Behind The Scenes at One Posh Closet

Author: Diana Nguyen, Executive Assistant at Queen Anna House of Fashion & One Posh Closet. 

One Posh Closet has its roots in the year 2012, originally grounded in philanthropic purposes, and sold mainly maternity, women, and kid's clothes. Although OPC is still rooted in the aspect of giving back to our community, it has grown into something more than just selling clothes and donating to charities. In 2021, we have evolved into a fashion-forward luxury concierge service, aiming to empower women of all shapes, sizes, and styles through providing personal & professional styling, personal shopping, and closet organizing services. Here, we celebrate women, style authenticity, and confidence, by providing unique services to help refine our clients own unique styles.     

 November 2020 was when I was first introduced to One Posh Closet, when I had applied for the lead stylist position at Queen Anna House of Fashion (where the clothing used for One Posh Closet services is housed). Needless to say, I ended up not getting the position because as Nicole had pointed out: I had zero retail experience. 

I had been unemployed for 3 months at this point, the reason being the Pandemic. I applied to a few other retail jobs, with no luck, and it was for the same reason: I had zero retail experience. Which is valid. After all, I had only chosen to walk down the fashion path back in May 2020, when I decided on starting my own online fashion design streetwear brand, currently called Vitamindiana Boutique. 

Prior to this, I had been going down the route of sociology (my major), with the intention of going to grad school for psychology. I had been working since I was 13 at my family's businesses of nail salons and restaurants, then I worked at Starbucks, and other odd jobs. I only cared about making money to get through college, rent, and food. I didn’t care about what I did so long as I was getting paid well. 

But somewhere along the way of adult responsibilities, I learned that I was merely in survival mode. I had to graduate high school so I could get into a good college and end up with a good job so my family will feel accomplished. Afterall, my parents didn’t almost die fleeing from the Vietnam war to come to America for their daughter to be an artist. They came so I could make money and live a better life than they did. 

                
                              My family and I for Christmas 2020 

Then when the pandemic hit in March 2020, everything halted. School was now online, giving me more time to reflect, to pour into myself. It was then when I remembered my love of fashion. I remembered when I was 8, I’d used to cut my old knee-high socks into finger gloves because I thought I was a trendsetter. Thank God I didn't carry this style into 2021, but the same feeling always arose when I was making clothes. I remembered how much I could be in the flow, putting together the perfect outfit for myself or others.         

It was around May 2020, when my parents taught me how to sew. And from there, I was able to feed my inner child’s creativity again. I went through my mom's old clothes and started reworking them again. I was putting together outfits that made me feel like myself again. I was feeding my soul again. So, I wanted to do everything I could to walk down this path, the path of my heart. It was then that I quit my job at my mom's nail salon back in August of 2020 and made it my mission to find a retail space where I could follow my passion.

                     
One of my first rework projects when I was 8. I turned my old knee-high socks into finger gloves.                         

Fast forward to November 2020, in my first interview with Nicole where I had learned about QA and OPC. It was then that I learned that they weren’t just any kind of retail service. I wasn’t expecting, in my leap of faith in applying, to discover a brand so dedicated to their community through staying grounded in their values of philanthropy, faith, or fearlessness.  

It’s still funny to me to this day because I somehow landed a second interview for a position as the executive assistant. But I’m forever grateful because just like the values of the brand, Nicole stayed true to them too, and took a fearless chance on me. 

I’ve only been working here for about one full month now, and have enjoyed every moment of it. It’s the first job in my whole working career where I could say I look forward to coming to work. And it's because of how driven Nicole is to maintaining and growing a brand that's dedicated to providing services that can bring value to each client. 

The biggest takeaway for me in walking down my own path of entrepreneurship, and what I’ve learned while working as part of the OPC and QA team, is learning about the necessity of being grounded in values. 

One Posh Closet has, simply put, stayed grounded in the value of philanthropy since its opening back in 2012. We strive to bring the value of ease and peace to women with styling and closet needs all over the world. This is shown through the many webinars style centered events hosted by OPC or through the personal one on one's with clients. From being authentic in celebrating beauty in diversity OPC has touched each woman individually. Celebrating the humanity within each client uniquely, has made women feel seen, which is important.

For me in my ventures of starting to build my own brand, this is the biggest takeaway OPC has inspired me to move with. To not only sell my own designs, but to touch women’s hearts, make them feel seen, and celebrate their own authenticity. 

                       
                       Vitamindiana Boutique: A Zero Below Original

 We live in such a fast-paced world, where we each want things made easier, but oftentimes, we lose that important sense of humanity. We walk into any other retail store and aren't welcomed or acknowledged. We just check out and go. We forget each other as human with beating hearts, and see each other as consumers, or as “other”. I understand because I've been there too. That's why it was such a refreshing moment when I had applied, and was greeted with such tenacity to stay true to bringing inclusivity, integrity, or innovation back into the world. 

But here at One Posh Closet and Queen Anna House of Fashion, we strive to bring this remembrance of humanity back, with the attempt to cultivate confidence within each individual woman. We still strive to bring something of value back to our community, empowering each client in a unique way.

 Now that I have joined the team, I also have inherited this lifestyle of giving back and empowering women of all shapes and sizes to feel seen, inspired, stylish, and confident.