CEO Patrick Herning of 11 Honoré is Jane Wells' latest guest on CEOs You Should Know.
Herning is the founder and CEO of the first multi-designer e-commerce platform for the 'plus' customer. What does that mean? It's for customers who wear sizes 12-24 who want to shop for comfortable casual weekend essentials, as well as dresses that can suit any occasion. From big formal wear events, to workwear essentials and flowy feminine dresses, the dresses are from some of most sought after designers in the world including: Marc Jacobs, Mara Hoffman, Tanya Taylor, Christian Siriano, Milly, Jason Wu and Monique Lhuillier.
Herning says he knows he'll never understand what life as a plus-sized woman is like, but he can relate to the marginalization they must feel, due to his experience as a gay man.
"A gay man in his 40s is very different from a gay man coming up professionally today," Herning said. "And having that sense of judgment around who you are, for being who you are. I share that with the customer and it's that bond that has connected me to her, much more so, than the clothes themselves."
When asked if he always wanted to be a entrepreneur, Herning pauses, before answering with a smile.
"I don't know if I always wanted to be an entrepreneur, I just knew I didn't like having a boss," he said.