As We Are: Ellen Bennett

“What’s the purpose? What’s the purpose for what I’m doing? There was a point when I had my beautiful office, my fucking swing set that I got installed in the office… I had all these materialistic things that I’ve always wanted. I thought, ‘I have it all!’ Then I realized, ‘Now what?’ What else is there? I had a life epiphany. I decided Hedley & Bennett would not just be an apron company to make money. It is going to be a company that will show people you can do more with the money you make as a business. At that moment, I decided I was going to have an incredible culture as a business and that every single person who works for me, works for me because they love working there. It would be a group…a family that is all united in one direction for the purpose of taking all that money and doing awesome shit like working with Alex’s Lemonade Stand. Now, I know what will keep me driving.” 

Photography by Isaac Sterling   

Creative Direction by Lucia Tran   

*"As We Are" is our new no-makeup portrait series. Learn more here. 

As We Are: Reggie Lee

Within an Asian family, I can tell you that fear is a huge thing... It's a huge basis for why you do what you do. There's a fear of failure. I was always the kid that gets an A and would do extra credit to assure that I would keep that A, or get an A+. Even now, this fear spills over to my lifestyle. I have of a fear of losing stability... Like I'm going to be done and never work again. I feel this every day. 

Photography by Isaac Sterling   

Creative Direction by Lucia Tran   

*"As We Are" is our new no-makeup portrait series. Learn more here. 

As We Are: Natalie Dreyfuss

"My Mom worked on episodic, which is sometimes 18-hour days. I never saw her. I was alone a lot. I want to create that sense of family. I want a house that's so loud and annoying that you just want to claw your eyes out and go be by yourself, because I've spent so much time in solitude. I'm a rare person that can handle being alone, and I'm alone a lot actually. I travel a lot and I'm very extremely independent. But it's not what I want. I want to be surrounded by loved ones. The big Thanksgivings and all that stuff that I think people sometimes take for granted, because they come from that. I didn't come from that. So it's my goal to have a healthy family that continues to grow much after I'm gone, that would be like the Academy Awards of my life.”

Photography by Isaac Sterling   

Creative Direction by Lucia Tran   

*"As We Are" is our new no-makeup portrait series. Learn more here.