Sophia Demirtas is the Haitian-born designer of the womenswear label Fanm Mon. The line of made-to-order dresses and knitwear is produced in Fanm Mon's atelier in Fethiye, Turkey, and celebrates the bounty of nature through a vibrant color palette and hand-stitched embroidery.
Sophia moved to New York City from Haiti as a young woman, where she earned a Masters in Social Work and spent several years serving as the director of a homeless shelter in Manhattan. She always used fashion as a form of self-expression. After moving to Turkey with her husband and two young boys, Sophia struggled to find dresses that felt effortless and easy to wear in thoughtfully-made feminine silhouettes. She started to design and sew her collection, and after success selling online, she expanded her operation to her now cut-on-demand line.
"Fanm Mon" refers to a woman who is one with nature - one who creates and manifests beauty from her natural surroundings. Through her consciously crafted line, Sophia seeks to develop cycles of better buying habits.
In this episode, Nada sits down with Sophia to discuss how the seeds of her childhood experiences with embroidery eventually led to her opening an atelier and becoming a full-time designer. She touts the benefits of creating custom clothing for the customer and the bottom line. Sophia opens up about her approach to working in different global communities, giving and taking from what each has to offer through a company culture of transparency.
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What is LIBERTY ROAD with Nada Jones ?
Pursuing your future doesn’t end at 40, in fact, it may mark the beginning of knowing who you are, what you’re capable of and what you really want. But knowing what’s next and how to get there can be a challenge—especially when old narratives play on repeat. I’ve come to believe that the best way to understand your possibilities is in hearing from others—what they have done and how they have done it.
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