This summer Mirame was chosen to participate in The Workshop at Macy's. For the third year in a row, the iconic retailer hosted their week long bootcamp. Twenty one designers were selected from over 1,000 applicants. The goal of the program was to educate and develop relationships with women and minority owned businesses so that the companies could grow together into the future.
The Workshop took place at the headquarters of Macy's Inc. located on the top floors of the Herald Square Building in New York. The original Broadway store is an antique splendor. It was designed by architects De Lemos and Cordes was built in 1901! Several of the wooden escalators are still in operation and are a well preserved relic of the past. You can feel the history as you walk the halls!
I enjoyed the five days of classes, ranging from customer segments, to shipping and compliance, to in store displays. We were taught by industry leaders and executives of the Macy's team, including Shawn Outler, Macy’s group vice president of Leased Businesses, Vendor Collaboration and Multicultural Business Development. We also had an amazing leader is Babson College's Elizabeth Thorton, a lifelong entrepreneur and former Presidential Inaugural Committee consultant. I walked away from the week with so much information!
Best of all was all of the great designers I met. A quick shout out to Cry Baby
Presents and their awesome LA style. Anna Hovet represented Chi town with her sexy yet sweet knitwear. Last, but not least was my neighbor, Ekineyo, a hometown designer with an edgy point of view. We know we will be seeing a lot of these designers in the future. Thank you Macy's for an incredible experience!