Today we’d like to introduce you to Aisha Ross.
Hi Aisha, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Thank you for choosing to interview me! I grew up in Southern California, went to college in Hawaii, and currently reside in LA. I have forever been obsessed with vintage clothing and hunting for the right pieces. My parents would take me thrifting when I was younger, oftentimes I would get bored, but I loved being able to find those hidden gems. I am now very grateful that they opened my eyes to the world of secondhand shopping. I genuinely enjoy thrifting pieces because you never know what you’re going to get. I live for the element of surprise.
Once quarantine hit, I was barely working and needed to find something to keep me occupied and fulfilled. It has been a dream of mine to start my own brand since I was a little girl. I was trying to get creative and got inspired by other vintage sellers. I had some vintage pieces of my own that I was ready to part ways with and thought this would be the perfect start.
As for the name of my company, my parents would always tell me growing up that “less is more.” I don’t need the fancy designer clothes that all the other kids had or the newest cell phone. So once the name came to me, it clicked and I couldn’t think of a better name for my company.
Secondhand shopping is so much more sustainable than buying from all these fast fashion companies. Fast fashion is toxic, bad quality, and quite frankly not as cute in my opinion. You’re supporting underpaid workers and trends when you buy fast fashion. Slow fashion is the way to go and finding quality pieces that will last you a lifetime, what’s not to love? I always loved having one of a kind pieces that told a story.
I started Less Is More officially a year ago! Wow, time flies. I started it through Instagram and focused on curating my content to inspire others. It has been an amazing journey so far and my favorite part is definitely connecting with other incredible humans through it. This has been such a supportive community and I am thankful everyday.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Overall, it has been pretty smooth so far. I am still working on being consistent with my story sales and marketing. I am a one woman show so you can imagine that in itself is a bit of a struggle. I can only do so much, but am doing the best I can. As of now, I am just selling my vintage online through Instagram (@lessismore.___) and doing in person pop- ups and flea markets at various boutiques in LA/OC.
I am in the works of creating a website, which will be a lot easier for me and hopefully easier for my customers too. I am currently working on an in-house very slow fashion collection and that has been my biggest struggle so far. Finding the right materials that are eco-friendly and getting the fit down is a work in progress, but I cannot wait to share. That is my passion project for sure. I will probably cry once my first collection drops out of relief and happiness. I am figuring out how to be a small business owner and hitting little bumps in the road, but I am only learning from here on out.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Hmm…I would say I specialize in finding pieces and styling them to make people see my vision. Styling is so important, I cannot stress that enough. It makes all the difference in selling your products. I try to engage with my customers and peers as much as possible and be my authentic self.
As for my upcoming collection, I will focus on simple yet comfortable clothing. I really am all about wearing those ten pieces in your closet that you wear over and over again. Pieces that will go with everything and that will make you feel confident. That is what I am hoping to do! Less is more, right?
I don’t know much about the business world so I definitely took a risk by diving into this full-time. I never thought I would be able to do this, at least not for a few years, but losing my job due to covid really pushed me. Sometimes you just need things to fall apart a bit to get you really motivated and moving. I have never been happier in my life being my own boss and working on things I am truly passionate about.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
I think if you are truly passionate about something then do whatever you can to make it happen. Talk to other people in the same industry and get all the advice you can. Manifest it! Tell your friends, family, strangers about your goals. Let your community know how you need to be supported in this endeavor. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, the worst someone can say is no. Find something that will make you happy even if it means making less money.
Something I will always say is stay true to yourself and be humble. We are all trying our best out here and I really do think being kind goes a long way. Donate when you can and don’t be so hard on yourself or compare yourself to others. We are all human!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lessismore.___/
Image Credits:
Aisha Ross
