For designer and businesswoman Vanessa Brewster (LA '03) - who held the first sale of her clothing line, Osorio, a year and a half ago at Tufts - entrepreneurship is a family thing. "Both my parents run their own businesses, so I grew up seeing them without a 'boss,'" said Brewster, who graduated from Tufts with an economics degree.
"They work really hard, but they've always had the freedom to do their own thing when they need to, and I've always admired and strived for that."
And now, she's arrived at it. After graduating in May 2003, Brewster returned to her home city of Seattle and got her business license. She's been running her own successful small clothing design line ever since, doing wholesale work for stores in the area and selling her designs at fundraisers and large festivals.
"I get to make my own schedule and do something I'm actually passionate about," said Brewster, who plans on going to design school in New York City within the next few years. "I put in more hours than I would at a nine-to-five job, but at the end of a long day, I find I still have energy and I'm not drained."
"I've worked plenty of office jobs before and feel like they kind of suck out your soul," she added. "With some luck, as long as this keeps working out the way it is, I'd like to continue to be my own boss and keep having this freedom to do my own thing."
Brewster - who says her economics degree coupled with her work with Tufts' Drama Department Costume Shop making play wardrobes "has given [her] a great foundation to pursue [mixing] fashion with business" - has been exercising that freedom since her graduation.
"I wanted to continue the line I had started at the Tufts sale and expand it, seeing if I could still make it a profitable adventure," she said. That adventure's jumping-off point? The two festivals - including Bumbershoot, "the northwest's largest annual music and arts festival," she said - at which she first sold her line.
"I used a big chunk of the money from the Tufts sale to pay the booth fees, $250 for the smaller festival, and $1000 for Bumbershoot," she said. "Both festivals went well - the public response was
really positive - and it allowed me the chance to work from home and still earn a good living."
Through those festivals, Brewster met two store owners who started carrying her line in their boutiques. "From that, I was able to build my reputation and product line enough to start being in a few fashion shows, which led to more exposure and getting Osorio in more stores," she said.
In March of 2004, Brewster embarked on a two-month-long college tour of schools in Washington with her new spring line, which had expanded to include embellished sandals, shirts, flower pins, belts, purses, skirts and
dresses.
Brewster's repertoire has expanded in another way as well. "I've started representing the work of other designers," she said. "Starting to represent the work of others is great, because it helps me learn more about the merchant side of the business." Becoming involved in "the merchant side of the business" has required Brewster to make many decisions, among them the question of whether or not to outsource her work - a topic frequently discussed during the current presidential campaign.
"I work with a small factory just outside of Seattle, run by a couple from Laos," she said. "When I first started placing orders with them, they were happy because they had lost a lot of work in recent years to factories overseas. Especially with the size I am, I prefer to give my work to a local small business rather than get it done out of the
country."
"I learned a lot about the importance of supporting your local economy while getting my degree in economics at Tufts," Brewster added. "I also learned useful lessons in profit maximization and pricing strategies during my time at Tufts, things I was able to put immediately to use after I graduated."
"I'm really glad I majored in economics, because it has been so useful in the 'real world' - just the mindset it helped me develop has made it easier to jump into the business," Brewster said.
Still, jumping into "the business"
hasn't been without its difficulties. "Having this business be a one-man show means I have to play many different roles: design, construction, business management, accounting, marketing, advertising, sales, etc," Brewster said. "Sometimes I prefer it this way, but other times I just want to concentrate on the design and marketing, which are my favorite parts."
Though she's been successful so far, the economically savvy Brewster recognizes the risks involved in running a small business. "When it comes down to it, if I don't do my best with an event, or if I don't keep up a good rapport with a store owner, or if I don't have luck in a day of sales, it all comes down to me," she said.
"There isn't the safety net you might have when you're employed by someone else," she added. "I have my own insurance and savings to fall back on, but it's always something to keep in mind, and it actually helps motivate me."
So does seeing her designs on the street. "I've met people during the last year at concerts, in cafes, on the street that are wearing my clothes and it's a great feeling," Brewster said. "My friends call me too, and say, 'I saw a woman at work today; she had on your belt!' It's a rush to know that people aren't only buying my work, but they're wearing it too."
Brewster will be returning to Tufts on Nov. 11, setting up a booth in the campus center and selling her Osorio accessories line.
