Interview by Carol Wright | Photos Courtesy of Good Rapport
Bryanna Samuels, an up and coming designer, is prepared to change the conversation around women’s workwear with her brand Good Rapport. Good Rapport is all about cultivating a sense of community while giving women an opportunity to find workwear that reflects their unique identities. Samuels talked to NYOTA about designers that inspire her, the Good Rapport customer, and her advice for others who want to pursue entrepreneurship.
Growing up did you always have a part of you that wanted to pursue a creative career?
I considered different career paths growing up but a creative career was not a focus for me until I was at the end of university. Growing up I did not see the possibility or examples of creative careers. For 10+ years I was a competitive swimmer and track athlete. I always thought that my career would involve sports in some way, whether that was through the science or business side of sports. In high school, I focused on accounting and economics courses, and participated in DECA, business case competitions. I was destined to major in business at university. I always liked math and problem solving so I focused on accounting, finance and economics at the University of Arizona.
Despite not focusing on a creative career while growing up, I do recall three events where I showed my creative side. First, my enjoyment of creativity started when I enrolled in piano classes. I took group lessons for 4 years and attended piano summer camp. Although I enjoyed playing the piano, I stopped taking lessons and switched to the clarinet in high school where the opportunity to be part of my school band playing at sports events was more attractive than playing the piano solo. Second, I participated in an arts summer program that was held in one of the historical landmarks on Lake Ontario. In this program, I created different pieces of art and this was one of my favorite experiences at a summer camp. Lastly, I remember how I would be energized when completing art projects in elementary school. Specifically, in one of my French classes we focused on French artists, learned about their history and had to recreate one of their artworks. I chose the artist Paul Signac, who supported neo-impressionism, a movement that flourished from the late 1880s to early 1900s. He practiced pointillism, which is the practice of applying small strokes or dots of color to a surface so that from a distance they visually blend together. I spent hours working on an 8 by 11 inch replica of Paul Signac’s The Port at Sunset, and thoroughly enjoyed every moment.
Despite my focus on a career in investment banking, securing 2 summer internships and a full-time opportunity upon graduation. I spent my last year at university completing a second major in entrepreneurship. As an entrepreneurship major, we formed teams of 5 to 6 people, came up with a scalable business idea, created a business plan and participated in pitch competitions. Looking back, this is where I rediscovered my creative side and saw how I could bring my passions of creativity and business together. I loved the business my team and I created called Fond. It was a modern version of the historic drink mead with a social impact element to save the honeybees. My team placed third in the pitch competition and part of me still wishes we kept building the business.
While in investment banking I knew that the right next step for me was to pivot into venture capital. A great opportunity arose to join a growing platform investing in tech and tech-enabled companies Series B through IPO. Constantly hearing founder stories, the good and bad, reinforced that I wanted to give my own venture a shot.
Tell our readers about Good Rapport. What inspired you to start the brand?
Two years ago, I decided that I was going to start working on my own women’s workwear company to address workwear issues for women. As a Gen Z woman who always had a strong interest in personal style and fashion, I struggled to find clothing that reflected my unique identity and values in the world of work. Some of the challenges I noticed included:
- Limited options: Despite progress in recent years, many women still find it difficult to find clothing that is both professional and stylish.
- Limited time: Many women have multiple responsibilities, such as taking care of children, their households, their community and other responsibilities, which can make it challenging to find time to plan workwear.
- Quality vs. Price: Quality professional clothing can be expensive, so it’s difficult to find affordable high-quality options that help them exude confidence and professionalism.
- Unconscious bias: Despite progress in recent years, unconscious bias can still play a role in the workplace. Studies have shown that women are judged more harshly than men when it comes to their appearance. Most women are aware of this bias and providing workwear that takes away this concern makes the workplace less stressful for women.
- Limited options for women of color: Women of color often have a harder time finding clothing that matches their skin tone and fits their body shape.
With a strong desire to solve these challenges in my personal life, I founded Good Rapport to provide quality workwear products at reasonable prices catering to several demographics.
Good Rapport is not just about the products, it is also about cultivating a sense of community. It aims to provide stylish and high-quality clothing options for women of all backgrounds, while educating and empowering women through community events, articles, newsletters, and workshops.
What are the key pieces in Good Rapport’s first launch?
When I started on Wall Street two of my favorite items to wear were a fitted blazer that was slightly longer than your waist and a belted skirt. I loved wearing a skirt set since it still had the same power as a pants suit but felt slightly more feminine. It was also easy to transition these two pieces to the other wardrobe options; for example life outside of the office. Sometimes I would wear the same pieces out to dinner and drinks with friends. For this reason the first items Good Rapport is launching is a blazer and skirt called The Hanover Set.
The Hanover Set comes in four different colors, black, gray, carmel and dark brown. It is without question that oversized blazers are in right now but it is tough to wear one in the office. So I took elements from that and applied it to our blazer. The blazer comes in at the waist to give you a little bit more definition and shape. Similar to an oversized blazer, The Hanover Set goes well past your waist and gives you the ability to cuff/roll the sleeves. The skirt is a nod to trousers which have a more relaxed but yet polished look AND of course we added pockets to the skirt as it is a must have feature.
How did you go about choosing the materials and colors of the items in your first launch?
Sustainability has become table stakes for any new and existing consumer brand. It’s a tough subject as many brands are engaged in greenwashing practices which further confuse the customer and negatively impacts our environment. Sustainability is a core value of Good Rapport and we think about it in every aspect of the business from design to packaging. This was true for material selection as well. I partnered with a women owned manufacturer here in New York City and we’ve decided to go with all recycled and deadstock fabric. For this first release we focused on sourcing the best Italian wool blends that had a great soft feel. The lining is made of cupro, a sustainable fabric made from cotton waste. Given that we were using deadstock fabric we were at the will of the textile factories and what they had left in stock. Despite this, I was still able to find an amazing assortment of colors that reminds me of NYC where the brand started but also complements a wide variety of skin tones.
An essential part of the brand seems to be the community building aspect. How would you describe the Good Rapport customer in your own words?
The Good Rapport woman is ambitious and her ambition has no parameters. She seeks to be a force for positive change both in her personal and professional lives as well as for her community and planet.
Ambition can be tough especially when you are young in the corporate setting. While in university or college, there is usually support to help young women launch their careers. Similarly, in the corporate setting, leaders and executives usually benefit from development resources or support from their organizations. However, I’ve noticed a gap in development support for women in the early career stage. This can lead to disengagement and slow career progression. I’ve experienced this issue which I hope to address with Good Rapport. It will be a community and a place where women can find a community and support for corporate career development when it’s not readily available from their employer.
Who are some designers that inspire you?
One designer that inspires me is Yves Saint Laurent, especially as a woman who loves suits. He created the iconic Le Smoking tuxedo suit for women. At the time of the suit’s release in the 1960’s in France women were not allowed to wear trousers. Despite the rules, the suit was a hit with the forward-thinking customers of YSL’s client base and became a huge hit. Le Smoking was, as Saint Laurent stated, “the very symbol of the modern woman.”
Currently, I am a huge fan of Maximillian Davis, the Creative Director at Ferragamo. I’ve loved shopping at Ferragamo, especially for their loafers, because of their emphasis on quality materials, design and comfort. Since Davis has started working at the brand it’s been great to see the legacy values continue but with a modern and fresh view. I love how he plays with colors, textures and silhouettes. Additionally, it is great to see someone of similar heritage hold a position that historically has seen little diversity.
Have you learned a lot about yourself through starting the brand?
Being an entrepreneur hasn’t been easy but I’ve learned so much along the way. One of the biggest takeaways is to follow my gut and have confidence in my inner voice. Since starting my career, I’ve made a point to find and use my voice, especially as someone who leans to be more introverted. Building Good Rapport has made me more confident, a better decision maker and a better advocate.
What advice do you have for others who want to pursue entrepreneurship but are unsure where to start?
Your entrepreneurship journey can start at any moment in time and it can be at any scale. My journey started in university, and I encourage anyone to learn the transferable skills of entrepreneurship and innovation while pursuing any degree if the opportunity exists. Also, I highly recommend that anyone who plans to be an entrepreneur in the future to learn from other entrepreneurs. This has been extremely important for me as I not only learn from others but it helps me determine what I would do differently. I recommend this approach as it allows you to be very thoughtful with your business ideas and strengthens your connection to the business mission.
If you are an experiential learner my best advice would be to start. Don’t get caught in the analysis paralysis of overanalyzing business ideas. Once you find a business idea that resonates, begin putting plans in place to get the business up and running. There is no perfect place to start and no perfect process.