Copyright Entrepreneur
When Catherine Morrissey, president of cashmere-focused women’s clothing brand White & Warren, stepped into her current role, she had a keen sense of her priorities — an ethos she attributes to her mother, Susan White Morrissey, the company’s founder and CEO. “From the day I started at White & Warren, I saw firsthand how much attention to detail my mom brought to everything,” Morrissey tells Entrepreneur. “She didn’t miss a thing when it came to quality — whether it was a sweater’s tension, uneven linking, the spacing on a line sheet or data that didn’t add up. I quickly learned to adopt that same mindset.” Susan White Morrissey and Barbara Warren co-founded their New York City-based, namesake fashion brand in 1997 with a clear goal: to make cashmere more accessible at a time when the fabric didn’t enjoy the popularity it does now. Related: ‘We Got So Many DMs’: This 27-Year-Old Revamped Her Parents’ Decades-Old Business and Grew Direct-to-Consumer Sales From $60,000 to Over $500,000 “I’ve always had a heavy hand in the creative side.” Although Catherine Morrissey hadn’t always anticipated working at her mother’s company, she grew up surrounded by the fashion industry (her father was an executive vice president at Macy’s) and developed a passion for it. She launched her career as an assistant merchandiser at Calvin Klein and became an associate designer there. Then, in 2011, after her father’s sudden passing, she joined White & Warren as director of merchandising. “I was leading merchandising and ultimately overseeing design as well,” Morrissey recalls. “Even today, it’s still very much a part of what I’m doing — I’ve always had a heavy hand in the creative side.” Related: These Brothers’ Business Solves a ‘Very Difficult’ Shopping Problem — And Boasts Over $100 Million in Annual Sales Morrissey has a BFA in illustration, and she credits her instinct for art with giving her an advantage in an industry that’s defined by the visual. Her creative sensibility allows her to bridge the gap between what a business needs and what it’s trying to communicate — and help the design team execute that vision, she says. White & Warren relied on a wholesale-dominant business model for decades, and it served the company well during that time. The brand boasts partnerships with nearly 600 retailers across the globe and has sold more than 300,000 units of its beloved cashmere travel wrap, which requires 51 steps to craft and costs $385. Still, like many established brands, White & Warren needed to adapt to the shifting retail landscape and rise of direct-to-consumer (DTC) to sustain its growth trajectory. Related: She Saved a Sweet Company and Grew It to $20 Million a Year. But She Never Liked Its Name — Decades Later, It’s Getting a Makeover. When Morrissey became White & Warren’s president in 2018, she committed to a rebrand that would usher the decades-old company into its next era. Previously known as “White + Warren,” the brand swapped the plus for an ampersand and underwent a website and product refresh. Now, one of Morrissey’s biggest goals is to build with the company’s long-term growth and future-proofing in mind, she says. “Our rebrand laid the groundwork.” White & Warren plans to double its revenue over the next three to four years, with most of that growth coming from its direct-to-consumer channel. “Our rebrand laid the groundwork,” Morrissey says. “Now it’s about deepening our customer relationships and investing in the kind of storytelling and product innovation that drive lasting loyalty.” Several key steps have helped White & Warren make the most of its rebrand and get closer to its ambitious revenue goal, Morrissey says. 1. Take advantage of financial autonomy When Morrissey’s mother launched White & Warren, she had the support of a silent family fund investor who helped her get the business off the ground but wasn’t involved in daily operations. Susan White Morrissey bought the company outright in 2015 — and it was a game-changer. “[That gave] us full autonomy to make decisions about the brand’s future,” her daughter explains. “That independence allowed us to invest where we needed to, chart our own path and set the foundation for growth.” Morrissey acknowledges that some level of risk always comes with growing a business. For example, as White & Warren shifted from predominantly wholesale to ecommerce, the company had to purchase more inventory, which could go unsold. That’s when being in full control of the business’s funds and able to spend marketing dollars strategically becomes even more valuable: It’s critical to keep the bottom line healthy enough to support the next year’s operations, Morrissey says. Related: 5 Ways Numbers-Phobic Entrepreneurs Can Handle Small Business Finance With Ease 2. Tell the right story to the right customers As White & Warren entered its next phase, it continued to position itself as an authority in the women’s knitwear space — “the New York cashmere brand” with timeless design and trusted quality, Morrissey says. That had always been the brand’s defining story, but the way it was told, and who was hearing it, had to change. White & Warren needed to broaden its appeal and reach a new generation of women: the older millennial. In the past, White & Warren relied heavily on editorial and ecommerce content, but in the past year, the brand has increasingly embraced user-generated content (UGC) and employee-generated content (EGC) across social media. “There was a complete shift in consumer behavior, really responding to that,” Morrissey explains, “and [the customer] knowing what she wanted. We realized she wants to be able to relate to the brand more and see real people wearing it.” The brand plans to continue with its “fresh lens” of storytelling for the next generation as it builds on its community-driven channels, Morrissey says. Related: Ignore This Self-Sabotaging ‘Instinct’ If You Want to Tell Your Brand’s Story Effectively, Marketing Expert Says 3. Don’t be afraid to evolve — then do it again White & Warren is a heritage brand with nearly 30 years of history under its belt, but that doesn’t mean it should remain static, Morrissey stresses. “We always have to evolve to stay relevant and meet the consumer where she is today,” Morrissey says. “To not continue to evolve is to risk losing relevancy.” That’s why the brand has embarked on a strategic product expansion meant to serve existing customers and attract new ones. White & Warren recently launched its knit outerwear collection and has a seasonal capsule collection, “a casual, sporty take on elevated athleisure,” set for release in January. Related: The 9 Essential Steps to Expanding Your Product Line and Scaling Your Business White & Warren also plans to relaunch its men’s collection in the fall, and anticipates making it a permanent feature by thinking about it as a service to the brand’s predominantly women customers. What is she reaching for? Is she throwing a men’s sweater into the cart as she’s shopping for herself? The company isn’t spending on marketing for that men’s collection just yet, though, Morrissey notes. “We’re not going crazy with category expansion,” Morrissey says, “but how do we build out the world of White & Warren a bit more, outside of the sweater and accessory space? The knit outerwear was our first test in this — and it’s doing quite well.” “The people who stand out are the ones who go beyond their job description.” As Morrissey continues to scale White & Warren and meet modern consumers where they are, she has the advantage of leading alongside her mother, who’s still very much involved in the business today, and with her lessons in mind. A significant one she’s taken to heart is to lead by asking questions, guiding others to make their own decisions instead of just giving them the answers. Cultivating an open-minded, inquisitive mentality is invaluable for anyone who aspires to launch and grow their own career in the fashion industry, according to Morrissey. “The best thing you can do starting out is to be curious and learn from every experience: Ask questions, pay attention to details and don’t be afraid to roll up your sleeves,” Morrissey says. “The people who stand out are the ones who go beyond their job description and show they’re invested in learning.”
