At Retort we pride ourselves on selling brands that focus on quality and comfort. The first time we came across Versions of She (V.O.SHE), we fell in love. The fabrics they use are unmatched to anything we had ever felt or seen. To help our customers get to know more about this amazing company, we interviewed the owner, Esther. Check out our exclusive interview below.
What inspired you to create the Versions of She brand?
“I wanted to create a brand composed of pieces that can be worn cross-functionally while always achieving the ultimate luxurious and relaxed experience….no matter what version of myself I am in when I’m wearing it. I wanted to bring this daydream to life and share it with like-minded women.”
Tell us a little bit about the brand:
“V.O SHE (Versions Of She) is a ladies luxury loungewear + sleepwear brand that launched in September 2019. Our collections are all designed and developed here in Toronto, and offer pieces made from the best fabric qualities and in relaxed silhouettes. We work with both natural fiber fabrics like our luxury stretch silk satin, as well as engineered synthetic fabrics with properties that allow for the luxury feel that every woman wants paired with low-maintenance care like the washable satin from our Lola collection. We manufacture both out of Toronto as well as with off-shore factories we’ve had long-standing relationships with. It is very important to me to work with partners that I trust and who know the V.O.SHE standards and are able meet the brand expectations.”
You have extensive experience in the apparel industry, what were you doing prior to starting V.O.SHE?
“Prior to V.O.SHE, I was designing ladies sleepwear and loungewear collections for North American brands sold to retailers like Macy’s, Bloomingdales, Nordstroms, and Sears USA. But I was introduced to sleepwear and loungewear ten years ago in my role as Ladies Sleepwear Designer for Toronto based Joe Fresh.
My first job in apparel design though, was for a knitwear company where I discovered my love for knits. This made a lot of sense since I was obsessed with hand knitting little wrist warmers and super long scarves while in college where I studied The Business of Fashion after completing Graphic Design.
Back to my first design job, straight out of school, I was Graphic Designer for a Canadian retailer in the Girls Tween market. I was able to merge and grow my graphic design skills and my fashion skills designing all of the repeat patterns, placement graphic prints for all the garments, as well as all store promotions and in-store signage. This was a great start for me right out of school. I’ve been able to take what I learned there and have designed endless fabric print repeats and patterns for most of the brands I’ve designed for since. I still design prints and it’s actually one of my favorite parts of the design process. I am definitely looking forward to our first V.O.SHE print in collections to come!
Most recently, about two years ago, I spent a few months living in a small town in China working directly in the factory designing, developing, and producing collections for the China market.”
We’re obsessed with the fabric you used in the Lola collection, can you tell us a little bit about the washable satin?
“The washable satin is our baby! We actually call it Island Satin because it has such a laid back and easy, beachy feel to it. I spent a lot of time sourcing and perfecting the fabric hand-feel, high quality, low maintenance, and affordable pricepoint to be used for the Lola collection intended to be the foundation of the brand.
It is light weight poly-satin fabric with a delicate textured finish that add an elevated overall look to our pieces. It’s often mistaken for silk at first touch, look and feel. This is exactly what I wanted to achieve from this fabric. To have a beautiful fabric with a graceful and relaxed drape, breathable, with a luxurious hand, and low-maintenance care to allow for the ultimate luxurious and relaxed experience. That’s what V.O.SHE is really all about.
This fabric also allows for an affordable pricepoint which was an important factor for me when sourcing.
This fabric is a win-win.”
Anything exciting coming in the future of V.O.SHE?
“We are working up some super soft knit collections as well as hand-knit accessories that we’re pretty excited about launching. More to come on these developments…”
Check out some of the V.O.SHE items we carry here.
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