Today we’d like to introduce you to Shamani Hall.
Hi Shamani, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Shop Shani is the culmination of my almost 20 years of experience in the fashion industry. Starting at FIDM in 2004, I worked as a shop girl at Planet Blue, Madison, and Reformation, followed by a summer styling program at FIT in New York City, which gave me an inside view of the industry early on. In 2007, I launched my first brand with a partner, a wholesale (before the direct-to-consumer wave) women’s clothing line selling at retailers like Free People, Revolve, and Anthropologie. We were young and a bit naive; biting off more than we could chew forced me to learn fast and problem-solve. Those first years toughened me up and introduced me to the right people and manufacturers in LA. In 2017, after a solid 10-year run, we decided to move on, and my consulting business, LA Private Label, was born. Consulting is still a huge part of my business, but Shop Shani is my baby, the passion project where I get to tune in and just do me. Shop Shani launched in the Spring of 2020 when my consulting clients were paused due to the pandemic. Having always been a major vintage lover coupled with a deep dive into sustainable living, the idea had been brewing for years. With the free time and energy, it finally felt like the perfect moment to launch. After a year of online sales, I found the sweetest retail location in San Clemente and opened up our retail shop. In those two years, we built an incredible community and grew the business into what it is today. These days Shop Shani is fully back online as we have recently welcomed a sweet baby girl and value the freedom and flexibility that the online platform provides.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing worth doing is easy. Running a business is hard. Finding a creative flow is hard. Being a working mom is hard. Balancing work and life is hard. The fashion industry is especially tricky, there are so many variables, room for error and a wild amount of fantastic brands and creatives out there. It’s challenging not to compare yourself, to get defeated, to stay creatively vulnerable, to compete with people who have more resources than you do…the list goes on. At the end of the day, if you love what you do, the highs always outweigh the lows. The biggest lessons for me have been to move with intention and to stay on my own individual path. When I am creating from a place of authenticity and am truly in alignment, things always flow. I believe that in my core. It is a privilege to have a job that you enjoy, so reminding myself of that on the hard days and leading with gratitude is my way through.
We’ve been impressed with Shop Shani, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Shop Shani is a consciously curated space of collected and created goods. We offer a sustainable and thoughtful shopping experience of easy-to-wear and unique pieces for the sun-soaked fashion elite. Our vintage is hand-picked up and down the California coast, and our label is produced slowly and sustainably at a family-owned factory in downtown Los Angeles. We use the finest quality upcycled fabrics and cut our styles in limited quantities to make them special pieces to collect.
Any big plans?
In 2024 I plan to get back in a groove with consistent vintage drops, pop ups and events throughout the year. Most exciting is the new Spring and Summer styles we will be adding to our collection. Think light, sunny, lived-in pieces that get better with wear and become your go-to wardrobe staples. I am aiming for a relaxed, minimal collection that gives the effortless California girl feel. This is my year of growth. The focus will be on expansion of our in-house brand and opening wholesale up to a few limited like-minded retailers. Excited to watch it unfold and share all that is to come in 2024 and beyond.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shopshani.com
- Instagram: @shop_shani
