Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Grewal.
Hi Rebecca, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My career began in New York, in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Fort Greene at Pratt Institute. After spending my first four years focusing on apparel design and learning from truly excellent masters. I worked for over 12 years in the New York fashion industry, pushing myself up from intern to Design Director- achieving success quickly, and ultimately settling into my specialty of designing collections for celebrities and famous designers. During this period, my industry knowledge expanded in many areas including design, sales, production and strategic management as I launched brands. I could not have asked for a better training for what I do today.
Growing up in East Lansing, Michigan, I have always loved my home state and valued it as an excellent place to raise children. So when I moved to New York, despite loving the city and industry, I knew one day I would return home. When that day came, 15 years ago, I opened a sample and production studio in Lansing and began finding and training a staff to make patterns, develop samples, technical design and finally apparel production. This proved to be challenging but rewarding as we worked with a budding midwest fashion industry.
It was just a few years ago when I decided to launch my own line named Revir (revirusa.com) and open a retail store in Northville, Michigan. Revir, a feminine collection of comfortable, elevated classic designs, was widely accepted and embraced by our community. Expansion was set to focus on the wholesale market and we stared attending trade shows, selling to boutiques. Revir in now in it’s second year of wholesale sales, and can be found in more than 50 stores across the midwest expanding nationally.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Overcoming challenges is frequent in the path to success. Notably, when faced with the pandemic, our sewing studio was called upon early to help make PPE. This was pre-Revir, and we received a call from the National Guard and the Governor’s staff to help with the state’s supply. Adapting and problem solving was not new to our factory, so we quickly found a way to create reusable hospital gowns and launched into production. By the end of that year, we had made over 60K gowns, supplied to the state, hospitals, nursing homes and dental offices all over the state and beyond. It felt good to be working on something so rewarding during a time of stress and uncertainty, and being able to keep our staff was beneficial.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We design, develop and produce Revir in Michigan with love and passion and laughter. Revir is made for the busy woman who wants to wear soft, comfortable and professional clothing. The collection in known for it’s elevated fashion basics and soft, natural style.
Our design process starts with inspiration and sketches that are paired with fabric from our trusted suppliers. The line is planned creatively and strategically while the collection is merchandised to include a range of silhouettes. Our patterns are hand made with traditional trade techniques passed along for centuries, followed by sampling and fittings. Once the collection has been completed, we are ready to shoot the campaign and products.
What are your plans for the future?
My goal is to continue to grow Revir as we move forward expanding into new regions of the USA. We are proudly made right here, and want to continue to grow our industry responsibly and with compassion. At our core, we are committed to being ethical to our planet, or community and to our team members.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://revirusa.com
- Instagram: @revirusa
- Facebook: RevirUSA
