WHEN Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss graduated from college, she moved back into her parents’ Upper East Side apartment and started looking for a job. She couldn’t find one she liked – so she created her own. With no design background and a little start-up money from her father, she picked up a sketch pad and began to create Shoshanna, a collection of dresses for large-busted women.
It worked. Within two years, Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Barneys were selling her designs. Since then, her collection has grown to include sportswear, swimwear and now the BabyGirl label, inspired by the birth of her daughter, Sienna, now 2. We caught up with the now-seasoned 32-year-old in her Midtown showroom to talk about how her business has evolved.
What inspired you to start a clothing line at 21?
When I graduated from UCLA, I actually started interviewing for banking jobs. But at some point I realized a career in banking felt more like a continuation of school than a passion. I’d always had this desire to make a clothing line that was more inclusive to all women’s body types. Growing up, I had trouble finding clothes because I was curvy, and so I would end up designing my own things. I knew if I was having such a hard time then other women were too. So one day I decided, “I can do this.” I created my logo on my parent’s computer and started to develop my business plan. And I began to notice that every time I talked about my idea, my heart started to beat fast.
What was your parents’ response?
My dad thought I was crazy. He used to say, “You don’t even know what you don’t know,” and he was right. In a way, though, I think not knowing what I was doing freed me, because I just kept moving forward. I sort of had blinders on – I didn’t see what was going on around me, only what was directly in front of me.
What was the scariest moment?
When I first saw my line in stores. That’s when it really hit me that there was a consumer on the other end of it all, and they were going to have to spend their own money on it. So there was that initial panic. I remember thinking, what if nobody buys it?
What’s a typical day like?
When I started this business I was always traveling, and I loved every minute of it. But now that I’m older, I’ve learned to say no to more things, because I don’t have the same kind of time. My life is about the line, my daughter and my husband. So now I wake up very early, like 5 a.m., and I read the papers and then play with my daughter. I’m in the showroom every Tuesday and Thursday by 10 a.m., working on the collection and meeting with my staff of 12 to find out how sales are going and learn about any problems have come up. The greatest part of my job is that I’ve been able to find a balance between my work and my family. I’m taking my daughter to the zoo this afternoon. When I step into that park with her, everything else disappears.