Ari Tylim is the creative director and founder of WFH The Label, a Los-Angeles based streetwear brand born out of quarantine isolation. WFH The Label, an acronym for ‘work from home,’ first began as a hobby. Like for many of us, quarantine gave Ari the opportunity to explore her love for painting which evolved into creating sweatshirts with messages of emotional support. These sweatshirts would go on to become WFH The Label, a cut-and-sew streetwear brand dedicated to creating a sense of community in the shared experiences of working from home during the unprecedented nature of COVID-19. From trucker hats and baby tees to crewnecks and hoodies, WFH The Label is made locally in LA in partnership with a small, woman-owned and sustainable manufacturer to ensure the brand is ethically produced.
Sheesh Magazine had the immense pleasure of sitting down with Ari to chat about the importance of building a community that supports and excites you, the inspiration behind the brand name, and the advice she would give her younger self. It won’t be long before one of Ari’s designs makes its way into your closet; I know it has already made its way into mine.
How did you think of the name ‘WFH’?
I was looking for something relatable, and working from home is so multifaceted. It looks different for everyone; whether you are that creative who has made a workspace on the floor of your living room, or a stay-at-home parent, or a corporate employee required to ‘work from home’ due to the pandemic, there is duality in the term. Work versus home? How do they oppose each other? How do they compliment each other? What can be created in this dual space? That is the essence of WFH The Label.
What are some current company goals?
Our team is currently working towards creating matching sweat sets and other fun streetwear items for summer—something our audience has been asking about for a while. I am really excited for what is to come!
What are some projects you see in WFH The Label’s future?
We would love to build out WFH The Blog into a full-scale digital publication that features up-and-coming creatives. The idea is to create a place for people to showcase their work and inspirations through interviews, op-eds, vlogs, playlists, and photo galleries and collaborate on mini-collections with one another.
What have you learned from running your own clothing brand?
Do you have a whole day? [Laughs] Starting your own brand is honestly like a crash course MBA program. If I had to put it into a few words I would say first, read a lot. You should have at least some basic knowledge on how to perform every role within your company. And second, you have to believe in, and actually ENJOY, what you are doing. Everyone is going to have an opinion on your brand, so you need to find the validation within yourself for your decisions. There will be times when you doubt yourself, and that is normal, but it is the people who wake up everyday and love the work they are doing that will succeed no matter what.
What influences your design process?
It’s very meditative for me. Creating and design feels like home, it feels the most natural to me and it’s definitely my favorite part of the job. I find a lot of inspiration from my dreams and revisit concepts later in the day from what I have dreamt. My team and I work together on everything so we will go through a few revisions until we land on the perfect edition.
How would you describe your pieces?
WFH The Label is at an exciting place right now where we are creating a more uniform identifier in our pieces. Right now, each drop is quite idiosyncratic which, I think, is what makes us so unique. We partner with different non-profit organizations to highlight their work and donate a portion of the proceeds from that drop.
Do you have a favorite piece or one that is particularly special to you?
The most special part for me is what WFH The Label stands for. I want the ethos of the brand to transcend and building this community has been my favorite part.
Would you like to collaborate with other artists and designers?
I would love to partner with other creatives on mini-collections and showcase their art forms. I am a firm believer that if you share your advice, tips, and tricks with people you will also share in your successes. Collaborating with and learning from other creatives is ingrained in WFH The Label and will become a larger part of our brand as we grow.
What has launching your business during the pandemic been like?
Launching a business during the pandemic has definitely had its challenges, especially because WFH catalyzed during one of the more locked down times in LA. It was hard to coordinate meetings with manufacturers and printers and review samples because of the limited capacity and social distancing requirements. But at the end of the day WFH is what we do right? It’s in the name. It was a lot of late night Zoom meetings, socially distanced photoshoots, and being creative problem solvers when it came to production logistics.
What has been the most rewarding aspect?
The engagement from our audience and customers and the positive feedback we have received form our latest drops ‘Heartbreaker Troublemaker’ and ‘Make Art.’ A lot of people were surprised at how soft and cozy our crewnecks are which makes me incredibly happy since we worked incredibly hard to develop these items with the highest quality.
What experiences or people influence your own personal style?
I am inspired in large part by the 90s. It was such an iconic and pivotal time for the fashion industry. There was such a confrontation between minimalist, classic menswear pieces and simple, yet barely-there womenswear. That intersection is what I find most exciting about fashion- I love mixing heteronormative menswear or grungey pieces with floral accessories and vice versa.
Who is Ari?
I ask myself this all the time. She is still becoming.
Any advice you would give your younger self?
You are creative and you shouldn’t feel ashamed to say so. You had an unconventional journey to it and you don’t need to follow the steps society tells you to follow. You knew you wanted to be a fashion designer your whole life; you just had to listen to yourself.
Any advice you would give to someone starting their own brand?
There will always be bumps in the road and they are there to ensure you are doing what you want to be doing— push through it. Network constantly. Ask questions and let people know you are still learning—you will be surprised by how many people are eager to help out. Don’t reveal your secrets too early and as hard as it is, try not to be emotionally attached to every aspect of your brand.
Keep up with the latest from WFH The Label on their Instagram and website!
This interview has been shortened and condensed for clarity.
