Fe Noel’s hashtag #makelikebeautiful embodies the soul of her designs.
What was your inspiration for designing a clothing line specifically for women?
My inspiration stems from, of course, wanting to make women feel beautiful, but for me, fashion is a language. It’s a way to communicate who you are. My main objective is for women to feel good in their own skin, dress beautifully, be who they want to be, and create the life that they want for themselves. My inspiration is also motivated by the power that fashion can provide for people in general, especially women.
What were your challenges in the beginning, and now?
My challenges in the beginning are the same ones I have right now: being able to run the business with the resources that I do have, and as I grow and become more well-known, the challenge grows as well. You begin to feel the pressure of putting out a good body of work and quality design, and that production can be very expensive.
Most of my challenge is financial resources. In the beginning, I wanted to connect with market retailers, but now my interest is connecting with specialty boutiques. I feel my brand is moving towards the specialty boutique sector as I want it visible to the right consumer. I’d love to do collaborations, especially with an outlet like Net-A-Porter as online sites have made huge impact over the last few years. You use all the resources that you have to succeed. Instagram has been a great tool for me, helping to balance out my challenges. Your challenges grow as you grow. You need the right resources to grow your business, the right partnerships. My priority is to manage my growth and make my company attractive to investors.