Meet Mary Meisel | Creator of Meet Marie

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mary Meisel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mary, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I started my own business I was a stay-at-home mom of 3 beautiful daughters who occasionally did consulting work and taught classes at the University. Never before had I worked in fashion but I have always loved it and learing and reading about the industry. One day I went shopping with a friend and her teenager daughter and it was an absolute disaster. They never agreed on anything and fought all the time. When I got home and looking at my girls I had an epiphany ! That was going to be me in a couple of years and multiplied by three.
I realized that I wanted to create a brand that was not only trendy, but that moms would love to see their daughters in. Something trendy but classy and chic at the same time. Age – appropriate garments with a great fit and good-quality materials.

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.
My professional career was far from the world of fashion. I studied International Business and Marketing in France and my first jobs were actually in the aeronautical business ( Airbus and Honeywell Aerospace). I came to Colombia and discovered that I loved teaching, so I spent several years teaching International Logistics at the University.

When Meet Marie started it was far from easy ! It was a completely different world and I had zero connections. Through good networking I began to make my way very slowly. It took a lot of trade shows ( some good and some bad), reading about the industry, and consulting sessions to begin to learn how this industry works. And we still have a long road ahead of us.

I have learned a lot along the way. One of the most important lessons, for me, was that you have to trust your vision, while at the same time learning to adapt it to reality. Discipline and dedication are also very important. Love for your job and what you do is what has kept me going through the good times and the bad ones. It is also crucial to learn how to strike a balance between your work with your loved ones. Finally, never be afraid to try and never be afraid to fail. If you don’t try you can never succeed.

I would want the world to know that the story of Meet Marie is just beginning. That our goal is to continuously grow and make a positive impact on Teen Fashion.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

For lunch I would suggest Le Zoo and for dinner it s so much fun to dress up and go to Milo’s.
If they bring their kids a visit at the Perez Art Museum and a stroll along the beach is a must !

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Definitely my family and friends have been a huge part of my story. My friends were amazingly supportive. They used to send me their daughters over for fittings or benchmarking sessions and that is a huge help. The girls were always excited and happy to participate in the creative and production process of the collections. Even though it took hours because getting the fit and model right is a very rigorous and time-consuming process.

My family always supported and believed in my vision of timeless and chic pieces for young girls. My sister and my mother have amazing taste and I love to include them in many aspects of the decision making process regarding fabrics or models. They absolutely love it and we have great fun debating fashion or colors.

Finally a huge shoutout to my daughters and my husband who are part of every collection and my inspiration for everything I do.

Website: www.meet-marie.com

Instagram: @meetmariethebrand

Other: @meetmarieteens