Where I've Been the Last 50 Days - and Why!

On April 10th, my teammate Danielle and I packed our bags and boarded a plane to fly across the Atlantic.  We both had read pretty extraordinary things about our destination; that it was charming, had panoramic water views, and some of the best seafood around!  Countless friends had encouraged us to put this location on our respective vacation bucket lists, but neither of us had made it there yet and didn't know what to expect.

As you might imagine, TO THE MARKET's business model keeps our team on the road.  We aren't strangers to making quick trips halfway across the globe to spend time with our amazing makers and scout the best ethical suppliers, but this trip was different.  Danielle and I were relocating for a solid 10 weeks - to Lisbon, Portugal!

Our host for this grand and miraculous journey (h/t Disney's Spaceship Earth) was none other than Farfetch, a publicly-traded fashion technology company for luxury fashion, connecting creators, curators and consumers.  Farfetch had recently launched the Dream Assembly,  a "fashion and retail tech accelerator that offers the world’s most promising startups a program of education, mentorship, networking opportunities, early-stage funding, and access to investors".  Their second cohort focused on sustainability and making fashion a "force for good", so you can imagine my delight when TO THE MARKET was selected as one of eight out of hundreds to join.

For the past six weeks, we've formally expanded into the European market.  We're meeting with high-street and luxury brands and learning how TO THE MARKET's vision of changing retail manufacturing to empower people and protect the planet applies across the pond.   I can't wait to share more about what I've learned the last 50 days - and what I'll learn in the remaining 3 weeks I call Lisbon my home!  I'll be sharing a wrap-up of this experience in mid-June but in the meantime, follow our visual journey on Instagram!

-Jane Mosbacher Morris, Founder & CEO