Fashion Jobs – Q&A With Leah Kirsch: Fear of a Female Planet

 

Style Nine to Five - Fashion Jobs in CanadaLEAH KIRSCH

When college senior Leah Kirsch started Millioneiress in 2013, she had no clue that this part-time project would grow into the women’s streetwear brand that it is today. With features in Nylon, Hype Bae, Elle and other top style publications, the brand is beyond up-and-coming but still continuously evolving, just like Leah.

 

Leah relaunched the Millioneiress brand this month, now under Leah Kirsch and expanded her selection of graphic tees, two-piece sets, and accessories with her first drop under LK. The new collection features reworked vintage pieces, accessories and this season’s hottest print: camo. Did I mention that Sarah Snyder was recently seen wearing a pair of her pants on Instagram? Yeah, #CoolGirlsClub

 

I had a chance to pick Leah’s brain to hear more about her journey with the brand, life in NYC and her plans to take over with a Female Planet!

Fear of a Female Planet

MJ: When did you start Millioneiress? What inspired you to start the brand and choose the name?

 

LK: I started Millioneiress the summer before my senior year in college, and officially launched October 2013. I was going through a lot of changes in my life before Millioneiress and felt I needed to channel my independent side. I was able to do that through clothes. Millioneiress was originally inspired by Pharrell’s ‘Billionaire Boy’s Club’ because, at the time, there was no girls club. So Millioneiress became that for me in a way. Granted, now there is a billionaire girl’s club, but you see what I’m saying.

 

MJ: How did Millioneiress evolve throughout your journey with it?

 

LK: When I started, I was so young and still growing into the person I am today. As I got more in touch with true myself, I was changing a lot of things in my life, including my clothes; so as I evolved with my style, Millioneiress did too – because I’m not going to sell something that I wouldn’t want to wear.

Copy of LEAHKIRSCH_REDWHITECAMO

 

MJ: When did it occur to you that your creativity was shifting directions and it was time to end one project to begin another?

 

LK: Ah, that’s so hard to say…I can’t tell you how many times I battled with the idea of the name change and went back and forth and back again. It was very stressful and overwhelming because no one is telling you what to do, you really have to listen to yourself and trust your process.

Copy of LEAHKIRSCH_WHITEORANGECAMO

MJ: How is the Leah Kirsch brand different from Millioneiress?

 

LK: Leah Kirsch is all-encompassing, to everything and everyone, and more definitive. Millioneiress was dope, but it was a test run that I was so lucky to have.

 

MJ: I know you’ve been working long and hard on this new line, what is your must-have piece?

 

LK: Definitely the regular green camo and white camo pants.

Leah Kirsch Camo

MJ: Living in one of the best cities in the world, New York City, what do you like to do on your spare time?

 

LK: I love to shop. I do much less of it now, but I’ll still take a day to walk around and look at new collections and new pieces/windows. I also love to make random things, it’s how my denim collection got started. I will test out a bunch of ideas I have written down or think of at that moment and then one will stick and I can get it produced, or sell it as a one-off. Living in NYC, when I have some spare time, I love a good meal with some good people – that’s my favorite.

 

MJ: How do you stay inspired?

 

LK: Talking with friends and new people and learning about new things, new point of views, new perspectives; learning anything new. And also hanging out with my friends. I struggled with girlfriends in the past so having such solid friends in New York is very inspirational for me.

Copy of LEAHKIRSCH_GREENCAMO

MJ: What do you see as the next steps for Leah Kirsch? What can we expect to see?

 

LK: For Leah Kirsch, the brand will drop more limited edition collections, while selling the staples that helped grow the brand (Ladies is Pimps Too, Fear of a Female Planet, etc). I think there will be more consistency and cohesiveness with Leah Kirsch now that my mind is more clear – the clothes will reflect that.

Copy of LEAHKIRSCH

Watch the new Leah Kirsch campaign below and shop the drop at WWW.LEAHKIRSCH.COM.

 

Use code MJ15 at checkout to save on your order!

 

This Q&A originally appeared here.

 

By M.J. Elle, Toronto, @TheMJElle

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