Hannah Richtman Gushes About The Power of Community
Hear from The Break’s founder about friendship and business.
The Break founder Hannah Richtman knows a thing or two about a good time as the entrepreneur has created a career centered around community.
First making her mark with the former Brooklyn It girl hot spot — Richtman closed the original Greenpoint location and relocated to the Lower East Side — the Wisconsin native has always put friends at the forefront of her business, one way or another. Those who have had the fortune of visiting the living and breathing Pinterest board will know that it’s not just the expertly curated vintage and dreamy home decor that pulls people in. The Break has an undeniable and palatable vibe — it’s like being inside the living room of an impossibly cool girl you just can’t help but want to be friends with and drink too much wine while you try on each other’s clothes. “I never felt like being chic and being kind had to be mutually exclusive,” Richtman shares.
The Break
The master curator of vibes started out this way, growing her after hours past time into not one, but two full-fledged businesses. After coming to the consensus with her Instagram followers that the perfect high-cut, booty-flattering thong didn’t exist, a friend slid into Richtman’s DM’s helping her start gush, her intimates brand. “I spent hours talking about thongs with friends and strangers, exchanging nudes, gushing about little black thongs. It was so much fun to learn something new alongside so many excited and supportive women.”
Continue scrolling to hear more about the power of community and fashion from Hannah below.
Gush
How did you get your start as an entrepreneur and businesswoman? How did you conceptualize The Break and build your unique community?
I moved to New York from Wisconsin at 18 years old and immediately started working in fashion. I think like most industries, fashion can feel really elitist and isolating. I never felt like being chic and being kind had to be mutually exclusive. I craved a space where we didn’t have to take ourselves so seriously. I started The Break right out of university with the goal to create a place where you could shop, eat, drink, dance, f–k and sleep all under one roof that was inclusive and rooted in kindness. True generosity of spirit.
I wanted to see if other people would be interested in cultivating something like this with me, so I wrote out a business plan and got to work. I started really small with vintage because that’s what I knew. I grew up sourcing and thrifting in Wisconsin and had a huge inventory of pieces that I used as a stylist. I would shoot vintage in a contemporary, editorial way and post the collections online, as well as throw parties, all from my apartment. Originally, it was just my friends and I drinking wine and trying on clothes, but eventually, people from Instagram started showing up. I never wanted to shove anything down anyone’s throat, I wanted to see if the concept of The Break was something that people genuinely wanted. It was always clear that The Break is best experienced IRL, but we kept innovating virtually, selling pieces on our website through our distinct merchandising and eventually being the first to sell on Instagram stories, expanding our reach and having the best time ever.
While I’ve always been obsessed with fashion and design, The Break was never about the clothes or a product. Retail was a vehicle to have a venue. We hosted people every day whether they were coming to shop, have a glass of wine or just hang out. So many friendships have been made and we’ve grown to be an absolutely beautiful community of like-minded individuals that support one another and collaborate. I built The Break with open arms and a lot of rosé. It’s always been about being a great host and making people feel comfortable and included.
gush’s origin story went viral on TikTok because so many of us were searching for the perfect thong. Can you share the difficulties you had in creating gush and how the intimates industry is failing women and different shapes?
gush was the total opposite of The Break in that I absolutely did not plan to launch a business. It all started when I posted to Instagram about wanting a very specific thong — high cut, low coverage, fabric that doesn’t pinch or bunch. There are so many black thongs on the market, but none that I could find that fit all of these specific characteristics. I received so many DMs from women who were looking for the exact same thing. I spent hours talking about thongs with friends and strangers, exchanging nudes, gushing about little black thongs. They told me to make it, but I had no idea how. A friend slid in and told me she used to work for a lingerie company and knew a great pattern maker and would connect me if I was interested. I booked a meeting with her out of curiosity and she immediately took on the project, connected me with her friend in production and we got to work. It’s been a total whirlwind.
I think that intimates are so specific to personal preference, and I made the gush LBT to fit my idea of the perfect black thong. It took me almost two years to get everything ready for launch. I posted the entire process on Instagram and it truly became a group passion project. I think a lot of times when we’re in the middle of working on something, we simply don’t ask for feedback, even though that’s when it’s most valuable. It was so much fun to learn something new alongside so many excited and supportive women.
Gush
Can you talk about the development process and journey to creating the perfect thong? Why do you think intimates take such time and care to develop?
I spent a lot of time making sure that the materials were high-quality, that the cut was right, but also that it represented what wanted on a personal level. I wore it and washed it like crazy to really experience what it would be like incorporated into my life. I own a lot of thongs and I can tell you from experience that cut and material make all the difference when it comes to what goes between your cheeks. It has to feel good, but it also has to look good. Underwear is usually the first thing you put on when you’re getting ready and if it makes you feel empowered then you carry that energy with you throughout the day. I want people to put on gush and go, ” wow, I feel f–king amazing” and then forget that they’re even wearing it, so they can focus on what really matters.
Given that you’re already a vintage store owner and work in fashion, can you discuss the journey of bootstrapping your own underwear line and venturing into a different sector of your industry without a rulebook?
I think there’s very rarely a rulebook and in order to do anything on your own you have to get very comfortable with taking risks. An optimistic mindset is everything. One difficult part for me was transitioning my mind from working on The Break where our audience and mission are quite broad to focus on something much more niche. I’m usually very impatient, but I gave myself the flexibility and the time necessary to learn about the process of creating a product from start to finish. Developing the world around gush was such a thrill. I learned how to code so I could build the website I wanted. I worked with one insanely talented friend to design the logo and packaging, I worked with other friends to shoot the campaign. I did as much as I could myself and asked friends for help with what I couldn’t. I am so grateful and it’s really only the beginning.
What advice would you give to emerging creatives and entrepreneurs who want to make something that doesn’t exist yet?
Almost everything already exists, but our perspectives and experiences make our work unique. Imagine if there was just one kind of T-shirt. The joy of fashion is that we have so many options and can find or create the best fit for our bodies or preferences. If you’re looking for something specific, there’s a good chance others are too. There’s room for all of us. Make something because you want it. Focus less on what you’re making and more on why you’re making it. Genuinely connect with those around you and ask for help. Sharing is caring and nothing feels better than gushing about something you love with people who feel the same.
