MEMBER SUCCESS STORY |DYNASTY GEORGE

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Dynasty is building an ethical and sustainable womenswear brand, and it’s more than the product -- She is selling the positive social impact through supporting and empowering women in poverty.

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Can you tell us a little bit about how you built your brand and story?

I studied Fashion Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology and graduated with my BFA in 2016. I learned about design, construction, and time management in school. My personal value growing up also inspired my company. My mom has always taught me to be kind and thoughtful, often times seeing how I can be of service to others. I am also Puerto Rican and Trinidadian, so the love of culture started with me loving my own. I grew up in a very traditional Puerto Rican household, where I infused my family’s culture along with American culture.

How did you build your brand and story?

After working in the fashion industry for about 2 years, I realized I didn’t like the culture or ethics of the industry. Creativity, work/life balance, and kindness were not valued. There was also a lack of opportunity for women of color in the industry when it came to paying rate and moving up positions. What really motivated me to start my own company was the documentary, “A True Cost,” which exposed the working conditions of factories in India and China, making clothing for fast fashion companies. I saw workers that were overlooked, overworked, and mistreated. I knew that there had to be a better system for creating clothing that empowered the maker instead of repressing them. The documentary also showed the harmful environmental effects of the fashion industry, which included millions of unused clothing decaying in our landfills, polluted water, and excess waste. Thus, this is why I started Dynasty George. I wanted to create a company that didn’t continue to congest landfills and celebrated authentic artistry and the artisans themselves. It was a business idea rooted in my love for fashion, art, people, culture, and the environment.

" I KNEW THAT THERE HAD TO BE A BETTER SYSTEM OF CREATING CLOTHING THAT EMPOWERED THE MAKER INSTEAD OF REPRESSING THEM "

What Baebu activities/workshops have you joined, and what did you get?

After meeting with EJ (Founder of Baebu) in person and discussing our passions and personal goals, we immediately believed in each other’s businesses and I know she could be of great value to me... I enjoyed the networking sessions because I was able to meet other entrepreneurs and creatives. It was a great way to hear feedback from multiple perspectives, as well as, meet other people who may add value to your company. I also enjoy the individual meetings because it’s more focused on my business and I am able to organize my thoughts more thoroughly.

Your business has been growing so fast! Can you give advice to those people who are afraid of making mistakes and fails?

Honestly, the best time to fail is now. I often get questioned about why I want to start my own business so young and work for someone else first but if I fail, I rather fail now. I think you honestly just have to do what you are passionate about and if you’re consistent, you’ll see results. So, fail now instead of later, learn from your setbacks and keep moving forward. If this dream fails, you always have time to dream a new dream.

What makes Dynasty George special, and how do you keep the relationship between your customer authentic?

Our values make our company special. We are a zero waste brand that reuses all excess fabric, as well as upcycle vintage items. We teach and employ our artisans, providing an opportunity to women in poverty. We also genuinely value craftsmanship and creativity, we want all our pieces to be special and unique. We are very transparent with our customers and strive to build a sisterhood network of creative ambitious women.

What are some common obstacles when you are committed to becoming a solopreneur and what advice can you give to others who are struggling with the same obstacles?

Trying to manage 1,000 things at once. Starting off when you don’t have the capital to hire anyone, you really have to hustle, work on favors, and dedicate time to learning new skills. Often times if you’re an emotional person, you can get overly stressed and unmotivated, so you have to learn how to push and encourage yourself. When you don’t have a team, it’s easy to lose focus and get discouraged because you don’t have anyone motivating you. So, you have to be that motivation for yourself. You have to pick yourself up when you fail and be your own inspiration when you’re not feeling inspired. I personally talk to myself, like “Dynasty, you know you want this. You have to do this in order to get somewhere. Don’t compare yourself to others. You will be successful. You can do all things Christ who strengthens you.” I try to remind myself of these things daily and believe in myself, even my circumstances seem dim.

To find out more about Dynasty George, click here.

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" BE AN EXPERT AT YOUR CRAFT BUT ALSO WILLING TO LEARN NEW THINGS. ...DO THINGS MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW TO STAND OUT. KNOW YOUR INDUSTRY, KNOW YOUR MISSION, AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING YOU DO ALIGNS WITH YOUR VALUES. "

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