CHINA MOSS: BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN FASHION AND BUSINESS AT ELDER STATESMEN
By Gretchen Betz
Meet China Moss, Vice President of Sales at LA-based “quiet luxury” brand The Elder Statesmen. Moss has been working at The Elder Statesmen for nine years now but has been at the intersection of fashion and business since 2008, epitomizing the fusion of business acumen and the world of fashion. I had the privilege of sitting down with her to discuss her journey to the crossroads of these two worlds and learn more about The Elder Statesman’s most recent collaboration with Ugg.
The Elder Statesmen is known for their expertly crafted, colorful cashmere products that are timeless, luxurious and oh-so-soft. Their prices are more on par with luxury brands; for example, a knit beanie will cost you somewhere between $395 - $525 depending on the color or design. However, their new UGG collaboration has lower prices, giving them access to a new consumer base. A pair of patchwork slides will run you $250, a middle ground between the two companies’ normal price points. Both brands value a casual and comfortable look while staying stylish. Comedian and ceramicist, Seth Rogen, is the face for their new UGG collaboration. Rogen is also the co-founder of Houseplant, a company intended to create home goods products while enhancing the weed-smoking experience, sharing Elder Statesmen’s comfortable-yet-opulent West Coast vibe. A crucial contributor to strategy for collaborations like these is China Moss herself.
Moss’s mother was a seamstress, introducing her to the creative world of fashion, frequently making Moss’ garments growing up including her Halloween costumes and prom dress. She would often accompany her mother to work where she would witness the life cycle of fashion. Working alongside her, Moss noticed her work ethic and organization differed from her mother’s, once telling her that she “needs to run the office like an office, not a living room.” Growing up and seeing how creatives work gave Moss an appreciation for the final product which is not something all people in business have. This is why Moss is such a crucial piece at a company like Elder Statesmen; she genuinely cares about both the creative and business side. She graduated college, entering the workforce in a shutdown economy with no jobs available, leaving her to work with her mother at a consulting company. Here she learned how to do back-end, behind the scenes work so that the designers could just design. She had creatives come in and present their styles and vision, then made their ideas into real tangible items. It was at this consulting company that she met Elder Statesman founder and CEO, Greg Chait.
Moss’ role at The Elder Statesman, she tells me, is “a little bit of everything.” Her responsibilities range from deciding on pricing for the Spring ‘24 collection, advising on budgeting with the design team for commercial viability of styles and managing the e-commerce team. For their recent UGG collab, Moss strategized to create a more affordable price point to help access a new consumer base.
One of her favorite parts of working at this confluence is being able to see tangible outcomes. There are so many careers today where you just input information, but being able to see a beginning and an end is fulfilling and makes for an engaging work environment, according to Moss.
Moss’s message for those looking for a career at the intersection of business and fashion is “Don’t be afraid to fail.”
Her advice is to be inquisitive and push through the trial-and-error process. As a history major having found herself in the business sector, Moss had to teach herself a host of skills through online resources, which she mentions is attainable with a simple Google search.
She not only presents an inspiring journey to finding her ideal niche at the crossroads of business and fashion but also underscores the critical importance of business in the often glamorized world of fashion. After all, someone needs to keep the living room out of the office.
The Elder Statesmen is known for their expertly crafted, colorful cashmere products that are timeless, luxurious and oh-so-soft. Their prices are more on par with luxury brands; for example, a knit beanie will cost you somewhere between $395 - $525 depending on the color or design. However, their new UGG collaboration has lower prices, giving them access to a new consumer base. A pair of patchwork slides will run you $250, a middle ground between the two companies’ normal price points. Both brands value a casual and comfortable look while staying stylish. Comedian and ceramicist, Seth Rogen, is the face for their new UGG collaboration. Rogen is also the co-founder of Houseplant, a company intended to create home goods products while enhancing the weed-smoking experience, sharing Elder Statesmen’s comfortable-yet-opulent West Coast vibe. A crucial contributor to strategy for collaborations like these is China Moss herself.
Moss’s mother was a seamstress, introducing her to the creative world of fashion, frequently making Moss’ garments growing up including her Halloween costumes and prom dress. She would often accompany her mother to work where she would witness the life cycle of fashion. Working alongside her, Moss noticed her work ethic and organization differed from her mother’s, once telling her that she “needs to run the office like an office, not a living room.” Growing up and seeing how creatives work gave Moss an appreciation for the final product which is not something all people in business have. This is why Moss is such a crucial piece at a company like Elder Statesmen; she genuinely cares about both the creative and business side. She graduated college, entering the workforce in a shutdown economy with no jobs available, leaving her to work with her mother at a consulting company. Here she learned how to do back-end, behind the scenes work so that the designers could just design. She had creatives come in and present their styles and vision, then made their ideas into real tangible items. It was at this consulting company that she met Elder Statesman founder and CEO, Greg Chait.
Moss’ role at The Elder Statesman, she tells me, is “a little bit of everything.” Her responsibilities range from deciding on pricing for the Spring ‘24 collection, advising on budgeting with the design team for commercial viability of styles and managing the e-commerce team. For their recent UGG collab, Moss strategized to create a more affordable price point to help access a new consumer base.
One of her favorite parts of working at this confluence is being able to see tangible outcomes. There are so many careers today where you just input information, but being able to see a beginning and an end is fulfilling and makes for an engaging work environment, according to Moss.
Moss’s message for those looking for a career at the intersection of business and fashion is “Don’t be afraid to fail.”
Her advice is to be inquisitive and push through the trial-and-error process. As a history major having found herself in the business sector, Moss had to teach herself a host of skills through online resources, which she mentions is attainable with a simple Google search.
She not only presents an inspiring journey to finding her ideal niche at the crossroads of business and fashion but also underscores the critical importance of business in the often glamorized world of fashion. After all, someone needs to keep the living room out of the office.