In episode 63, Tigist Ketema recalls the demoralizing fitting room experiences trying to find workwear that fit her curvy, petite frame and shares how she felt called to solve that for herself and other women by creating something that didn’t exist before: a luxury workwear brand designed and made just for petite women.
Tigist Ketema is the founder and designer behind Tigist Petites, the luxurious new designer ready-to-wear label for women under 5′ 4″. The eponymous brand is a true labor of love for its founder, Tigist Ketema, who has long struggled to dress her own 5′ 1″ hourglass figure. “I was continually frustrated by the lack of well-made, well-tailored silhouettes available in my size, particularly when it came to shopping for workwear. Every woman wants and deserves to feel strong, feminine and sophisticated in her own skin,” says Ketema, “I’m committed to being the brand that provides petite women that outlet of expression.” Tigist spent more than two years perfecting her first three dress styles (MSRP: $835 to $855) for Tigist Petites, each of which is available in three colorways; black, navy, and grey pinstripe. All designs by Tigist Petites are manufactured in New York and are available for purchase at TigistPetites.com.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- The challenges of finding workwear as a petite, curvy women
- How fruitless shopping trips really affects your mindset
- Why Tigist felt a calling to start a petite brand
- How Tigist balances trusting her gut with trusting industry experts
- Why Tigist started over on sampling after seeing the final sales samples
- Tips for being your own fit model
- Why Tigist decided to produce her line in NY
- How sometimes done is better than perfect
People and resources mentioned in this episode:
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