Soulful Living / CEO Lifestyle

Did you catch Fason De Viv’s @shopify Instagram takeover ? ICYMI, check out the @shopify page for our posts. We had a blast sharing the FDV story and engaging with so many awesome people from around the world. Thank you so much @shopify for the amazing opportunity! 😊️

We feature our independent business owners here all the time but it’s usually us ~showing~ you their stories. So today we’re handing our Insta over to Zen, founder of @fasondeviv to take you through her journey as an independent business owner 💚.

Hello, beautiful people! I’m Zen, founder of Fason De Viv. “Fason De Viv”, or "lifestyle" in Haitian Creole, is a brand for the confident, free-thinking woman, who is excited by the world around her. By embracing a holistic approach to the way of life. 

Fason De Viv is a curated marketplace that sells the best independent fashion, jewelry, accessories, home decor, art, and beauty brands geared toward the conscious consumer.

We entered the fashion industry with a simple motto: Self-love. Although our business model has evolved, our values remain the same. We are committed to empowering women through fashion & living life with authentic style. —both our customers and the FDV team.  

Fason De Viv is more than a women’s apparel boutique. We are a community of conscientious, self-made fashion merchandisers, designers, and stylists and we've made it our mission to provide a platform for Independent Brands to thrive.  Every purchase also supports independent entrepreneurs seeking to infuse the world with beauty, hope, and holistic lifestyle choices.

As a single mother, I was happy with being in the medical field and a good-paying job,  but I wasn't happy. Life felt too routine and I wanted to increase my income and the freedom to do what I love.

I remember attending my son's preschool and the teacher gave me a compliment. 

“You’re always wearing something unique.” 

 That triggered a light bulb moment! 💡

I've been getting compliments like this my whole life and realized I should open my own store. 

My journey of becoming an entrepreneur was my curiosity for retail, how to open/operate a retail store and finding out where the products come from.

I started doing research and became a New York buyer. I learned the retail trade in 2012 by helping a friend with visual merchandising and inventory purchasing and management for a t-shirt store. Then in 2014, I opened my own women's apparel boutique in West Philly called "The A-List Look," followed by a relocation to Old City in 2015. 

In 2016, I decided to rebrand The A-List Look. I changed my business name to Fason De Viv and began highlighting clothes designed by myself and my mother along with other local brands. We had a lot of success but in early 2017, I took another leap of faith. I closed my store to focus on developing a new online-only business model.

Owning a business? Easier said than done. In the first year of running my business; I ran out of money. I had to ask my parents for small loans just to purchase inventory. I am still learning how to balance wearing the hat of CEO and being a full-time team member.

The lowest moment in business was during a period of construction near my store. The 🚧 construction blocked my business from both corners which slowed down walk-in traffic, and also cash flow. The landlord didn't want to negotiate rent and I had no choice but to close our retail store.

Hiring can also be difficult and very time-consuming. Being an independent business owner means I get to create jobs and hire single mothers and teach them the skills and independence working in tech 👩‍💻. 

Some of the biggest ✨Black Girl Magic✨ moments throughout my entrepreneurial journey were meeting some of the Queens who inspire me most (like when @tessamaethompson came into our store 😱). 

I love making women feel and look beautiful. Selecting beautiful garments and essentials to fit her holistic lifestyle and creating content that inspires and motivates our Queendom (our Subscribers). The secret to great style is to feel good & look good. Always dress like it’s the best day of your life! 💚  

~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~

Behind this smile are frustration, fear, confusion, confidence, energy, and level up growth. Sometimes you have to reflect. 

Looking back I wouldn’t change anything. Yes, I wish i stood my ground when the big construction company came and distorted our retail experience without offering any consideration. 

This entrepreneurial experience taught me my strength. It taught me there is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.  

Being a buyer for Fason De Viv is definitely a dream come true. Each brand we carry has an authentic story, how they started, why they started, and what gave them the courage to bring their dope creative ideas to the marketplace. We select each brand by asking ourselves ”WHY” and I believe in good craftsmanship and supporting the local economy. Every purchase supports another independent entrepreneur.  

Thank you for tuning in today! Follow me @fasondeviv to stay close 💚.