Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Browning.
Hi Erica, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My now launched brand, Sunday Silk, was a brainchild of mine since 2018. I’ve always been into fashion and wanted to start my own line. At that time, I bought my domain and sewing machine and started crafting the idea of what Sunday Silk would be (which at the time was silk slip dresses.) 2018 was a rough time in my life personally and as a result of that, I mentally let myself get discouraged. Sunday Silk never launched but I always kept the domain and idea alive. Fast forward to 2019, I moved back to Dallas from Austin, started a new job and really got back into my best self. In April of 2020, I got laid-off from my job due to COVID-19. I remember the day it happened like it was yesterday. I was upset because I enjoyed my job but I also felt a sense of relief and excitement as if God was telling me that where I was was not for me. I always let the excuse of being busy with work stop me from getting back into building Sunday Silk and now I suddenly had all the time in the world, especially during a lockdown in which I couldn’t do anything but sit in the house.
Around the same time as I got laid-off, I started an organization with my friends Kelsey and Monica called Vision in the Making. This community focuses on community, accountability, goal setting and execution. It was exactly the fuel I needed to get Sunday Silk back off the ground. A few days after getting laid-off, I filed my LLC and starting going through all the legal work of launching my business. I decided to choose progress towards the things I wanted over perfection and all the reasons I thought it might be a horrible time to launch my business. It was a really weird time to be launching because I was trying to sell clothes in a time in which everyone was inside. I remember sitting there thinking, “what is something that people could wear casually in the house that is simple for me to start with?” That’s when the idea of creating scarfs came to my mind. I loved the versatility of the pieces and how you could wear them as a top, style them multiple ways, or wear them as an accessory. Although scarves were not what I imagined myself starting Sunday Silk off with, I will say I was proud to get my brand off the ground and I’m so grateful for the overwhelming support I have received so far with the brand. With that being said, I recently moved out to Los Angeles to be closer to manufacturers, vendors, and materials I can source. My plans are the rebrand in 2021 and start moving towards a clothing line and brand that I’ve always envisioned.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not, but the journey is so much more important than the beautiful end product of it so I couldn’t be more thankful for the lessons. I ran into roadblocks dealing with vendors, the shipping process, and dealing with the implications of COVID-19. As I was building the brand, I couldn’t travel or physically go source things, couldn’t have a launch event, and even felt uneasy about getting together with people to do product shoots. I went to my friend Christina’s backyard, hung up a white sheet on the fence and we shot all my products for launch. It really stretched me and showed me that you can’t let imperfect situations stop you from pursuing the things you want. As an entrepreneur, you learn a lot of lessons along the way. Success is the result of so many perceived failures.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
During the day I work in marketing for a software company but I spend the rest of my time building out my clothing line Sunday Silk, styling, and working with the women in my organization, Vision in the Making. Living a life of impact and empowerment has always been important to me. I strive to be known for helping others express themselves, whether that be through fashion or through expressing their dreams and visions into their reality. Something that I believe sets me apart from others is my fine-tuned eye for the world. I draw my inspiration from so many diverse places, people, and experiences which makes what I do and what I plan to do one-of-a-kind. I am most proud of always going into uncharted territory. My parents never went to college or dabbled into entrepreneurship but I never let that stop me from figuring things out.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
If you are ever doubting yourself when it comes to creating, always remember that no matter how saturated whatever you want to do feels, what you want to do has never been done your way. We each bring a special touch, spirit, curiosity, style, and so much more to the table that flows through each of our ideas. So don’t let anything, including yourself, stop you for living the life you want.
Contact Info:
- Email: contact@sundaysilk.com
- Website: www.sundaysilk.com
- Instagram: @sundaysilk & @ericamariestyle
- Other: www.visioninthemaking.com
Image Credits
Jamie Brogdon, Erika Antonio
