How to Be Brave in Business with Misha Nonoo, Founder of Misha Nonoo

Nov 2, 2020

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Misha Nonoo is a New York-based womenswear designer who is known for her sustainable, sleek, and timeliness ready-to-wear pieces.

From the time Misha was a young girl, she was fascinated with fashion and empowering women as she witnessed the dichotomy of women’s roles growing up in Bahrain as well as London. Her upbringing gave her an appreciation for different cultures and an understanding of women’s lives in different places. After gaining recognition from a reputable buyer for a few pieces she created for herself, Misha decided to launch her namesake fashion brand with the goal of having her customers feel strong, confident, and empowered in all aspects of their life.

Misha was the first designer to use social media as a venue for fashion shows, debuting her Spring/Summer 2016 collection on Instagram, and was a pioneer in using the made-to-order business model which promotes sustainability in an industry that is known for producing so much waste. Misha is also passionate about using her business as a platform for change and most notably collaborated with her dear friend, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, for the Smart Works charity where for every shirt sold, Misha donated one to the work wardrobes of women in need.

Misha won industry recognition when she became a finalist for the 2013 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund and was named one of Forbes’ “30 Under 30,” as well as Crain’s New York Business’ “40 under 40.”

In this episode, we'll talk to Misha about:

* Misha shares what life was like growing up between the Middle East and Europe [3:08]

* Misha talks about her love of fashion and why she ended up going to business school vs fashion school [7:50]

* Why Misha’s move to NYC during the financial crisis was a pivotal moment in her career and life [11:46]

* How Misha decided to launch her own brand and why she thinks “beginner's luck” was in her favor [14:53]

* The realities of what life looked like when Misha was working her full time job and launching her clothing line [20:16]

* Misha opens up about a difficult period in her life when she was dealing with her divorce & massive restructuring of her business [27:11]

* How Misha became the first fashion designer to use social media as a venue for her fashion shows despite the many skeptics at the time [32:13]

* Misha shares her experience and advice when it comes to fundraising [40:07]

* What sustainability means for Misha in her life and business [44:47]

* Misha talks about life as a new mom and how she’s designed her life to manage motherhood & entrepreneurship [50:52]

* The importance of women supporting women and why it’s key to Misha’s mission [54:30]