Gina Stovall
Describe a typical day as founder of Two Days Off
There is definitely no typical day- Two Days Off has been growing fast. When I first started, I was working at my 9-5 during the day and the business through the evening and on weekends, hence the name. I've been full-time in the business since the beginning of this year and now every day looks different.
A typical week consists of a lot of e-meetings, mostly focused on marketing, vendors, business development and topics of that nature. About half of my week is focused on production. We make our garments in downtown LA so I do a lot of running back and forth between my vendors,sewers, cutters and all of the different people involved in production. It's been a little challenging this year to find new fabrics, especially deadstock, but I love the process of sourcing in person. I work with deadstock a lot and I love to discover gems. The rest of my time is spent on social media, answering customer inquiries, designing and doing the day to day admin of running a business.
How did you come up with your business model of selling ready-to-ship and pre-order goods?
I actually launched 100% made-to-order because I entered this business from a lens of sustainability. My background is in climate change science and solutions so I want to explore how we can create transformational change within the fashion industry. I ask myself what new production practices look like. I love made-to-order and it’s my preferred production model because it's slower and low-waste. And a lot of my customers really consider their purchases when they have to wait for the item to be made, which I think is key if we're going to solve sustainability to reduce consumption or just have more mindful consumption.
However, I realized pretty early on that it doesn't work for everyone and it makes the logistics very challenging for me. One challenge is that when I'm making things to order with deadstock, some people will ultimately miss out. It's not an unlimited supply. My solution was to start mixing made-to-order with ready-to-ship to make it easier for shoppers to purchase an item, try it and then exchange for different sizes if they need to.
I usually do a waitlist or pre-order for all of my deadstock and I'll produce based on the interest for specific fabrics and styles. That way, my customers have the opportunity to plan ahead for items they really want and I can gauge demand before producing.
Photo Credit: Olivia Lopez @summerbluescollective
How receptive have consumers been to your pre-order model? Has there been a learning curve?
The pre-order model seems to be working the best so far. I've experimented with a lot of different ways of doing this, and people love pre-order because they have that anticipation and a specific end date in mind to plan the rest of their shopping.
How do you stand out in your field?
I try to stay true to who I think my ideal customer is, who is really based on me and my tastes. I start every decision by first checking in with my values. Everything should be something that feels good to me whether it’s a new product, a new service such as pre-order or different ways of doing business. After I think about my values, I make sure my decisions embody the woman I want to be.
Photo Credit: Olivia Lopez @summerbluescollective
Are there any special projects you're working on right now or any new initiatives?
Yes, there are so many new things happening all the time. I'm one of those people who are always doing something, and thanks to this business I feel like I can do a million things at once. We're offering a lot more educational content on the blog on how to shop consciously but also subjects outside of shopping. Two Days Off has become about more than just filling your closet, but about the way you live your life. I don’t love the term lifestyle brand but that’s how we’ve evolved.
I’ve brought on my first intern and my first employee this month. It’s amazing. They’re both phenomenal, brilliant and so creative. We're building out a series incorporating what you do in your two days off, or four days off, etc. and also what you do in your day to day. In these weird times, we see it as a huge opportunity for people to shape their lifestyles into what they ultimately want versus what the 9 to 5 or other influences dictate.
We're also working with a group of MBA students helping us take an in-depth look at future initiatives. I'm really passionate about figuring out how to become a circular business, what that means, and how to close the loop on our production. If you're creating something, even if it’s low-impact, there will still be some kind of environmental and social consequences so we want to know how best to mitigate that.
Finally, we're doing a cool project next year which I can’t share a lot about yet. In short, it's a collaborative design project with a creative I admire.
What does sustainability mean to you?
I worked in the sustainability climate change world for over a decade and this was always a question at every single conference, “How do you define sustainability?” Now, as an entrepreneur, my definition of sustainability has broadened. I used to view it in environmental terms, but it’s really looking at any system that might be in your life, and ensuring the habits you form are sustainable and nourishing. It’s not just about not draining resources but should also include replenishing resources.
Of course I view it from an environmental standpoint as well. The clothes I make may require resources from the environment, human labor and other sources, but I’m nourishing and adding back to those systems to produce a net positive or at least a net neutral effect.
Photo Credit: Olivia Lopez @summerbluescollective
What’s inspiring you right now?
All of the white walls- I'm in the middle of a move. I'm envisioning my new studio space, home and interiors. I’ve been all over Pinterest late into the evenings- interiors and architecture also influence my designs.
I focused on science when I was young and didn't realize architecture is a form of art and beauty until I was in my early 20s. I finally made this discovery that helped me understand why I like this neighborhood more than that neighborhood in New York. It was the realization that architecture makes the difference. My partner is an architect and now I'm in the weeds with him all the time about different movements and materials. It influences the way I design clothes, the utility for life, the materiality of things, the emotions induced by good design.
On a personal level, it's inspiring me to do the work every day. We're living in a world that sucks on so many levels. I lost my grandma, the biggest inspiration in my life in August. 2020 has been a rough year, but I've been so inspired by the people around me who aren't giving up, like people engaged in anti-racism work and the Black Lives Matter movement. I’m mixed-race and I identify as Black. All these years, my own family and I have talked cynically about race. For many, many years, the beliefs were “that's the way things are”, “count your blessings, you're light-skinned so you can do this or do that”.... Now there's this level of optimism I feel even within my own family. We used to be incredibly jaded but now they believe maybe things don't always have to be the same. Maybe the world will look a little bit different for the younger generations. At the very least, people will be more aware of their own biases as part of the systemic issues we face.
What is frustrating you the most right now?
I'm trying to keep my spirits up these days so I've been trying to stay optimistic. However, I think what's frustrating me the most is just how politics have completely made every decision devoid of any kind of humanism. Everything is political and biased and we're only becoming more and more separated. I think we've forgotten we’re in this together - or maybe some people never realized it, but we’re all in this together. There doesn't have to be a set of losers and a set of winners.
Every social issue that pains my heart comes from the fact that some people believe that we have such a divide. I catch myself doing that sometimes too. I was talking to a friend earlier this week and she has her own business with a membership model. She said she doesn't let Trump supporters in and if she finds out someone is one of his supporters, she will kick the person out and refund their money. I was in the moment and eagerly agreed but then took a step back to realize we’re never going to move the needle on anything by keeping ourselves in separate boxes.
You also sell beauty and wellness products. How do you approach self care?
I’m a Virgo and sadly self care is not my first instinct. I'm trying to be very intentional with my own health and wellness by thinking of it less as a luxury and making it more of a necessity.... These activities allow me to do the rest of the work that I get so excited about. And I think so many of us have this tendency to work all the time because we can.
Personally, I've been introducing products that celebrate the daily rituals we perform such as grooming, cooking, household chores, etc. I am being very mindful about the brands I’m introducing into our shop by focusing on smaller businesses with similar values to Two Days Off like sustainable, high quality materials and considered design.
I still consider myself a scientist as well as an entrepreneur and this business serves as an experiment for me. The question I ask myself is is: Can I create a business in this capitalist, patriarchal society that generates wealth but also brings value to others in a sustainable way? Is this scalable and what can this become? I still don't know if I believe you can be an ethical capitalist. So the introduction of these new products is an experiment as well as everything we try out.
Photo Credit: Olivia Lopez @summerbluescollective
Let's bring out the time machine. What do you wish you could have told yourself at what time and why?
I'm not a huge regret person. I feel everything kind of weaves into lessons you learn along the way. I think I would tell myself to stop overthinking everything though. That's my biggest thing, hemming and hawing and not trusting what feels right. I torture myself in the process, whereas I could take that day or couple of days spent agonizing over a decision and just do it. Fortunately, that is a muscle I've built up as an entrepreneur. Now I know that when a decision is hard- just keep going. There's no point in suffering through the suckiness before it happens anyhow.
If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would you discuss?
I’d like to do a lot more work with people in product life cycle analysis, such as product designers specializing in that area. I’d love to get more perspectives on what really constitutes a closed loop because I’m excited about circularity.
DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL JOB/CLIENT/COLLABORATION.
The one I’m working on right now is basically my ideal collaboration. In more abstract terms, that means working with someone who's equally as passionate and excited as I am. We can feed off of each other's energy. I’ve also realized I work really well with a flexible schedule even though I put myself in very high pressure situations often. I need people who can also work like that around me because flexibility isn’t my nature. For example, the person I'm working with now is incredibly flexible even though she has a ton going on in her life and a family. Even with my crazy time constraints with this move, we managed to meet this morning. I was so worked up because I rushed to get everything ready for our video call, but we spent the first 20 minutes just catching up. It was leisurely and I wondered why I put all this pressure on myself. She was flexible with her time which made everything easier.
Photo Credit: Olivia Lopez @summerbluescollective
Who is a creative that has helped to elevate your work and what have they done?
There have been so many but the first person who comes to mind is a photographer I shoot with a few times a year, if I’m lucky. Her name is Olivia Lopez, and she is a lovely human on top of being very talented.
For instance, she made me feel so comfortable for my very first photo shoot. I didn't know how to book a model, I was rushing to finish sewing samples up until the morning of the shoot... it was chaos. Still, as soon as you get in her aura you calm down. She is just the most down-to-earth, loving and compassionate human. She also has a great eye and the time flies whenever we work together. She’s awesome.
How should someone approach you about working together?
Email me at gina@twodaysoff.com or to follow what’s happening, Instagram is the best place to be: @twodaysoffclothing. I don’t do DMs anymore though. They were overwhelming!
HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE?
I’m constantly consuming different types of media. I’ll watch the less boring architecture lectures with my partner because the language they use is so expressive.
I’ve also gotten into Japanese fashion magazines recently. I used to think a lot of Japanese fashion was the Harajuku girls aesthetic but there's this casual, sophisticated style too.
And finally, a key way for me to stay creative is by making some headspace. I go to the beach to get out of my head. It’s the only place I can go and not overthink so I try to go every week. It’s also always where I think of my best ideas for the business’ vision. Some of the decisions I make outside of design come from the quiet time I spend by the ocean.
This member profile was originally published in November 2020.