We talk a lot about women supporting women around here, and it’s because it’s pretty much impossible to understate the power of female friendship. And no one knows that better than Parisa Wang. She’s the founder of Love Affair handbags, a line that celebrates the bond between women with a goal to “celebrate love, independence and growth.” This week, we chatted with Parisa about the origin story of her handbag line and why it’s important to her to uplift and empower women.
Introduce yourself! Tell us who you are and what you do.
My name is Parisa Pan Wang. The heartbreak of a love affair inspired me to create the Love Affair collection—a line of handbags that encourages the celebration of Love, Independence, and Growth and inspires Courage and Confidence. For me, it was the incredible support of my friends that allowed me to be strong when I needed it most, and I felt the need to pass on this uplifting message. In that spirit, I created the Love Affair Handbag collection to capture and portray five stages of a relationship. Watch our film debut here.
We love that your mission is to empower women. Can you tell us why that’s important to you and how your company achieves that goal?
Disappointed in a love affair, I found consolation and empowerment amongst my friends. Engulfed by the enlightening blend of emotions, I understood that I had to spread my uplifting message. I saw that so many women struggle with problems all alone and so few happen to find an empowering environment to flourish in. I knew I had to act and bring people together. Inspired by the support of sisterhood, the Love Affair Handbag by ParisaNYC was created to help women look and feel their best, to identify with strong women everywhere, and to inspire courage and confidence!
What’s the best part of running your business? What’s the most challenging?
The best part of running my business is that I feel alive by being creative, always learning, and being inspired by other entrepreneurs every day. I feel honored to be able to enhance and elevate women’s wardrobes and to help them feel their best.
The most challenging parts of running my business are the production costs and brand awareness. Since we only work with high-quality, real leather, maintain small orders, create custom designs, and hand make each piece, it is expensive to complete the production cycle. Also, while selling directly to consumers keeps the price down, it also limits our reach to more people. Therefore, we need you to join our ranks, stay connected, and spread the word of love for ParisaNYC.
What advice would you have for other women who want to start their own retail business?
Retail business is one of the most competitive and cutthroat businesses in the industry. Many people will tell you that your business will fail. However, don’t get discouraged and always remember—you don’t need anyone’s permission to live a creative life. Getting a no doesn’t mean that you’ll be defeated. Entrepreneurship is about creating opportunities for yourself. Get out there and build your social network. Talk to people about your mission and inspire them to be a part of it. Think creatively and critically to build your business. Last, but not least, have fun and stay fearless and curious!
Any upcoming initiatives or launches our readers should know about?
We are launching a Kickstarter campaign, Make It Your Story With Love Affair Handbag By ParisaNYC, on May 18, 2016 to precede the line’s debut. We didn’t want to make handbags that only carry things, although we do it well. ParisaNYC is about something more. We want our handbags to identify with strong women everywhere and to empower them to bravely express themselves, make independent choices, and help others to do the same.
For those of you who are ready to go on new adventures and make your own story, preorder your Love Affair Handbag and show the world what you have to offer! Back our project NOW! Thank you so much for your support! You will always have our love..