I'm in the business of designing lingerie. As long as I can remember, I have been enchanted by the sheer loveliness of lace and seduced by the luxurious feel of shimmering silk.
Back in the 1970s, I realized that this kind of lingerie was nowhere to be found, so I decided to fill that niche. I would make it my life's work to create gorgeous undergarments that would flatter women's figures. It looked like a dream career where everyone would win.
I never once thought about how my business idea might appear to others – like my bank manager, for instance. When I first showed up at his office looking for a loan, I wondered what he thought of the stack of catalogues I was carrying that featured gorgeous models wearing nothing but lacy bits and pieces.
But I had done my homework. I brought with me projections and cash flows. Whatever he thought, he never questioned my business ambitions, especially after seeing the list of high-end department stores that retailed my collections seasonally. He provided the backing I needed.
It wasn't until the downturn in the early 1990s that my banker changed and my large line of credit was called at a particularly critical juncture. So I quickly opened up my first pop-up store (a temporary store to move sale merchandise) in Vancouver, sold my large inventory and brought my overdraft down in a matter of weeks. Scary time!
Recently I joined a manufacturer's executive council – made up of 12 men and me – run by Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters. The other members primarily manufacture heavy industrial products, which couldn't be more different from my lingerie, yet the rules of running a lean and successful manufacturing operation are very similar regardless of product.
In the end, we have the same issues. Each month we put a number of topics on the board for discussion: sales, costing, staffing, overhead and whatever other hot topic is critical for a particular member at that moment.
These gentlemen are extremely supportive of my business and I am able to bring a women's perspective to the table – that it's not always about numbers. For me it's not been about the bottom line but about the journey, the creativity and the people.
The head of my production arrived in Vancouver as a boat person from Laos back in the 1980s. I hired her as a seamstress first and then I hired her mother, grandmother, sisters and husband over the years.
My organization feels like a family, and this philosophy directly affects the way we position ourselves in the market. It is the relationships that are important, and whether it be a customer service call with the head buyer of Neiman Marcus or the owner of a small boutique in London, Ontario, each retailer is an extension of our head office family and is supported by my people. I feel this is a view that is a direct result of me being a woman.
This year I celebrate my 40th year in business. My message is still the same: "I love to make women look and feel beautiful." If my lingerie contributes to that, then I have succeeded. •
