Who is Charmaine Mischel?
Over several decades as a Founder & Brand Strategist, Charmaine Mischel's passion and vision of transparency and inclusion in the ever-secretive Fashion industry has continued to grow. It has blossomed into a multi-faceted effort to facilitate the dreams of emerging Designpreneurs via her New York based consulting firm, CM Design Agency.
At CMDA she takes the guesswork out of the brand launch process with her Label Launch Blueprint program which was curated so Designers can have access to the guidance necessary to build viable, mission-driven brands while avoiding common (yet unnecessary) mistakes along the way. In LLB, Designpreneurs immerse themselves into foundational brand building strategies, key resources, industry best practices, cutting edge tech tools, entrepreneurial-mindset and operational support as they position each collection for a robust launch.
Early in her career, Mischel honed her creative direction skills in the NY Garment Center, where she established a crucial level of expertise and rapport across the industry. She deepened her design repertoire during sourcing trips to Paris and London as she prepared to present each new collection to boutique & big-box store buyers each season.
Her experience at Vogue Apparel, Body Force and Fortune 500 apparel companies Sara Lee Corp. and Kellwood Co. was invaluable. She designed private label womenswear collections for Brooks Brother's, Garnet Hill, Callaway, Hanes Her Way and J. Jill, just to name a few, plus the branded Bill Burns sportswear collection for Nordstrom, which landed her designs on the coveted cover of Women's Wear Daily (WWD).
After her formative years in corporate - life happened. An unforeseen tragedy caused her to put her beloved career on hold so she could be laser-focused on caring for her young family. In time, the deep desire to CREATE resurfaced, and could not be denied!
Mischel then pondered the breadth and wealth of experience she enjoyed as a "unicorn" in the industry. A Black woman of Caribbean descent, holding a prominent Fashion Designer position in the NY Fashion Industry was (and still is) virtually unheard of. She decided that this blessing would not be wasted, and in 2003 her renowned namesake bridal & evening wear brand was founded.
Out of a deep desire to pay it forward, CM Design Agency was founded in 2020. At CMDA Charmaine Mischel lifts the veil on the inner workings of the Fashion Industry to support the journeys of self-taught and fashion-schooled creatives. She guides Designers via the proven processes, insider secrets and entrepreneur-savvy habits she keenly leveraged to successfully launch her own label and scale it into retail stores, all while designing a life she loves.
She has since collectively taught thousands of aspiring and emerging Designers via Embark.Live, Retail Boss, Kent State University, Fashion Institute of Technology, Black Fashion World Foundation, Startup Fashion, 383 Design Studio, and Fashion Brand Incubator about the critical steps in the true label launch process.
Too much talent has been left on the table for far too long because of the gatekeeping that still persists. Her ultimate goal is to "kick the door of the real Fashion Industry wide open" so that more deserving Designpreneurs can develop the expertise to leverage their creativity in the most meaningful, efficient and profitable manner.
The secrecy stops here! It's our time.
