It’s a familiar tale: You go to pull your lucky dress from your closet, only to find everything but. There are tops from five years ago, bottoms from high school, and shoes whose pair are nowhere to be found. Well, a brand-new venture is aiming to make over your closet in less time it takes to binge watch Big Little Lies.
Meet Fitz, an NYC-based startup closet concierge service that will literally get your sh*t together for you. That’s right: For a cost, expert organizers will come to your pad and help get your material life back on track, one messy shelf at a time. The brains behind the new venture is Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, best known for her successful co-founding of GLAMSQUAD and Gilt. That’s right bb’s — she a BOSS. So why closet organization, you ask? According to Wilkis Wilson, “The idea of Fitz was born out of recognizing that for many people, myself included, the daily act of getting dressed can be a source of stress.”
And we like to eliminate stress wherever possible. For so many of us, getting (and keeping) our lives organized is a constant struggle. Often we spend Sundays doing laundry but rarely get around to folding *and* tidying up our clothes and closets. We accumulate garment piles that we jokingly refer to as chair-drobes or floor-drobes but — let’s be real ladies — life would be better without the clutter. Fitz’s $300 flat-rate, three-hour appointment is guaranteed to bring the neat heat — with two stylists dedicated to completely revamping your closet. In addition to expertly organizing, the profesh’s will help with wardrobe edits (additions, donations, repairs, etc.), and will advise on any shopping needs. Wilkis Wilson believes that “a well-organized wardrobe and a trusted style advisor are fundamental to looking your best.” Fitz is currently only available in New York City, but planned expansion to surrounding areas is coming soon.
We caught up with this lovely entrepreneur to pick her brain and find out her particular recipe for success (and style inspo too).
Brit + Co: Let’s start back when you were a little girl — what did you want to be when you grew up?
Alexandra Wilkis Wilson: An Olympic gymnast like Mary Lou Retton, [but] that dream faded once I hit 5’6″ in the seventh grade.
B+C: What was your first job?
WW: When I was 14, I sold Planet Hollywood merchandise in the Planet Hollywood boutique in Coconut Grove, Florida, one summer. My mom drove me to and from the boutique every day. I learned how to fold t-shirts and how to sell almost anything (no matter how tacky), in English, Spanis, and Portuguese.
B+C: Flashing forward to the earlier days of your professional career, what lessons from Gilt and GLAMSQUAD are you now applying to Fitz?
WW: I learned how important it is to hire very smart people who work well together tirelessly to innovate and execute, and who understand the importance of being flexible in a startup. I learned how important it is to test ideas and hypotheses regularly, to learn from these tests by analyzing relevant data, and to recognize that failed tests are just as valuable as the successful ones. I [also] learned that startups are a roller coaster and entrepreneurs will have good days and bad days, therefore don’t sweat the small stuff, always think big, and move forward.
B+C: What’s some advice you would give for young, female entrepreneurs hoping to succeed in the digital commerce world?
WW: Figure out what you are good at [and] what you are passionate about. Build and maintain your network. Be a nice person.
B+C: Lastly and unrelated (but necessary), what is one piece of clothing (or accessory) you can’t live without?
WW: I really like my Rainier Black Leather Moto Jacket ($795) from The Arrivals. It’s the only purchase I have ever made because of an Instagram ad.
Love organizing everything? Follow us on Pinterest for more closet clean-up tips and hacks!
