From fashion retail to MyGirlCrush

Ainslee Divine’s clothing project connected a new business with experience from her first career. Her account of its launch focused on product decisions and the less visible work of getting a shop ready.

Comfort as a starting point

Divine wanted clothing that felt comfortable and could work for both daily errands and an evening out. Soft fabrics and straightforward care mattered to her.

She described choosing pieces and making small changes to samples, rather than claiming to create every garment from scratch.

Checking what carries the label

Before settling on suppliers, she ordered samples and examined fabric and construction. She also described checking individual items before dispatch.

That attention linked the product to customer service: her business would need to stand behind what it sold.

Learning before opening

Website design and marketing were among the hardest parts of launching, she said. Her advice was to research carefully and leave enough time to make operations work.

In that interview, she also hoped to open a physical shop in Scottsdale.