Life & Work with Rebecca Grewal

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Grewal. 

Hi Rebecca, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My career started in New York City while I completed my degree at Pratt Institute. I worked my way up from intern at Jill Stuart to Vice President of Design and Design Director at Li & Fung USA. While in NY, I found my career path in creating and running brands for celebrities and designers. My job was to focus on a celebrity, then a retailer, and create a collection for them that captured the look and price point to satisfy both parties. This was a successful chapter in my career and perfectly prepared me for what was to come. 

The time came to move home and in 2009 I entered a new life chapter in my home state of Michigan. I could not bear to leave fashion behind so I was determined to make it work in a state with nearly no established fashion industry (at the time). 

Immediately, I opened Michigan Fashion Proto where I focused on assisting designers with industrial apparel development and teaching entrepreneurs how the fashion industry works. I came to understand how desperately our domestic manufacturing needed short-run production and pre-production resources, so I added those services into our offerings. MFP has grown into an amazing company run by a group of highly trained and talented people, and it is a place I consider home and family. 

Recently I launched Revir (revirusa.com), my own fashion label with the help of my amazing MFP team. Focusing on the independent and artistic woman, Revir was a much-needed outlet for my creative expression. As much as I love helping others launch their fashion collections, I am ultimately happy when I am exercising my own creativity a well. We are currently opening our first retail location in Northville, Michigan June 1, 2022. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Redefining my career in fashion was a challenge. It is difficult to leave a successful career behind and switching from international to domestic design and production was eye-opening to say the least. To say it took blood, sweat and tears is simplifying it but is essentially true. 

I am so happy that I did choose this path however as I believe wholeheartedly in domestic manufacturing. I am okay with paying a higher price if it means I know it was made by well-cared for and well-paid hands. Those hands belong to someone who is important and who matters, and that is an aspect I think our culture has become detached from. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I selected “Other” when defining my professional category because my work crosses over many lines. I am an artist and designer, and I own three businesses (a design and manufacturing facility, a fashion brand and retail store, and a cafe), so I am blessed to have been able to have the freedom and ambition to go for it in life. I believe in the power of positive thinking, and with a great team, good planning, and supportive loved ones, one can achieve their dreams. 

Ultimately, I am most proud of my family and my happiness. The struggle that comes with “living your dream” and entrepreneurship can break a person, and to find myself in such a happy place is a huge achievement. 

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Kindness matters most. I have had the opportunity to have enough thoughtful time to really evaluate myself, actions, and attitude. One never knows what another person has been through and what impact their experiences had on them. So, in the end, the only way to truly never have regret is to be kind. 

Professionally, I believe quality matters most. My advice to fashion designers is to invest in great fabric. You can never make amazing garments from bad fabric. That and to plan. “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail” as they say. 

Contact Info:

• Website: revirusa.com and fashionproto.com
• Instagram: @revirusa and @fashionproto

Image Credits
Michael Sanville
Kelle Donnelly