Having a conversation with Stephanie Nass, founder of Chefanie, inevitably leaves you inspired to host your next gathering or refresh your tableware, at the very least. A creative force, Stephanie founded her culinary-driven lifestyle brand just a year post-grad, and it has since evolved into a social media favorite and go-to source for stylish homegoods and beyond. Case in point: her book with Rizzoli, ‘Swing By!: Entertaining Recipes and the New Art of Gathering,’ just became available for pre-sale and will be released in September. Read on to learn how she develops her unique product offerings, how she’s navigated global expansion and the advice she’d impart on anyone launching their own biz.
Tell us about your career before founding Chefanie in 2014.
There was not much of it... Only one year between graduating college and founding my company! In that period, I was a financial analyst at a database software company in Silicon Valley.
It's crazy (and very lucky) to say, but from a young age, I knew that I wanted to create a culinary-driven lifestyle brand. I made many decisions based on this goal including my internships and stages during school. That said, having studied art and cooked a bunch in restaurants as an undergrad, I knew that I was lacking financial knowledge to start a business, so my first job really filled that gap and prepared me for what was to follow.
What was the inspiration behind Chefanie, and how did it evolve into a culinary lifestyle brand?
The inspiration is a deep passion for bringing people together over edible and visual beauty. In terms of evolution, the supper club I started hosting in my first apartment led to a catering business, which positioned me to share my culinary knowledge on my social media platforms and TV, while also blossoming into a homegoods business.
The fashion world and social media influencer landscape have unique demands. How did your background in these areas influence the creation and development of Chefanie?
The fashion industry does photos best, and content creators have taken note, following suit. People need to fall in love, and imagery is critical to helping that happen. Investing in photoshoots is a priority, and we shoot each holiday 4-6 months before it, allowing us to show our wholesale partners product with enough time to produce for them.
Victory Club, corporate events, and hundreds of other engagements – how have these experiences shaped your expertise in the art of entertaining, and what lessons have you learned along the way?
Practice makes perfect ... or almost. All these events over all these years have honed my knowledge and perspective on the art of entertaining. More on this in my forthcoming book with Rizzoli :)
Your products, from Chefanie Sheets to the tableware and accessories lines, have garnered attention globally. Can you walk us through your approach to product development and the key considerations you consider when launching new items under the Chefanie brand?
I really focus on producing things that are not easily available in the market and/or can be made at a more accessible price. As I'm an avid consumer of tableware and homegoods and as a person who lives on Earth, I avoid redundancy. When i'm working on something totally novel, I create a mock-up with paint or Photoshop.
Your products are available globally, from Revolve to boutique stores across various continents. How do you approach international expansion?
I really credit Instagram and other digital channels with this wide reach! I invest in sharing high quality photos and videos daily. Social media does not have international borders, and these platforms do an amazingggg job of serving our content to a relevant audience. So we've been able to connect with wholesale accounts all over the world by communicating our aesthetic.
How do you connect with the millennial and Gen Z audiences who are enthusiastic about elevated entertaining?
Again, social media content - but more video than flat imagery... more Tiktok than Pinterest.
Can you share any exciting collaborations or partnerships Chefanie has been involved in, and how do these alliances contribute to the brand's growth and visibility?
Nothing I love more than partnering with brands on campaigns. It is a joy to share products that I love with my audiences. The cross tagging means both brands benefit from double the audience. Also love design collaborations, which is something we've done from shoes to cookies.
As a creator and entrepreneur, what advice do you have for aspiring individuals in the culinary and lifestyle industry, particularly those looking to create a brand?
My best advice is to start. Once you get going, you'll get feedback in the wild. Then it's up to you to decide how and if you want to incorporate it!
Kensington Grey
View ProfilePK PR & BRANDING
View ProfileJ Public Relations
View ProfileNJF an MMGY Global Company
View ProfileLFB Media Group, BMF Media
View ProfileThe Berman Group
View Profilealice + olivia
View ProfileElliot Carlyle
View ProfileBlack Frame
View ProfileThe Communications Bureau
View ProfileApollo Theater
View ProfileAlison Brod Marketing + Communications
View ProfileSmall Girls PR
View ProfileMillerKnoll
View ProfileWednesday Agency
View ProfileMeg Connolly Communications
View ProfilePR Consulting
View ProfileM18
View ProfilePreferred Hotels & Resorts
View ProfileWhitney Museum of American Art
View ProfileRelevance International
View ProfileCJC Insights
View ProfileChristie's
View ProfileBMF
View ProfileBecca
View ProfilePineapple Co / MKG
View ProfileRon Wendt Design
View ProfileCultural Counsel
View ProfileCadillac
View ProfileMKG
View ProfileSimmons PR
View ProfileBrandstyle Communications
View ProfileBerlinRosen
View Profileaf&co.
View ProfileBacchus Agency
View Profile12.29
View ProfileGeneral Motors
View ProfileClaur Magazine & Creative Agency
View Profileb.good PR
View Profile12.29
View ProfileCare of Chan
View ProfileVan Wyck & Van Wyck
View ProfileBillion Dollar Boy
View ProfileLittle Gem
View ProfileBrandstyle Communications
View ProfileMMCurate
View ProfileNo. 29 Communications
View ProfileAmazon
View ProfileMMGY Wagstaff
View ProfileChristie's
View ProfileChristie’s.
View ProfileAZZI+CO
View ProfileBattalion PR
View ProfileBPCM
View ProfileNike Communications
View ProfileLaForce
View ProfileIRO PARIS
View ProfilePaul Wilmot Communications
View ProfileThe Brandman Agency
View ProfileMagrino Agency
View ProfileSHADOW
View ProfileThe 5th Column
View ProfileCabana
View ProfileCatherine Miran Press Office
View ProfileThe Flair Index
View ProfileFactory PR
View ProfileKate Spade
View ProfileBlack Flower Agency
View ProfileGia Kuan Consulting
View ProfilePurple
View ProfileLesley Vecsler Communications
View ProfileDi Petroff PR
View ProfileCarfrae Consulting
View ProfileQuinn PR
View ProfileEmily P. Wheeler
View ProfileLinda Gaunt Communications
View ProfileLaura Neilson
View ProfileSix One Agency
View ProfileParasol Marketing
View ProfileAlpha Kilo
View ProfileSoho House & Co.
View ProfileMarie Claire
View ProfileH&S
View ProfileKWT Global
View ProfileTHE CONSULTANCY PR
View ProfileThe Select 7
View ProfileModern Luxury
View ProfileSEEN Group
View ProfileRachel Cole Art Advisory
View ProfileModern Luxury
View ProfileNike Communications
View ProfileBICOM Communications
View ProfileWalker Drawas
View ProfileStylists to a T
View ProfileSmall Luxury Hotels of the World
View ProfileEddie Zaratsian
View ProfileThe Communications Store
View ProfileThe A List
View ProfileLaForce
View ProfileFunctional Creative Design
View ProfileBullfrog + Baum
View ProfileThe Gathery
View ProfileJenelle Hamilton Inc.
View ProfileTaco Bell
View Profile