Today we’d like to introduce you to My-Cherie Haley.
Hi My-Cherie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I will never forget the first time I took a leap of faith and decided to follow my heart and move from my small hometown in South Carolina to the big, bright city of Atlanta, Georgia. I was nineteen years old and my goal was to pursue my dream of becoming a model and actress or whatever the universe had in store for me. When I arrived in Atlanta, I got my first gig as a couture runway model. I felt like a little fish in a big pond, however I was determined to gain my confidence on the runway and seize the moment. Since then, I’ve had a successful and exciting modeling career in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Greece, Atlanta and throughout the state of Texas. I’ve walked the runway for well-noted designers such as Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino and Oscar De La Renta. During my fifteen years of traveling and working as a professional model, I fell in love with fabrics, textiles, the fashion industry and the freedom of knowing I can paint my own canvas in any medium I choose. My motto in life is do what you love, love what you do, so I believe in dedicating time and energy into what sparks pure joy in my life. When I moved to Austin, Texas in 2006, I continued to pursue modeling.
In 2008, I decided to start my own fashion company under the business name Shimmer & Bliss. I always had an infinite love for silk scarves and headwraps because of my Afro-Caribbean roots, so I did my research and started learning and practicing how to create my own designs on silk. As I honed in on my craft, I got better at dyeing and freestyle painting on fabric, and silk became my favorite medium. For five years, I worked to build my brand and it was exciting to see people appreciating and loving my art. In 2011, I had the opportunity to showcase my designs at the Emmy Awards. In 2012, I won a Rising Star grant from FedEx for an entrepreneur competition I participated in. In 2013, I had to take a hiatus from Shimmer & Bliss due to life-changing circumstances. Honesty, I didn’t think the silks would circle back around this lifetime, but God had a plan for me. My heart was yearning to share my Art with the world, and my friends kept encouraging me to just do it, so in the summer of 2019, I stepped out on faith again and created a twenty-piece silk collection. I showcased the collection on the runway at ATX Swim Week. The show was a huge success and I received great feedback and accolades. I was so grateful for the opportunity to create again. I intuitively knew it was time for me to begin my Viva La Silk journey.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of my favorite quotes by Robert Frost is, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I– I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” The road less traveled is challenging and tough, yet the rewards are juicy and rich. During my time working to build my companies, I had to juggle marriage, motherhood and my business while trying to find the balance. Unfortunately, my marriage ended and then I was challenged to find balance in co-parenting and being a mompreneur. I also had two deaths in my family that shattered my world. For a moment, I felt like all the joy bubbles had been vacuumed out of my heart. I did not think I could continue being creative and build my brand while parenting and dealing with grief, heartache and pain, however something inside of me knew I wouldn’t be happy doing anything else, so prayed for the strength to keep pushing forward fearlessly.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Viva La Silk is a lifestyle brand of Versatile Wearable Art, inspiring women to feel beautiful and confident. All of my designs are 100% silk and hand-dyed, hand-painted and hand-sewn in small batches right here in Austin, Texas. The bold colors are inspired by the vibrancy of my Cuban-Jamaican heritage. My goal is to share my love of Silk and Afro-Caribbean culture through my Art while being kind to Mother Earth. Our dyes and paints are non-toxic, eco-friendly and made in the USA and a few of my designs are created from repurposed silk. The versatility of each design truly sets us apart. Our scarves, kimonos, scrunchies and goddess wrap pants can be worn in so many creative ways. The possibilities are limitless. Our designs are perfect for travel because they are air-silk, which is light-weight and can be packed to-go quickly and conveniently. Silk keeps you cool in the summer and warm in the winter, so you can wear our creations all year around on the plane, to a nice lunch or dinner, on the beach, a face-to-face meeting or virtual meeting or just to lounge in at home.
We are also a charity-driven brand. I believe that children are the future leaders of the world, so we need to invest in their future. For every product purchased, we give $1 to Creative Action, a non-profit organization that supports the creativity and development of the arts for youth in Austin. What I am most proud of is being able to grow my brand with my 6-year-old daughter and my 10-year-old son by my side. My daughter is a budding artist and she has one design she creates and it is available for purchase online. Those sales go straight to her college fund. I love seeing her excited about creating art. My son also helps me with shipping the orders and likes to check in with how my weekly sales are going. I think he wants to be the CFO one day. 🙂 It feels good to know I am creating a family legacy with my children.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Solopreneurship is definitely a risk. It is a risk every day to know that you are responsible for the success of your business. How well you perform, market, promote and add value with a product or service will determine if you will be able to stay in business and thrive. I have taken many risks through the years, and I do believe running your own company is not for the faint of heart. It requires courage, focus, determination, stamina, hard work and time. My most recent risk was the decision to continue to move forward with my new brand last year. Despite the 2020 pandemic and an unstable retail and fashion industry, I pivoted and continued to make sales. I am so grateful for my niche market of loyal customers who appreciate eco-conscious, women-owned and black-owned small businesses over big corporations and fast fashion brands. By the end of 2020 I was so thrilled when my brand, Viva La Silk, was featured in Forbes.com as one of “The Best Clothing You can Wear Now and for Future Travels.” Long story short, I feel so blessed to still be doing what I love in spite of the risks I have taken along the way.
Pricing:
- Silky Scrunchies – $25
- Scarves – $60
- Kimonos – $120
- Goddess Wrap Pants $130
- Kaftans – $150 / Silk Veils – $21
Contact Info:
- Email: mycherie@vivalasilk.com
- Website: www.vivalasilk.com
- Instagram: @vivalasilk_ @mycherie__
- Facebook: facebook.com/vivalasilk
Image Credits:
Photographers: Paul Fischer, Anna Monette, and Daniel Nguyen
Models: Christina Allen, August The Model, and Heaven Fearn
