The Mimi Memo

Ann Trammell Bakhaus is the owner and buyer at Embellish Collection, a designer clothing boutique in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Ann Trammell graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in Fashion Merchandising. She started her career in New York where she worked with designers like Diane Von Furstenberg, Oscar De La Renta, and Vince Camuto, to name a few. Most recently,  Ann Trammell ran her own styling business , A.T. Style. We chat about her deep-rooted love for fashion, what it was like navigating the ups and downs of her career early on and the importance of seizing an opportunity when it falls in your lap. 

Katherine Mason is the CEO and Founder of SculptHouse, a fitness studio, athleisure boutique and e-commerce destination based in Atlanta and Dallas. 

Merging her passion for fitness and fashion, Katherine set out to create a studio concept that elevates your body, mind, and everyday style. SculptHouse has won a number of local and national awards and has been featured in Well+Good, Men's Health, GQ and more.

We talk about what it’s like to build a business from the ground up when you have little to no experience, the importance of being able to pivot when things go wrong and how having a child has made her see her business in a  whole new light. 

Alexandra Dieck is the creator and founder of fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog, Lexicon of Style. 

Lex describes her career in influencing as "happenstance" because it came about in a very organic and almost unintentional way. The blog was originally created as a way to promote a line of scarves she designed. It didn't take her long to realize that what was really resonating with people wasn't the scarves, it was her bold fashion sense. She saw a path to success and dove all in. 

Over the past 11 years, Lex has evolved and re-created herself time and time again.  By doing so,  she continues to resonate with and reach more and more people.  With a captive audience of nearly 140K, Lexicon of Style is the epitome of a fashion blog success story. 

Tinsley Paul is the Co-founder and CEO of HerStory, a  social business featuring luxury, unique products designed by women around the world. 

As the youngest of 5 children, Tinsley has always been curious and independent. This curiosity led to her to study and volunteer around the world,  including the United Kingdom, Australia, Africa and Southeast Asia. 

HerStory was created in 2020 as a way to support women-led businesses that were struggling during the pandemic and help them navigate the new retail landscape.  Today, HerStory partners with a network of 200+ brands and 300K artisans who design and manufacture one-of-a-kind luxury goods.

Caroline Barton is the founder and CEO of Modatrova. With a love for fashion and travel, she saw an opportunity to merge the two to create a platform based on exploring and discovering emerging brands. 

The idea for Modatrova was born when Caroline was still a college student.  While the original concept did not pan out, Caroline never let the idea go!  She continued to iterate and work on it as much as she could throughout school.  Upon graduation she decided to fully focus on Modatrova, laying the groundwork for what the company is today: a highly curated e-commerce destination for brands on the rise. 

I know you will love hearing Caroline's story. It is such an incredible example of the power of persistence and perseverance!

Ansley Collins founded Violette, a collection of sun-protective apparel aimed to blend fashion with function. As a fair skinned red head, Ansley has always been acutely aware of the harmful and aging effects of sun damage. It wasn't until a beach vacation a couple of years ago that it dawned on her that there was a stark gap in the marketplace. With a passion for sun-protection and a keen eye for fashion, she had the vision to create the product she had always been looking for.

Since launching about one year ago, Violette as found much success and might even be expanding into other categories....stay tuned!

You can follow The Mimi Memo on Instagram and email me at [email protected].

Mary Scott Jameson is the co-founder of Sitano, a brand that focuses on creating swimsuit cover-ups that are well-made, stylish, and comfortable all while being reasonably priced.  We all remember in 2021 when the number of Covid cases finally started decreasing, the urge to travel and go on a vacation was at an all time high. It was at this time, when Mary Scott was itching to travel herself that she noticed a void in the market for vacation apparel. With a niche for design and a curiosity that never settles, she set out to fill this void with an apparel line of her own: Sitano!

You can follow The Mimi Memo on Instagram or email me at [email protected].