Design & Style

Building a Purpose-Driven Business

Lesson time 12:05 min

Learn how Karla used her profession not only to start multiple businesses but also to give back through brand partnerships. She explains how she filled access gaps with the Wishi styling app, the Period Company, and more.

Students give MasterClass an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars

Topics include: Building a Purpose-Driven Business * x karla * The Wishi App * The Period Company * Activism

Karla Welch

Teaches Building and Owning Your Personal Style

Renowned celebrity stylist Karla Welch teaches you how to find your personal style and create a strong, versatile wardrobe that’s uniquely you.

Preview

[UPBEAT MUSIC] - I think I was really on the forefront of stylists occupying different space rather than just being known for red carpet in that I took the impetus to like create other businesses. The success of my career has allowed me to build businesses I'm very passionate about. While x karla and the Wishi app are both style related, The Period Company was simply a cause I cared so much about, and I knew I had the resources to make the right product. I grew up in an entrepreneurial family. My father owned a menswear store for 47 years. And I knew how hard my dad worked. I don't think I fully understood the full effect of what it meant to run a business and that it's-- you want to be an entrepreneur, then you're an entrepreneur 24/7 because you don't really get to clock in and out. I think there's this thread with me of, like, democratizing and making things accessible to everyone because maybe-- when I grew up, nothing was accessible to me. I grew up in a tiny, tiny town, and I had this, like, fashion show I loved to watch. And I loved the dream of it all. So it's kind of funny to be sitting here and talking about it. But I truly believe that anybody can do it. It's about finding stuff you love and making it kind of happen. [RHYTHMIC MUSIC] When we started x karla, I remember driving-- Matthew and I were driving to get a coffee, and the kind of light bulb went off, like-- because at the time, I thought, what else can I do? Like, what else can I do? I wanted to do something else in addition to what-- just styling. And I thought, hey, we should make some t-shirts. I was making t-shirts for Justin for the "Believe" tour. And they were long, and they weren't on the marketplace. And they were so popular, the t-shirts we were making, every kid was asking, where can I buy that t-shirt? Where can I buy that t-shirt? And that's how it all started. And so I think, if you're in fashion, you-- and this is something really from a stylist perspective because we're not really defining, necessarily, what the market needs. We're taking what's existing and putting it on our talent. But in that moment, I could see the holes. I wanted a t-shirt that fit a certain way. So it was a t-shirt to fit Justin. But then I was like, well, I better make one for myself too. And so we just dove in-- designed the shirts, designed the styles. And then we all came up with, like, a creative campaign. And then we shot Justin. We shot more models. And then we had a huge launch party. And then-- and then the work really started. x karla started as a collaboration with Hanes, making a perfect white t-shirt. And it also worked as a brand that used those collaborations as an impetus to raise funds for the causes I believe in. So we did, like, Dockers and Express and Levi's. We did a lipstick campaign. And everything had a charitable element to it, whether it was all the profits or all the proceeds. So it's been fun. We've raised m...

About the Instructor

From styling stars like Justin Bieber and Tracee Ellis Ross to creating her own clothing line, Karla Welch has spent almost 20 years honing her creative process while pushing the boundaries of fashion. Now she’s teaching how you can let your individuality shine through your wardrobe. Learn to identify your personal style, bring it to life, and make a statement without saying a word.

Featured MasterClass Instructor

Karla Welch

Renowned celebrity stylist Karla Welch teaches you how to find your personal style and create a strong, versatile wardrobe that’s uniquely you.

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