Today we’d like to introduce you to Amrit Singh.
Hi Amrit, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
It all started when I graduated college in June of 2020. Yep, 2020. The worst time to graduate and start planning your career, thanks to covid-19. My college, the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM), is very known for ensuring students already have career opportunities before graduating to get us ahead in the industry. Although I had minor experience, I didn’t get the opportunities that we usually get toward graduation. That being said, I virtually graduated and that was that. You’d think the next step would be sending out resumes, networking, etc., but the world was shut down and it wasn’t possible. Being stuck at home but still wanting to stay in touch with my creativity, Amrit Elise was born. I officially started building my brand in July and first launched a collection on September 30th.
As many entrepreneurs know, starting a business by yourself from scratch is not easy. The only knowledge I had was a “starting a business” class in college for three months. I pushed myself really hard to make it professional (you know, not looking back and thinking OMG what was I doing). I started my brand by doing upcycling – taking existing garments and reworking them to make something new and/or better. I stressed over things I had never done like shipping, following FTC guidelines, taxes, and more. I launched at 5 PM and worked up until 4:59. Things I was stressed about like shipping, became easier once I did it a few times, and same with other hardships. Fast forward to today, I’m not upcycling as it wasn’t scalable, it has become closer to a boutique which has been great for the business. I still encounter hardships every so often – and I’m still a one-woman show, now with another full-time job. But growing my business and seeing my products make women feel so confident really is a feeling unlike anything else.
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?
Starting a business at 19 years old, having little experience, and doing it all on my own ensures many challenges along the way. I remember my launch day and trying to figure out my first package to ship. Trying to differentiate FedEx vs USPS prices, priority, first class, weight, labels, etc. was so overwhelming to this newbie! I’m a perfectionist which is good and bad. I couldn’t find the exact size box as my item & nearly went crazy because I wanted a perfect fit. Obviously, legal things like licenses and taxes are truly the most difficult, as the gov definitely makes things next to impossible. Another major struggle I have is time and growth. I started this business in 2020 to fill the gap of not having a full-time job, but eventually, I did. Since I started the job in 2021, I couldn’t dedicate my entire day to Amrit Elise – which makes time sparse and growth harder. Many days were work my job from 9-6, come home and work on my brand. There’s only so long you can go without burning out and unnecessarily stressed. Obviously, my job takes priority because it pays the bills, but I don’t like feeling like I’m not dedicated enough. Most of the pressure honestly comes from myself, going back to my perfectionism.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Amrit Elise?
Clothing brands are part of such an oversaturated market – it’s not easy to stand out. When coming up with the message I wanted to put out to differentiate Amrit Elise, it came easy. “Empowering women” is such a vague, overused mission. I wanted to empower, but specifically, not the general “women deserve equal rights” like we see everywhere. Amrit Elise strives to change the stereotypes society expects of women. A small backstory: my upbringing was hard because of my “not amazing” dad, which affected my mom and I tremendously. He secretly had a wife, three kids, and I’m sure my birth ruined his perfect family; he had to explain to them where this other kid came from. At one point my mom was pregnant with me, with his wife was pregnant at the same time!
Overall just a not great guy who negatively affected both families. That being said, my mom really inspired me as a single mom. I’ve seen and experienced the difficulty of that. But she raised me, held a full-time job, all without ever being in another relationship. It proved to me you don’t need a relationship to be successful – a notion society generally wouldn’t agree with. They expect married by 25, kids by 30, no divorce. Starting with this and wanting to change more stereotypes was my goal. I mostly use models who have a hard yet inspiring story to share that can help others who relate. We have a blog where their stories can be seen. We also design one-of-a-kind, custom tees that promote women feeling badass and confident. I’m proud to support and promote women who are ambitious, hard-working, and not afraid to push boundaries. Besides this, I truly sell the best pieces. Chic, feminine, & bold sums up Amrit Elise’s products. I can’t sing or dance, but I can surely get you into the best clothes which instantly build your confidence.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Find someone who has done what you aspire to do and someone on the same level as you. Having a more senior advisor helps when you need advice or direction. They have experience and know the industry secrets. Someone on your level is there doing the same things as you, and they probably have done a few things differently that may work better than your method. For example, you both can have pop-up shops, but they may have a sign that includes a website, socials, & profiles. You don’t have this, so how are your new customers to stay in touch? Learn from them just as much as you would a senior advisor.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.amritelise.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/amriteliseapparel
