We believe the added value of having this diversity of collaborators will increase the efficacy of our business. We are the new age fashion house brand that takes the ordinary way of developing talent to new heights. We’ve learned a lot in 6 years about what professionals in fashion need and how they should be nurtured and supported to reach their goals in a tough and competitive industry.
The time is now for a fashion incubator in Boston proper. The city has the key pieces to succeed in the world of fashion. It’s an exciting time to be in Boston. Boston is a bit of an underdog when it comes to fashion. There’s so much potential here, so much great talent!
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I may be biased since I grew up here and my family is here, but, people who live in and/or are from Boston, all have one thing in common; they fight. No matter what obstacle comes their way, big or small, Bostonians have shown again and again that nothing can shake them down. WE’RE FEARLESS! When it comes to higher education, top hospitals, educated workforce, venture-backed, fast-growing companies, corporate headquarters, professional sports teams, a walkable city, quality of life, and a top ten television market, Boston has few rivals.
What I like least about our city, is that there are other cities advancing the fashion trade by supporting entrepreneurs and growing businesses. I feel like fashion is definitely overlooked in Boston and to get the attention from local government to make changes is virtually impossible.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.madeincboston.com
- Phone: 8575447271
- Email: info@madeincboston.com
- Instagram: @madeincboston
- Facebook: facebook.com/madeincubator
- Twitter: @MadeINcubator
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
