Alumna Finds Success in Alternative Career Path

 

Nestled in the heart of a chic, aged building on the corner of Houston and Broadway is Stone Fox Bride, an alternative wedding gown showroom known for their dreamy designs and heavenly vibe. A glamorous Bedouin tent stands in the showroom and serves as the office space while the rest of the space is airy with racks of one-of-a-kind wedding gowns, vintage jewelry and fairy-like flower crowns.

This budding business is the brainchild of New School alumna, Molly Guy, who fell in love with the idea of opening her own store after getting married in 2010.

“After I got married, I casually said to a friend, ‘Too bad I couldn’t get married as a career because I really enjoyed my wedding,’ ” she recalled. “One thing led to another. That was four years ago and here we are today.”

But this isn’t where Guy expected to be. She had a lifelong goal of being a writer, the Lena Dunham of her time. But because of the curve balls that life throws, Guy is now the owner of a successful bridal gown store. Having never been to school for fashion or business, Guy was still able to succeed in an industry she didn’t know anything about. As a college student, the pressure to decide what career to choose is always looming. But as Guy proves, just because you major in a specific subject, doesn’t mean it ends up being your life.

After graduating from Brown University in 1999 with an honors degree in creative writing and English, Guy moved to New York City to be a magazine editor in hopes of one day writing books. She was having a Carrie Bradshaw fantasy moment.

“I just got my own email address and my first cell phone – just to give you a little bit of an idea of where we were technologically,” Guy said.

Out of college, she was able to land a full-time gig as the assistant of the executive editor of YM, a popular 90s teen magazine whose covers were graced by the likes of Amanda Bynes (pre-cheek piercing) and the Backstreet Boys, all clad in leather pants and jackets.

“I was on the phone with Lil’ Bow Wow. I was travelling with the back up dancers for NSYNC. I was interviewing the woman that did Pink’s hair,” said Guy, shaking her head at the thought of it all.

But the glitz and glam of working at a fancy magazine quickly faded.

“It’s a tough pill to swallow when you realize that your job is not always going to be a reflection of your intellectual life or your cultural landscape,” she said. “But the second you start thinking you’re too good for something, your career is over.”

Guy’s next move was to enroll at The New School for a master in creative writing.

“When I came out of my master’s program, I got a book deal. I sold my graduate thesis and I thought that my career as a novelist and a freelance writer was about to take off,” she said. “But it didn’t.”

Once again, Guy was faced with the harsh reality of a competitive New York job market, an issue that a large number of recent graduates grapple with.

“I didn’t have a job so I had to take a job as a beauty copywriter [at a cosmetic company] to make money. And I hated it,” Guy said.

She found that hitting her low was what helped her become who she is today.

“The ironic part about the whole thing is that I’m working on a new book proposal and I do a lot of writing now for the Stone Fox Bride blog and my book and for other magazines,” Guy said.

Guy suggests that even if students are getting every creative juice sucked out of them by the painfully grueling, swivel chair, plastic-desk job, they should always keep their creative passion on the side; Whether that be writing about your all-too-perfect crush in your journal or making intricate macaroni sculptures, keep it up and let that be the force that drives you out of the corporate choke-hold and into the coddling arms of your dream job.

“If what you are meant to do is be a writer and be a journalist then you’ll figure out a way to do it. But it doesn’t come easily to anyone. Smart, tenacious people figure out a way. Pursue what you want, be really smart and don’t give up.” said Guy.

Despite the fact that owning a bridal gown store was not what Guy had planned, she is proud of the business she has created, pushing the boundaries of conventional wedding stores. Stone Fox Bride’s 2013 look book featured Jemima Kirke of HBO’s hit series “Girls” locking lips with another woman, both clad in flowing signature gowns and flower crowns. Despite the busy schedule of running a business, Guy has found her own way of weaving in her passion for writing.

“I really like owning my own business,” she said. “It’s really fun doing my own thing right now so I don’t want have plans to give it up.”