Women nurture support in co-op

Elia Powers

Newport Beach entrepreneur Lisa Morrison is following two golden

rules of business: Find a niche market and never turn down a feasible

proposal.

Morrison, 28, worked for years in a cosmetic surgeon’s office

while she studied to become a fashion designer.

The medical-field experience motivated her to create Look No Wire,

a bra and panty line targeted primarily at women who have undergone

breast augmentation surgery.

Morrison founded her company, Acrobat Bra, two years ago, with the

intention of giving women more stylish options. She targets women who

are fresh out of the operating room with a surgical bra designed to

help increase blood flow and minimize scar tissue.

The products, which Morrison developed with the help of a

dermatologist, is also intended for breast cancer patients --

Morrison is setting aside $1 per sale for an eventual donation to a

cancer foundation.

Morrison leaves the sewing to professionals but does almost

everything herself, from contacting manufacturers to attending

textile shows.

“I love being involved,” Morrison said. “It’s a control thing. I

need to be there every step of the way and OK every pattern.”

Most of her products cost $35 to $75, and Morrison is marketing

her lingerie to those in the medical field. She said more than a

dozen medical offices are now recommending her product.

On most weekdays, Morrison works out of an Irvine office called

The Pond. If not for this unique space-sharing arrangement, Morrison

admits much of her business plan would be untenable.

Last summer, businesswoman and attorney Kim Olenicoff started The

Pond as a place to help women turn their ideas into sustainable

businesses.

“I found that there were a lot of women who had the energy and

focus but didn’t know how to bring their products to the market,”

Olenicoff said. “What we needed was a co-op.”

The women split office rent, discuss business plans and share

shipping costs and sales representatives.

Each woman has her own assistant and bottom line.

Olenicoff owns Hot Dog Greetingwear, a company that produces

greeting cards with undergarments folded inside.

Lauren Fish runs Angelfish, a custom-design jewelry company. She

describes their businesses as being in the tadpole stage, in need of

nurturing and support.

Morrison said the office arrangement is ideal for her company.

“At first, you are just making the bills,” Morrison said. “You

need all the support you can get. We feed off each other. The energy

in here is better than it would be sitting at home and working

alone.”

Later this summer, Morrison, Olenicoff and Fish are traveling to

New York, where they will unveil new fashion lines at a trade show.

Morrison still relies heavily on private investors and

word-of-mouth customers. She is surrounded by women who are in

similar situations.

“This is a good place to start,” Morrison said.