model to fashion entrepreneur
TRANSCRIPT
MODEL TO FASHION ENTREPRENEUR
!
- LISA CROSSWHITE -
EARLIER THIS YEAR, FORBES PROFILED LISA CROSSWHITE, THE FORMER INTERNATIONAL FASHION MODEL TURNED FOUNDER AND
DIRECTOR OF GNOSSEM.COM, A SUCCESSFUL ONLINE RETAILER.
CROSSWHITE SAW A GROWING TREND WITH ONLINE SHOPPING IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION AND MADE THE MOVE TO CREATE A PLATFORM TO GIVE CUSTOMERS ACCESS TO SMALL-LABEL, INDEPENDENTLY DESIGNED BRANDS FROM ALL
OVER THE WORLD.
CROSSWHITE CONTINUES TO BE A STYLE ICON, ESPECIALLY IN SINGAPORE WHERE SHE IS FEATURED OFTEN IN ALL OF THE
COUNTRY’S TOP FASHION PUBLICATIONS.
FORBES’ TIFFANY PHAM SPEAKS WITH CROSSWHITE ABOUT HER STRUGGLES
AND SUCCESSES MOVING FROM ONE END OF THE FASHION WORLD TO ANOTHER.
CROSSWHITE TELLS OF TRAVELING AS A MODEL ACROSS ASIA AS THE IMPETUS OF GNOSSEM.
SHE WOULD SEE THE WORK OF MANY DESIGNERS WHO WERE “HIGH QUALITY, AND
CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED IN THEIR HOME CITIES, BUT TOO SMALL TO BE KNOWN ABROAD.”
IT WAS WHILE WORKING AS A STRATEGIST AT OGILVY & MATHER SINGAPORE THAT SHE BECAME
AWARE OF THE ONLINE RETAIL TRENDS THAT WOULD BE THE BASIS OF HER BUSINESS, BUT CROSSWHITE EMPHASIZES THAT IT WAS HER EXPERIENCES WHILE MODELING THAT TRULY
INSPIRED THE CREATION OF GNOSSEM.
WHEN DISCUSSING HER CHALLENGES, CROSSWHITE EMPHASIZES THE PERSONAL OVER THE PROFESSIONAL.
HAVING BEEN SUCH A SUCCESSFUL FIGURE IN ALL AREAS OF THE INDUSTRY, SHE HAS COME TO SEE
PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS AND STRONG WORK ETHIC AS CORE ASPECTS OF HER PERSONALITY.
HOWEVER, SHE STRUGGLED WITH THE PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF LONG HOURS, ENDING UP IN THE
EMERGENCY ROOM THREE TIMES DUE TO EXHAUSTION AND DEHYDRATION. SHE CAME TO UNDERSTAND
THAT IF SHE WAS GOING TO KEEP GNOSSEM RUNNING FOR THE LONG-TERM, SHE WOULD HAVE TO FOCUS
ON HER OWN HEALTH AND SPIRIT IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE WORK-LIFE BALANCE.
CROSSWHITE’S NEW CAREER WAS INFORMED BY HER TIME IN MODELING, AND SHE HAD ADVICE FOR CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS CONSIDERING
THE JUMP INTO ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
“DON’T GET BOGGED DOWN WITH FEAR,” CROSSWHITE SAYS. “PEOPLE OFTEN SEE THE UPSIDE
AS MORE IRRATIONAL THAN THE DOWNSIDE; WHILE ITS REALLY ABOUT SEEING THINGS IN
BALANCE, AND TESTING YOUR ASSUMPTIONS.”
TO READ THE FULL INTERVIEW, HEAD OVER TO FORBES.
YOU CAN ALSO WATCH LISA CROSSWHITE SPEAK AT TEDX-HONGKONG. IT IS
INSPIRING TO HEAR HER DISCUSS WHAT FASHION MEANS TO HER AND HOW IT
IMPACTED HER LIFE, BOTH PROFESSIONALLY AND PERSONALLY.
