Starting a fashion label comes many obstacles — sourcing materials and production facilities alone require steep capital upfront. Add in the necessity for marketing tools, the need to balance creativity with commercial success, and the ever-demanding design schedule, launching a clothing line is, in one word, difficult. Cushnie and Ochs also happen to also be businesswomen of color, a fact that shouldn’t be necessary to note but is, given how rare it still is. It's also yet another hurdle they've faced in a still-struggling-to-be-inclusive industry. “It’s been an uphill battle to seen as business women,” Ochs says during a visit to their showroom, which is bare in preparation for the model casting they're hosting for their fall 2018 show. It’s the calm before the storm.