Today we’d like to introduce you to Esabelle Herrera.
Hi Esabelle, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I started Mi Gente Clothing back in 2013. So, it’s been nearly 10 years! Creating festival fashion designs started as a side hobby at the end of my senior year of college and turned into something much larger. I had graduated with a degree in political science, ended up working full-time at this law firm, and got fired. I cried all the way home and that’s how I started going so hard with my business. I was like “Wow…what am I gonna do now!?” It’s so funny to me now because that literally propelled me into working my business into something successful. I remember buying my first sewing machine after much encouragement from my grandma. She was actually the one who taught me how to sew when I was a little girl. There was still a lot I needed to learn so I spent a lot of time teaching myself from YouTube videos. Over the next few years, my brand really started to grow through Instagram. I had jumped from 2k to 10k to over 70k. It was really wild to see! I was able to finally bring on some team members to help with various tasks plus sewing production. That’s when the magic really started to happen because I was able to bring more of my designs to life. Some of my favorite designs were ones I did between 2016-2018. All of that really helped me get to where I am today!
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?
Creating a brand and running a business, I’ve had many struggles. Learning to be the designer, marketer, seamstress, photographer, shipping person, social media manager, customer contact can be a lot. Being a jack of all trades can burn you out. I’ve learned over the years that it’s okay to ask for help. I still have issues with that but we’re moving forward and learning to delegate! I’ve also had eras where I’ve felt like I wasn’t creative enough and compared myself to other businesses within the same niche. Imposter syndrome can really take you down a dark hole but realizing that everyone does things at their own pace and within their own capacity helps.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My brand is focused on festival fashion and rave wear. We make edgy, futuristic, and unique outfits for girls to wear to their events. We like to have fun with the designs by keeping a variety of fresh styles. Psychedelic prints, solid black cut-out styles, flirty top and skirt sets, one-of-a-kind jackets. There’s something for everyone. We’ve also dabbled in swimwear and athletic clothing as well. I’d say we’re known for some very specific styles that have been super popular over the years. For example, the Lace Me Up Crop and La Tortura Bodysuit. Those are both very “ravewithmigente” designs and can be spotted almost anywhere. I’m pretty proud of the fact that I’ve been able to carry this brand forward for almost a decade. My brand can be set apart from others in my niche because I’ll easily stray away from the typical rave wear styles and just come up with something that can be worn somewhere other than a festival. I don’t like to keep myself in a box. Sometimes that doesn’t always work in my benefit but at least I know I tried something new.
What’s next?
Right now, my plan is to just keep growing my brand and hopefully bring more people onto my team. I’ve felt somewhat stagnant in terms of marketing and outreach. I’m currently trying to change that. I’d like to continue expanding and hopefully collaborating with like-minded individuals. I want my brand to grow and to reach further than just to the rave and festival audience. It’d be cool to see it become even more versatile. I’d like to take more risks in my creations because I have so many ideas I’d love to see come to fruition.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ravewithmigente.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/ravewithmigente
- Facebook: facebook.com/ravewithmigente
- Twitter: twitter.com/ravewithmigente
