The Boss Lady Chronicles: 10 Questions with Cherie + Diane
MEET THE WOMEN BEHIND CHERIE JAMES COLLECTIONS
In their second act, best friends and co-founders Cherie and Diane are empowering women to embrace animal print as a neutral, carry a fabulous Cherie James Collections bag, and keep their heads held high. No matter what.
Let’s start by addressing the elephant poodle(s) in the room. Who are they?!
Diane: Poodles—I’ll leave this one to Cherie.
Cherie: I have three poodles. I love dogs! I’ve had dogs my whole life, all kinds, but I’ve always admired poodles. They’re so naturally regal and poised. They have been used throughout history as fashion statements, so when we were thinking about a logo for our brand, we didn’t have to think too hard!
Walk us through the early days of Cherie James Collections. Where did it all begin?
Cherie: Serendipity. It all began with a friendship and a shared love of fashion. I knew Diane had a background in fashion, so I asked if she wanted to help me navigate the handbag world. Spending so much time together harbored mutual respect for each other’s skills and talents. It all happened very naturally. Diane became as excited as I was about starting a women-owned handbag line.
Diane: Chance! Meeting on sidelines of our children’s sporting events, I always noted Cherie’s style. Working in fashion, trend and clothing have always been at the front of my mind, but I’m always fascinated by how women evolve their own style when it isn’t about dressing for work or an event.
In addition to being co-founders, you’re also friends! What do you love about working together?
Diane: Of course I love what we have in common, but it’s our differences that make our partnership so special. Our success is grounded in our individual strengths. We recognize and respect each other’s skills and listen to one another. We both LOVE fashion but have our own styles. We see things differently, which helps us tremendously.
Cherie: I love Diane’s energy, positivity, and ability to problem-solve. She really doesn’t let anything get in the way of her figuring something out. We work similarly, so we work very well with one another. We have tackled every part of this business together and have figured out issues, even when I wasn’t sure if we could.
Diane: Cherie is much more creative and I am more practical and solution-driven. We approach problems from different angles and the results are better for it. Bottom line? Our work ethics are the same. If we didn’t share that, no matter how talented a designer Cherie is and no matter how great an idea we have, nothing would come of it.
It’s no secret that you’re inspired by animal print. (We are, too!) How did you realize you found power in print?
Cherie: I have loved animal print for as long as I can remember. I’ve collected vintage faux fur animal print coats and handbags for years, so for me, this was a natural next step. I married my love for animal print with my love for vintage handbags and came up with the idea to start my own vintage-inspired, animal-print-inspired handbag line! I want to teach women that animal print is not a trend—it’s classic, it’s neutral, and it can be worn with just about anything! It may be very popular right now, but if you look back at history, animal print has always been a fashion essential…and will continue to be!
Diane: I have found that one of our gorgeous handbags can make a statement paired with anything from jeans and a white t-shirt to an LBD. It’s so powerful to make an impact with the simplicity of one fabulous, special accessory. Our bags are style-makers and outfit-changers. An animal print bag can make help you look and feel fierce and fabulous with ease.
Cherie is wearing our Sally dress.
We know how much behind-the-scenes work goes into creating something special. What does a day in the life of Cherie and Diane look like?
Diane: Every day, we start with a catch-up. We review anything we have heard from people who are wearing our bags, and then share daily inspiration (something exciting we have seen on TV, in magazines, or just out and about). We dig into the projects for the day starting with whatever is urgent, whether that is a production question from the factory or a computer-related issue. Then we turn to our lists (we make lots of lists!). We are the queens of multi-tasking: While packing orders, we talk about new style options. While working on the website set up, we are planning our next fabric shopping trip. We have a very fluid work process. We both hone in on our priority but are ready to pivot at a moment’s notice.
Cherie: Because we have to be! Really, there are no identical days in the life of our business. Each day can look very different. Our week usually consists of a lot of paperwork and emails, field trips (to the factory, leather warehouse, and fabric sources), problem-solving when something isn’t as we expected, exploring new venues to sell, and finally, creating new collections and new handbag styles. Since we are both moms, our days are also intertwined with our kids. Though they are all out of the house, a day doesn’t go by that we aren’t moving from a business call straight into resolving an issue for one of our kids.
Tell us about a favorite piece of your business. Which part of the process do you find most exciting?
Diane: I have two answers to this question! 1) I love the production process. Turning fabrics and ideas into something is so exciting! 2) Sharing this entire experience with our families has been unique and wonderful. Our daughters are our constant consultants, models, forever-champions, and sometimes best critics! Our husbands, brothers, sons, sisters, and mothers are supportive and offer lots of input. We listen to it all.
Cherie: The piece of the business I find most exciting is the design: finding fabrics, coming up with new styles, and creating collections. Treasure hunting for the perfect fabrics and being creative are my loves.
Diane is wearing our Avery dress.
It seems like every entrepreneur has a set of unique tips and tricks that help them stay inspired, even when the going gets tough. What are a few of yours?
Diane: I think having life experience gives us a unique perspective. We have found balance. Every day has challenges, some tougher than others, but after raising a total of six kids between the two of us and having families, friends, careers, and commitments to tend to over the years, we’ve learned that the trick is not to avoid challenges. We take them on to the best of our ability and we make things work. We focus on that every single day and we love it. It is so special to choose your work and love what you do. Although it may not always be easy, it is always exciting, and in the end, incredibly satisfying.
Cherie: I can think of three things that keep me inspired: 1) Diane’s passion for what we are doing, 2) Seeing a finished product after pouring so much hard work in the sourcing and creating of the piece, and 3) Honestly, animal print! There are so many different types of prints and styles. I think animal prints, in general, are beautiful.
You’ve spoken about building a brand based on the same confidence and spunk with which you raised your daughters. What lessons have you learned as business owners that you hope to pass on to your girls?
Cherie: Every day we learn something new. (I suppose we should be keeping a journal of sorts!) One of the biggest things I have learned is that when you’ve had your heart set on something and it doesn’t work out, there is usually something better around the corner. I have learned to keep looking forward.
Diane: Always listen. Be ready to learn from anyone and everyone. Accept help when you need it. In the end, always make your own decision and own it.
Cherie is wearing our Libby dress.
We love hearing about every woman’s personal Oprah Winfrey, Joan of Arc, or Wonder Woman. Tell us about a woman you admire.
Cherie: There are so many women I admire, but my ultimate style icon is Coco Chanel. She was a brilliant trailblazer. She walked to the beat of her own drum, did what she loved, and was so confident in what she designed. She revolutionized fashion and gave women room to be more casual in their everyday dress. She just evolved with the times, but always remained classic.
Diane: When I first moved to Los Angeles, I worked at a successful junior women’s clothing company that could not have more different than my time at Ralph Lauren. The owners were true “garmentos” (imagine lots of foul language and too-trendy clothing), and the office was nested in a dingey warehouse that housed the entire company from design to shipping. The company cranked fast fashion monthly, producing everything in local LA sewing shops and shipping millions of units to increasingly popular warehouse-style outlets (i.e. Target, Walmart, Sears). Coming from the gorgeously appointed offices of Ralph Lauren in the heart of New York City, it felt like there was no common ground shared with my previous work.
I was interviewed and ultimately hired by the COO. She was a woman in her 30s. Capable and confident. She dealt with it all—from high-maintenance partners to the custodial crews, dramatic designers to frustrated customer service staff—yet always maintained a level of professionalism in the way she spoke, the way she dealt with others, and the way she dressed. When I started in the company, I came with the attitude that I had the more impressive resume (working for a legendary fashion house in New York), but in the end, I learned more from this one woman than I did in all of my previous experiences combined. It had less to do with fashion, and more to do with managing people and production. I spent time learning the roles and routines of everyone around so I could create solutions and help improve things collectively. I learned that it is not where you work, but how you do what you do. Every day and every interaction is important to your success and that of the people around you.
If you could style a Cherie James bag on anyone, who would it be? How would she wear it?
Cherie: Kate Moss! Kate has always had a love for vintage fashion, especially animal print, and has quite the collection of vintage animal print coats. I would love to see her wear the Cherie, but I would leave the styling up to her, as her style is perfection.
Diane: I love seeing our bags on every woman! No matter how she chooses to wear our bag, I hope it makes her feel more glamorous. This bag might be the biggest risk she takes in a day. I hope she feels more confident, more fashionable, and more stylish—because she is all of it.
Cherie + Diane's Favorites
