#04: Emerging Brands: Our Selection Process
by Lamia Baladi
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Curating emerging brands & independent designers.
Have a glimpse into our rigorous brand curation process: what do we look for when selecting new brands to showcase in our store?
Every month, the team at WESH goes through a thorough scouting of emerging brands out there in the fashion-sphere. The in-depth research and collaboration process stands at heart of the hard work done by the team at WESH – whether through scouting on the streets of New York, in markets, on social media or through reach outs by the designers themselves.
We understand the struggle of emerging designers to enter an already saturated fashion marketplace. At the core of WESH’s mission is to create a platform for independent designers to reach a new eclectic audience.
But the process actually starts much before that, by thinking about our customer and their desires.
Customer-First
The first step is thinking about who we are buying for, who is our customer, what do they love, what makes them feel good, who do they aspire to be?
This creates a personal connection between us and our customers as well as the customer and the brand.
Nesrine Khem, WESH’s founder and a designer herself (read about her here), wants to create a space for collaboration by giving the opportunity to independent designers to present their ultimate pieces. Her desire to connect with both the brands and the customers is at the heart of what she does.
For her, a brand, or an item, is not just a fashion commodity. Rather, what she seeks is the story behind it, what brought it to life. She wants to foster a sense of connection in the customer’s shopping experience.
This entails talking about the products, delving into where they come from and showing how they are supposed to fit the personality and character of its buyer.
The process starts in her mind first by understanding who her customers are, thinking about them as characters she dresses up to fulfill their innermost desires.
This is where the streets of New York are the best: where one is exposed to a wide-array of diverse characters and personas.
Connecting with brands becomes more purpose-driven, in the sense that if she’s thinking about it as personalities to dress up, then she can immediately understand if a connection can be made between both.
It goes beyond mere retail and buying, and becomes more of a styling job, something she already has experience in.
She passes on this expertise to her team, training them to visualize the environment in which customers will wear the clothes and for what purpose.
Through that, they meticulously research the brands that will resonate with their audience, in order to cultivate a collaborative and connective environment.
Our brands span the entire globe as the designers represented at WESH come from every corner of the world, mirroring the eclecticism WESH embodies.
The hard selection work has led us to showcase brands such as Turkish jewellery brand Rafael Indiana, Mexico-bred handbag brand Amora, hats brand YOSUZI inspired by the founder’s native american heritage, Paris-based loungewear brand Le Boubou, Zizanie, Matinée 96, amongst many others…
What unites all of them is their desire for authenticity and their uniqueness of style.
Our top priorities/characteristics when looking for new brands to join our family are:
- Connection
- Diversity
- Authenticity
- Individuality
Discover and get to know our roster of emerging brands on our online shop here.