Haute in the City

Boston is home to one of the hottest fashion trends: fashionable clothes available online from cutting-edge designers.

Taneshia Camillo-Sheffey launched Haute House in March 2012 and has created a platform for innovative designers that is getting attention worldwide. Projected revenues for Haute House in 2016 are estimated at $1.2 million. Besides offering evening dresses, purses and jewelry online, Haute House is helping to launch the next generation of fashion designers by providing financial backing to budding entrepreneurs and sharing business skills to build their confidence and boost their chances for success.

“We advise them on price points, marketing, fashion shows, the copyright process, and editorial work — we open up the entire fashion world. I want to help the next generation of fashion designers to launch their brands.” — Taneshia Camillo-Sheffey

Accelerated growth

Through the Smarter in the City accelerator program, Camillo-Sheffey has added a new extension to her brand: Haute House University. One of the biggest challenges for young designers is a lack of business knowledge; with Smarter in the City’s help, Camillo-Sheffey has created an ecosystem to support these entrepreneurs.

“We help them to create a collection and we help them with the financial side of the business,” explains Camillo-Sheffey. “Young designers need mentoring to understand how the fashion industry works.”

The Haute House University is an excellent example of “ed tech,” combining education and technology by offering young fashion designers online courses and classroom experience as well as mentoring. 2015 was a very productive year, Camillo-Sheffey says, with Haute House University finalizing its online platform.

Expert advice

Camillo-Sheffey advises would-be entrepreneurs to do extensive research before launching their business. “Most designers don’t know how hard they will have to work,” she says. “They think it will happen overnight.”

She also encourages entrepreneurs to be passionate about their work. Having worked for corporations, she tells new entrepreneurs: “You are your business; there is no one else, no marketing team. Money doesn’t come right away. It’s not about the short term. You need to be willing to put in the work. There will be sleepless nights.”

Camillo-Sheffey’s firsthand experience as an entrepreneur helps her mentor young designers. “Don’t be afraid to fail and make mistakes,” she tells them.

In addition, she advises entrepreneurs to do as much as they can on their own. She has never relied on loans or investors — now, venture capital firms are seeking her out.

Roots of inspiration

Camillo-Sheffey studied at Berklee College of Music and began her career as a musician, model and entertainer. In her view, fashion and entertainment go hand-in-hand. She met a lot of stylists, she says, and saw how hard it was for many of them to find a place. Her passions for fashion and music have helped her launch undiscovered designers.

“We advise them on price points, marketing, fashion shows, the copyright process and editorial work — we open up the entire fashion world,” she says. “I want to help the next generation of fashion designers to launch their brands.”

What’s next?

Haute House University already has been attracting attention from around the world. The Fashion Council in the U.K. has expressed interest in learning more, as has a university in China and the Parsons School of Design in New York.

Camillo-Sheffey has ambitious plans for 2016, including launching partnerships with five universities to assist young designers to become better at the business side of fashion. She is working also with Style Week in Los Angeles to create partnerships with major platforms for designers in Los Angeles, Cairo and Dubai. Many young designers are unable to afford the high costs associated with launching their collections at fashion shows. Through this new partnership, Haute House will help them launch their collections in front of Vogue and Cosmopolitan magazines and major celebrities.