Ask the Attendees: @OfMercer

Recently, we told you about TechStyle, an event held during Fashion Week that brought together fashion and technology.  The event had a wonderful turnout and attendees enjoyed the chance to celebrate NYC’s fashion week in techsy style!

But just who are the brands that attended the event? What’s their take on the event industry? And what did they think of TechsyStyle? We took the opportunity to interview a few of the attendees and over the next few days will be featuring their interviews, read on for a peek inside the guests’ heads:

We talked to Dorie Golkin and Emelyn Northway, Co-Founders of Of Mercer.

– First of all, please tell our readers about Of Mercer – what is the company all about?

Emelyn: Of Mercer is a brand of desk-to-dinner womenswear, sold exclusively through our website (www.ofmercer.com). Of Mercer uses the same luxury Italian wool and specialty Japanese fabrics as designer brands, and we produce our pieces right here in NYC, but by selling directly our consumer, we’re able to offer them at half the price (all of our dresses are under $200!).

– What were the 3 keys to getting the company off the ground – where did you invest your time?

Dorie:

• Building a strong core team. The first and most important addition we made to our two-person team was our designer, Aja Singer. We took our time making sure we were a fit for one another not only in terms of design aesthetic but also in terms of personality. It’s really important that you enjoy spending time with your core team!
• Managing priorities – As an entrepreneur there are so many things we need to do, and we have an even longer list of things you want to do. Prioritize the tasks that actually have to get done to launch, and focus on those, not the “nice to have’s”.  Completing one task is much more productive than starting ten.
• Creating an open (and early) dialogue with our customers – We started developing a relationship with our customers before we even launched. Their early feedback helped us make sure we were developing products that fit their needs. Today many of our styles are a direct response to a customer suggestion. Having a personal relationship with our customers makes them feel comfortable reaching out to us and telling us what they love (and what could be improved). We have found little things – like how we put a personal note in every shipment – can go a long way.

– What was your experience like at TechStyle this year? What was your biggest takeaway?

Emelyn: TechStyle did a great job bringing together people at the intersection of technology and fashion and lifestyle. There are so many exciting innovations happening, and it is exhilarating to hear everything that is going on. We personally are very excited about the companies that are helping connect brands (both on- and off-line) with customers and content developers.

– What role do live events play in your branding and marketing initiatives?

Dorie: As an e-commerce brand, it’s great for us to have an offline presence. We offer our customers designer quality at non-designer prices, but sometimes that is hard to see that online. In person customers are able to feel the luxurious fabrics and see up-close the impeccable tailoring. Live events help generate buzz about our products and our brand in a different way than online.

– Do you use social media often to bring awareness to your brand? If so, how has it helped?

Emelyn: We have a presence on all the main social media platforms as it allows us to connect with our customers in different ways and express aspects of our brand and personality that wouldn’t come across just on our website. It also allows us to give our followers a behind the scenes look at our brand – from the photoshoots to the late-night Seamless dinners – we like showing them that there are real people behind the brand!

– Finally, what is your favorite app?

Dorie: Instagram for inspiration, Heads Up for party fun, Trello for productivity, and NYTimes for keeping up with the world.