Exclusive: We talk with Heather Sanders, the Designer behind Sorella & Money4nails
THE OG INFLUENCER
In her bag: Meet Heather Sanders – Mother, Designer, and Boss!
Heather Sanders, social media’s favorite it-girl, sits down and talks with us about her style, her business, and what’s next. You can follow Heather on social media here
Featured Interview:
Q: Heather Sanders! it’s so nice to talk with you, you and I go way back! – Heather let me pull from her store, Sorella, back in 2014 for a Revolt TV appearance for a then Pre-Euphoria Zendaya – I was working with her stylist Law Roach, he was so excited about Sorella, your team made it happen – How are you? You’ve grown so much over the years, extended your beautiful family, your businesses – how are you right now?
A: I’m great! I see you are still doing big things! I love that for you! I’ve been super busy with Growing Money for Nails, it’s been taking up a lot of my time but I love it!
Q: You’re super lowkey, we love that about you – what drew you to enjoy working with Trell on the Podcast and doing more interviews? You are so funny! It’s nice hearing your opinions. We don’t get to see this side of you often. I can certainly tell you’re comfortable having Trell on set with you.
A: Doing the pod with him came so easy to me since we do everything together already. It’s helped me so much with my confidence and social anxiety. I love showing this new side of me.
Q: Where so excited about your new Grey’s Collection! What’s your thought process before releasing a new color? What inspired this gorgeous matte cool grey?
A: My thought process going into dropping a collection is pretty easy, I usually go with what makes me feel good. I also tend to lean more toward colors that girls typically wouldn’t ask for at the nail shop. That’s where the creative process comes into play, I have to create cool content and letting my nail girls know it’s ok and fly to wear certain colors/ designs and sometimes stepping out that box & being confident there is where it’s at!
Q: Sorella came about 10+ years ago, you created this space where girls could get the most fly pieces from, ranging from Dresses, leggings, and sunglasses – you were doing this well before other sites like Fashionnova and Shein came about, how does E-commerce appeal to you now, 10 years later, it’s changed so much – it’s a very influencer driven as of 2023.
A: To be honest I’m kinda over fast fashion, I’m in the rebranding stages of Sorella.
Q: You started Sorella at (I’m guessing age 20?) – As you grow, how do you scale your business to better match where you are now, a lot of your customers shopped with you in college, they’re now entering their late 20’s, does your design and buying method change?
A: I started Sorella when I was 23!! Feels like yesterday! It’s funny that you say that, I was just saying that my designs need to be changing with the times and as I mature my brand needs to mature with me and still stay relevant.
Q: We loved Sorella’s collaborations with Fubu and City Girls – are you planning anything in the future?
A: I loved those Collabs I definitely want to do more in the future I have some people in mind but don’t have anything lined up as of yet.
Q: Gel or Acrylic?
A: I’m A acrylic girl! my gel nails are great don’t get me wrong but my nails have to withstand the test of time lol,my kids grocery shopping, cleaning up the house working out etc… I tend to use my nails as tools to help me with everything so I need them strong lol just ask Chaun.
Q: I was so excited when you announced your nail polish line, Money For Nails – seeing you post your nail sets throughout the years has been so enjoyable. How has creating this brand from scratch been for you? I love seeing creatives try other avenues of making money, especially black women.
A: Growing Money for nails has been so fun and exciting for me! I’ve been wanting to do this for a while since nails have always been a passion of mine. As I got old I found out that I should only put my time into things that I love and I love seeing women, especially black women creating new streams of income.
Q: When your Melrose store was operating (before the unfortunate event that led to its temporary closure) You’ve seen what a large team looks like, and you’ve also seen what a small team looks like – have you found what works best for you? I love that customers can still shop at the temp location, a lot of people travel to L.A. just to shop with you.
A: Originally, I thought a big team was necessary but during Covid, I realized I can still do it all with a smaller team, yes I love that people travel to come to see Sorella but unfortunately with Covid, crime& protests I haven’t seen as much of my Sorella fans.
Q: A few years back you and your family started a Youtube channel that led to so many doors with brand endorsements, video collaborations, and more – your channel has gained over 10 Million views, how do you two approach new videos? Does your family decide together or is it just a natural thing to record at the moment?
A: It’s a natural thing when it comes to filming videos now. Especially with entering this new podcast world, there is so much more content we can put out.
Q: Your “Get ready with me” videos on Instagram are so good, you always style the cutest outfits and mix your brands well – what are some of your favorite brands right now? Also, what’s your favorite item from Sorella?
A: I’ve always loved mixing high-end pieces with more affordable pieces when it comes to styling my outfits. Brands I love right now are Jaquemes, Zara, and Diesle, and I love finding pieces on Amazon.
Q: As we approach Summer are you planning anything new for Sorella and Money for nails? I saw in your comment section people asking about your infamous Lot sales (you can cop Sorella for under $20 – but it goes fast af!).
A: Of course! We always have new things coming! I’m excited for everyone to see what we’ve been creating for both brands.
Q: We need a Trell & Heather Episode of AD lol! Are you currently working on any fun DIY projects?
A: we have some cool things in the works yes just wait on it!!
Q: Lastly, 2023 will…..
A: 2023……We coming all new!!!
Team credits:
Photographer: Hector Darcci
Hair: @Hairbyjahmya
Make-up: @louiesdollhouse
Nails: @chaunlegend
