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Women at Azazie

It’s Women’s History Month! To celebrate, we asked our fellow female employees about their experiences at Azazie to honor their achievements and successes. Meet these incredible working women and hear what they have to say about being women leaders at our company.

 

Geavanna Torres, Associate Designer: 2-year Azazie Employee

What inspires you while designing/planning any creative initiatives?

When I design, my inspiration honestly doesn’t always come from the same source. Sometimes I can be inspired by romantic laces, florals, and shapes. Other times I am thinking of my own dream wedding and what would I wear. A lot of times my inspiration for designing dresses comes from the people in my life that are closest to me- their joy, beauty, power, body type. This world is made up with different personalities and when I design I try to create something for everyone.

 

Who is a woman that inspires you?

My mom is the most inspiring woman in my life. Not only do I look up to her for her elegant sense of style, but for her strong worth ethic. She raised me and my older triplet sisters while managing her own business. She handed me down her tenacious personality and taught me to work hard for success.

 

How does your background play a role in your designs/planning any creative initiatives?

My Mexican American culture definitely plays a large role in who I am as an individual and designer. I am proud of my Mexican culture that is always vibrant, alluring, elegant, and beautiful . Although I may design for many categories, I try to incorporate these elements into my work.

 

What do you enjoy about working at Azazie?

Being a designer for Azazie,  I love that I am able to design for every category and see my designs come to life from sketch to final product. Our design process is very hands on and I get to choose all the details and communicate with our sample room while make our dresses. I get to name my designs and also be on set for the photoshoot of my designs. The greatest satisfaction at the end is to see my designs worn by customers and receive great reviews for something I designed.

 

What is the best career related advice you’ve gotten?

The best career advice I ever received was to “never limit yourself to what you know and always strive to learn more”. As a designer I am learning every day and I challenge myself to learn new techniques,  use different materials, and discover new ideas.

 

What’s the one piece of advice you’d tell your younger self?

I would tell myself to be patient and to not be afraid of the process. As an individual, I am the type of person that is very determined if I would like to achieve something. While this is a good trait, it also has its cons by me sometimes being impatient when the outcome does not come as quickly as I had hoped. As I have grown into my career I have learned how planning and patience is so important to creating a great outcome.

 

What dress is your personal favorite from Azazie & why?

My favorite Azazie bridesmaid dress is Everett. Not only was Everett one of the first bridesmaids dresses I ever designed for Azazie, but it was one of my first best selling bridesmaid dresses. I loved designing Everett because she has a soft, feminine, and boho aesthetic with ruffle straps and a bow tie back.  Designing this dress has been a great milestone for my career at Azazie and it has been exciting to see all the great reviews and customer photos of bridesmaids wearing the Everett dress.

 

zazie Everett Bridesmaid Dress

Which Azazie dress did you most enjoy designing & why?

My favorite dress from Azazie is the bridal dress Divine. This dress means a lot to me because I worked on it while my fiancé and I were both working from home during the first lock down. He saw me work on the sketch and follow up with the sample room on corrections. He says we worked on this dress together because he would give me his opinion on how the lace was placed on the dress. His name starts with the letter D so I decided to name this dress Divine.

Azazie Divine Bridal Gown Wedding Dress

What’s a key leadership lesson you’ve learned?

Communication is so important and getting feedback from everybody creates a stronger team to collaborate together.

 

What advice do you have for women aiming for leadership positions?

From my personal experience, achieving a leadership position came from surrounding myself in a work environment that I loved and had a great team to support my goals. I encourage women to find what their strengths are and honor them throughout their career and use them to empower their weaknesses.

 

How can people support other women in the workplace?

In the workplace I believe women should be supported by honoring their success. Our office is a diverse work environment and my coworkers are great at supporting each other’s talents and accomplishments. I know not every workplace has that type of energy ,but I can see how that helps women flourish.

 

What do you like to do for fun on your days off?

I have a large family and love to spend my days off with them or having a movie/wine night with my husband and our Corgi.

 

Megan Martinez, People Operations Analyst: 3-year Azazie Employee

What do you enjoy about working at Azazie?

I feel I can be myself here! Compared to other experiences, here my ideas or even interests matter. I can put myself into my work and everyone’s personal strengths is what helps make the company strong. I also like that I can bring my dog to work with me 🙂

 

Who is a woman that inspires you?

My mom – She did what she loved, fought for what she wanted, and never gave up. We unfortunately lost her in 2019, but the past couple years with out her I have seen even more that there is no one who is truly like her. She encouraged me to do things even I thought I wasn’t even capable of, she showed you how to speak up yourself but with kindness, and how to enjoy your life to the fullest.

 

What is the best career related advice you’ve gotten?

“You are not loosing, just because everyone else is winning” – Early after college a lot of peers were going in directions that made me feel like I would never get there. I learned that just because someone else has their opportunity, doesn’t mean yours no longer isn’t. Instead of being jealous, use it as motivation to get what you want!

 

What do you think makes a great leader?

Someone who appreciates and understands what their team brings to the table. We all have different interests, personalities, backgrounds, experiences. I love a leader not only who uses those tools to better the team, but celebrates them.

 

What advice do you have for women aiming for leadership positions?

This is your sign to just do it! I read a stat recently that “men apply for a job when they meet only 60% of the qualifications, but women apply only if they meet 100% of them”. If there is a position you want, go for it! There is so much power in trying and showing ambition. Even if you don’t get the role, use it as a learning experience or practice for when the next role comes.

 

What’s the one piece of advice you’d tell your younger self?

I discovered the quote “If you can’t beat fear, do it scared” recently and I WISH I could mail my old self and say “THIS…DO THIS!”. Growing up I was always too nervous to do things out of my bubble, even if it was a genuine interest. If you are scared to do it, so what? Try out for the team anyways, apply for the job, befriend new people, etc. I have found it’s only scary until you do it.

 

How can people support other women in the workplace?

Celebrate each other and work together towards one common goal. We shouldn’t see our fellow females as a competition, there is so much power and positive outcomes that can come from us coming together as one. Lets celebrate how far we’ve all come, together!

 

What dress is your personal favorite from Azazie & why?

Azazie Tifa! I got married last year and this dress had not been released yet, had it been (no offense to my dress which i loved too!) I would have purchased it in a second!! I may have to convince my husband to renew our vows, just so I can wear it 😉

Azazie Tifa Wedding Dress Bridal Gown

What do you like to do for fun on your days off?

If anyone knows me they know I love 3 things most: Disney, Dogs, and Baseball. So if I am not at a Disney park or watching a baseball game (Go Giants!), I am cuddling my sweet dog Georgie.

 

Denise Gen, Designer: 6-month Azazie employee

What inspires you while designing/planning any creative initiatives?

Visualizing the person I’m designing for gets me really inspired. Sometimes I’ll pick a random person and pretend I’m designing a dress specifically for them. That’s one of my favorite ways to brainstorm and come up with ideas. Once I get the initial concept down, I edit the design to make it accessible for all body types and compatible with as many aesthetics as possible.

 

How does your background play a role in your designs/planning any creative initiatives?

My experience as a content creator and bridal consultant taught me how to give customers what they want while staying true to myself and my designs. I have managed Instagram accounts for brands, and have been in countless bridal appointments and alteration fittings to help people find their dream dress. My background has given me so much perspective when I design. It’s taught me to consider all aspects, such as pricing, body types, sales, and even emotion, because the right dress can completely transform the way you feel. I learned to take everything into account and focus on the bigger picture.

 

What do you enjoy about working at Azazie?

The people! I love how we communicate here. The other designers and I are very open with each other and I think that definitely makes Azazie stand out from other workplaces. We’re able to share ideas, hand out criticism without taking it personally, and joke around at the same time, which I’m really grateful for. Work is a lot more pleasant when you’re comfortable with the people around you and genuinely have fun with them.

 

What’s the one piece of advice you’d tell your younger self?

Don’t be so scared of going to design school. Spoiler: You end up becoming a designer.

 

What dress is your personal favorite from Azazie & why?

My personal favorite is our chiffon bridesmaid dress, Kehlani. I drew out so many different designs before deciding on one. I’m obsessed with the back details and how feminine it looks.

Azazie Kehlani Bridesmaid Dress

What do you like to do for fun on your days off?

I love ceramics and making my own pottery. It’s my favorite way to recharge and stay grounded. My place is full of plants and flowers, so during my days off I try to make as many pots and vases as I can.

 

Yesenia Diaz, Assistant Production Coordinator: 8-month Azazie Employee

What inspires you while designing/planning any creative initiatives?

What inspires me is my boss Judy Hwang’s work ethic . Seeing her work and how she handles all kinds of situations motivates me to always do better in everything I do.

 

Who is a woman that inspires you?

My boss, Judy Hwang.

 

How does your background play a role in your designs/planning any creative initiatives?

My background in film and concert production helped me get mentally prepared for the fast paced and ever-changing environment of Azazie.

 

What do you enjoy about working at Azazie?

My coworkers and the artistic and professional environment we work in.

 

What is the best career related advice you’ve gotten?

Do not mistake critique for criticism.

 

What’s the one piece of advice you’d tell your younger self?

Relax and talk to more people.

 

What dress is your personal favorite from Azazie & why?

My favorite is the Aerith because it is so clean and feminine.

Azazie Aerith Bridal Gown Wedding Dress

What’s a key leadership lesson you’ve learned?

Sometimes you have to let things burn.

 

What advice do you have for women aiming for leadership positions?

Go for it, no matter how much you think you might lack, give it a try.

 

How can people support other women in the workplace?

By talking to a woman like equals.

 

What do you like to do for fun on your days off?

Study Korean, (currently) studying Photoshop, (before COVID) go to unique cafes and act mysterious so people think I am interesting.

 

Cecilia Barcenas, Assistant Designer: 6-month Azazie Employee

What do you enjoy about working at Azazie?

The creative environment.

 

Who is a woman that inspires you?

Aurora James.

 

What is the best career related advice you’ve gotten?

All your time and effort to perfect one of your designs will mean so much more the day you see a complete stranger wearing it.

 

What do you think makes a great leader?

Kindness and honesty mean a tremendous amount especially when barely starting out your career. I am the most receptive towards criticism when delivered in an understanding and empathetic manner.

 

What advice do you have for women aiming for leadership positions?

Be confident and believe that you are worthy of more recognition for your hard work. Call out to your superior when it’s noticeable how much more you’re putting in outside of expected tasks in order to be appropriately reviewed for your contributions to the company’s growth.

 

What’s a key leadership lesson you’ve learned?

I’ve learned to be very vocal of my opinions and seek my peers opinions to combine and recognize weaknesses to improve.

 

What’s the one piece of advice you’d tell your younger self?

At my first job right after finishing college, I approached my job like I was still learning and waiting to be awarded an opportunity to show my progress. I should’ve done more to appear more capable of navigating my responsibilities as independent as possible.

 

How can people support other women in the workplace?

Make sure to be vocal as much as possible of their successes. If my coworker’s design is doing well, point it out to the manager. If they need help with tasks, offer support to avoid them falling behind.

 

What dress is your personal favorite from Azazie & why?

The wedding gown Maisie is stunning. The original reference came from an expensive brand, and yet it is redesigned to be affordable. The shocking factor was not compromised and the final gown is gorgeous.

Azazie Maisie Bridal Gown Wedding Dress

What do you like to do for fun on your days off?

I love spending my free time doing indoor rock climbing or staying home to rewatch my favorite movies.

 

Rachel Madsen, Office Admin: 3-week Azazie Employee

What do you enjoy about working at Azazie?

Everyone has been so friendly and welcoming!

 

Who is a person that inspires you?

I don’t really have a single person but when I’m around people who truly work hard, that’s when I’m most inspired.

 

What do you think makes a great leader?

Having great commutation, setting the example and being approachable.

 

What’s the one piece of advice you’d tell your younger self?

To stay motivated on your goals and/or dreams.

 

How can people support other women in the workplace?

Amplify women’s voices. Be a mentor to a fellow employee. Also, just taking the time for a life or work check in.

 

What dress is your personal favorite from Azazie & why?

My favorite dress style would probably be Azazie Rue and for Blush Mark Valentine Black Stretch Crepe Maxi Dress. Both could be worn for different occasions like a wedding or a fancy dinner.

Azazie Rue Bridesmaid DressAzazie Blush Mark Valentine Special Occasion Dress

What do you like to do for fun on your days off?

On my days off my husband and I either end up hiking, going to a brewery or going on a coffee date. 

 

 

Thank you to all of these hard-working women! We appreciate everything you have done to make Azazie the best company it can be.

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