Sch-Rel Desire is the owner of the S Desire luxury loungewear collection. The 36-year-old entrepreneur from Philadelphia started her fashion business at the age of 23 while finishing college and working full-time as a software support analyst for credit unions.
In honor of Women’s History Month and our celebration of women across the globe, we sat down with the brand owner to learn more of her story.
“As early as age 15, I was passionate about hair and beauty, so I used to get paid by my friends and the local neighborhood girls to do their hair,” she told Travel Noire. “At 19, I signed up as an Avon sales rep, which helped motivate me to start my boutique, Sch-Rel’s Beauty Boutique, a few years later.”
“I was always a girls’ girl and wanted to provide fashion and beauty items that made women feel fabulous and confident. In 2013, I rebranded my boutique as S Desire Brand and launched a new website, www.Sch-RelDesire.com.”
Sch-Rel says her desire to help women feel fabulous was inspired by her own struggles with self-esteem.
“In my younger years, I struggled with self-esteem and depression due to my weight. But at 15, I used all the imagery of confident women in music videos, fashion magazines, and television to push me out of my comfort zone to be my best self.”
“I adopted a healthier lifestyle and self-image, and wanted to inspire other women to do the same. I wanted to create products that motivated women to be their best selves, embrace their femininity, and boost their confidence.”
In her S Desire Brand size-inclusive online boutique, Sch-Rel sells what she refers to as slay essentials.
“I launched my very own luxury satin robe line, which is uniquely paired with matching scarves in exquisite prints and colors for women who enjoy luxuriating in style at home or on vacation.”
“We also sell glamorous accessories, intimates, and loungewear. As of this year, we are concentrating on slay bundles, which take the work out of slaying by providing a combination of nightwear, loungewear, and accessories all-in-one for a complete look.”
“When the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year, I decided to change the direction of my brand by focusing on our new lifestyles at home. It was important for me to make sure that we as women did not lose ourselves while stuck at home.”
“My brand brings women the power to feel fabulous, fierce, and fearless. I created products that allow women to indulge in their femininity, self-care, and self-love in style. The world we live in has constant chaos and conflict, and we often forget to prioritize ourselves while dealing with all the responsibilities of daily life.”
“I wanted to ensure that women are still taking the time to pour into themselves by creating luxury products that are transitional and timeless. I aim to solve the problem of women forgetting themselves in the demands of life by creating nightwear and loungewear that they can feel confident and proud to wear as they recalibrate themselves mentally, spiritually, and physically.”
“Whether they are having girl time therapy over brunch and tea, happy hour at home over cocktails, a sexy evening with their spouse or lover, or just a lazy day on the couch— my products are created to fashionably fit each and every moment.”
Each Friday at 9 p.m. EST, Sch-Rel hosts an Instagram live segment called Cocktails & Convo.
“It’s a virtual girls’ night that allows me to showcase my passion and knowledge of mixology. I created this segment to provide a space for my supporters to socialize, shop live, and form a sisterhood of slayage I call ‘The Fabulous Formation.'”
You can follow the S Desire Brand at @sdesirebrand and shop the collection at www.Sch-RelDesire.com.