The Secret's Out!

I'm launching a brand!! Did you see my announcement last week? I'm launching a new, genderless Outerwear brand, called Was Him. I’ll explain the name in a moment. I have been working on this for the past year now, and I'm so excited to finally be able to make it public, and the response has been so positive, so far. Praying that remains the case.

You were the first folks that I told that I was working on something big. Remember? I’d said that I was working on something, and even after getting to the place I'm in now, it doesn’t make it any less frightening launching something. In fact, I think it’s even more terrifying. When I launched my brands, over 10 years ago, there wasn’t as much pressure, honestly. No one knew me, so if my first brand tanked, no one would know other than my family and friends. Now, many people know me. So, if this fails….

However, I truly feel like the brand and the product is great. I LOVE every coat we have, and I’d like to believe that there’s something in the collection that would work for everyone. I so wanted to make sure it was an interesting collection, but remaining classic enough that it didn’t feel too out there for anyone.

When I was asked if I wanted to launch a brand, I said I never would do that again, because I’ve been there, done that and promised I never would again, as it was so stressful. But, this time, all I have to manage is the design/creative. Everything else is being managed by my partners at THMBL. Thank gosh!

We have two drops for this first collection. That wasn’t meant to be the case, but because of covid, we couldn’t get them all made in time, so we had to split up the collection. So, mid November we launch 7 styles. Then 4 more in February.

I knew I wanted to do only Coats and Jackets, and I knew I wanted to use embroidery, because it’s in my blood, as a South Asian. So, I asked Rob to work with me to create art work that I could then have embroidered. I wanted the first collection to be equestrian themed, so he created horses for me that would make up the statement pieces of the collection. They are for sure my favorites of the bunch.

I told my friend, Laura Brown, on one of our regular FaceTime catch-ups that I was launching a brand, and with her being the editor-in-chief of InStyle magazine, she offered me an exclusive feature of Was Him. I couldn’t believe it. Then she said I could ask a friend to model with me. So, I asked for Lilly Singh, who said YES!! I was overjoyed. We had the best time at the shoot, and the shots turned out so great. I’m attaching the images so you can see how they turned out. Aren’t they awesome? And I think the Outerwear looks amazing, personally.

Now, I said I’d explain why I called it Was Him. Well, my middle name is Washim (pro-nounced Vaseem). At school, the mean kids would make fun of the name, and when there was a bad smell in the class, they would say “it WAS HIM!!). So, when I was coming up with the name of the brand, I wanted to finally put a positive spin on my name, and it has done just that for me. I love the name, and I think it’s perfect for this brand.

If you’re not already following Was Him on IG, go check it out (@washimofficial). We’re posting sneak peeks over the next 3-4 weeks before launch. You can also sign up to be one of the first to get your hands on one of the pieces. I hope you’ll love the brand as much as I do, and that one of the coats becomes your new favorite. Aaaargh!

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