We had the good fortune of connecting with Jess Someck & Lauren Russell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jess & Lauren, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Lauren: We both left careers in corporate fashion because the travel and work/life balance made it difficult to care for our young children. After having my second baby, I really struggled with whether I wanted to keep my dream job or be the mom that I knew I wanted to be to my kids.  So I left my job and tried to figure out how to do both.

Jess: We identified a gap in the market- the need to simplify online shopping as social media (particularly Instagram) was becoming more popular. Our friends were always complaining that retail websites were too overwhelming and they needed our help sifting through all of the available options- and the concept for our business was born!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Lauren: I’m from Cherry Hill, NJ. I attended The University of Delaware majoring in fashion merchandising and got my MBA with concentration in marketing from UD as well. I’ve been in the fashion industry for over 20 years and my experience is in both wholesale and retail. Before we founded ISO Style, I was the contemporary women’s trend buyer at Century 21 department stores. At Century 21, I sourced the most up-to-date trends and delivered high-quality styles at amazing prices.

Jess: I grew up in Lower Merion, a suburb outside of Philadelphia. I attended George Washington University, majoring in communication. After graduation, I worked at two major PR firms before landing at Victoria’s Secret. I was a director in the Brand Communications and Events department where I oversaw brand management, global PR strategy, the annual Fashion Show, and celebrity/influencer relationships.

As Lauren mentioned previously, we met when we had young children. We had both recently left corporate positions but didn’t want to leave the fashion industry completely. ISO Styles streamlines the online shopping process by providing a curated selection of contemporary women’s apparel directly to your Instagram feed. We drop new styles every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at noon EST and customers comment “wait it” to purchase. It’s where social media meets personal shopping. You can also shop our collection on our website www.shopisostyle.com or our Instagram Shop. We also have a kids boutique, www.isostylekids.com and you can follow our Instagram @ISOstylekids.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Jess: Neither of us live in Miami but love to spend time there. The best people watching is Carpaccio in Bal Harbour and obviously The Shops are amazing. The view at Juvia is beautiful and I tend to get drinks at hotel bars like Edition or 1 Hotel.

Lauren: I love to get drinks at Faena Hotel. The best nightlife is Bagatelle, Sexy Fish for dinner and shopping in Bal Harbor.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Our families. We started our business because the work/life balance in corporate fashion wasn’t ideal. We wanted to maintain our careers, yet be the primary caretakers to our children, therefore, we created a business in which we could do both. Without the encouragement from our families, we wouldn’t have left corporate roles and to start our own company.

Website: www.shopisostyle.com

Instagram: @shopisostyle

Facebook: ISO Style

Image Credits
Sara Kalish Photography

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutMiami is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.