Triangle Home Fashions- in conversation with Jenny Zhu
Every design icon started with a dream and a genesis story that inspired their ideas and fueled their pursuit to realize some lofty goals. Triangle Home Fashions | Lush Décor Founder and CEO, Jenny Zhu had a similar start when she left her small village in China and moved to San Francisco — learning English and enrolling in FIT in short order all to pursue that dream. In 2008, Jenny founded Triangle Home Fashions and its signature brand, Lush Décor — a home textiles company that designs markets, and distributes unique home fashions for every room, every lifestyle, and every life stage. Today, we are in conversation with Jenny to learn more about her company, its values, and what comes next.
Jenny, you founded Triangle Home Fashions in 2008. Tell us about your journey — what was your initial vision, how did you implement it, and how did you reach the level you are at today?
“From an early age, I wanted to be a businesswoman like a young female entrepreneur I read about in magazines. I was also inspired by Vera Wang and her beautiful bridal gowns. She’s not only an extraordinary designer but also a great businesswoman. After I immigrated to the states, my goal was to have my own line and build a company. In fact, my first bedding design was white with all the intricate details of a bride’s dress!
“In 2002, I enrolled in FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology), but the fashion programs were filled. I chose the textile design and I was off to the races!”
“After working for a few years in the industry, I felt that there was a gap in the market for affordable luxury products in the home, also I felt there was a better way to do business efficiently and control margin. Timing is everything and we launched a home décor company in 2008 during the Great Recession! This was a time when brick & mortar retail sales fell along with consumer confidence. At that time, e-comm was still young and e-tailers were looking for partners with great designs that could help them with both inventory and distribution channels. Most of our competitors were reluctant to change and viewed dropshipping small orders as a major inconvenience and impossible to handle. So, we focused on building a robust platform around distribution and warehousing that offered direct-to-consumer capabilities that most companies in our industry could not provide. We built our business from the ground up to serve the e-comm marketplace. This business model has paid off and, as we continue to build on this foundation, we have grown into the front runner for home textiles on every major e-commerce platform.
“My vision for the company has always been simple — offer beautifully detailed, great quality designs at accessible prices that exceed our customers’ expectations. A design can change the entire vibe of a space and we curate our collections to help customers find the perfect item to suit their personal style. Our products can be bold and colorful or subtle with layers of texture. We offer designs to fit every room, every lifestyle, and every life stage — from baby to empty nesters. We are obsessed with design and quality and I surround myself with a team of very talented designers who work hard to bring the company’s vision to life.
“We started small with a few employees and worked, wearing many hats, in a 4,000 sq. foot space. We manually fulfilled each order. Today, a strong tech focus and data-driven approach are the keys to our growth story. Building a robust warehouse and distribution platform is the reason we continue to win in the e-comm field. Our systems are built on being able to pick, pack and ship to the consumer within 24 hours. It’s that speed to market that is critical to our success.
What purpose and values do you hold as an organization? Tell us more about the team and how you all work together with a common vision and united goal.
“The company is built on four pillars that reflect our vision, values, and goals. Design, Quality, Our Team, and Social Consciousness.
“Design and quality are key in keeping our customers happy and returning. We constantly evaluate customer feedback and insights to help inform our design process. Our goal is to inspire our customers with our designs to show we operate as a company. Our service is reflected by our diversified team. Our talented and dedicated team is focused on our vision and they are the biggest part of our success. We are proudly diverse — collectively, we have roots in 8 countries, speak more than 11 languages, and are 60% women. We still operate more like a start-up — it’s an energetic and entrepreneurial culture where every voice is equal and heard.
“Our purpose is to not only do good work but do good work that matters. We have partnered with Make-A-Wish® on a licensed children’s collection and, over the past 18 months, have contributed to more than 80-bedroom makeover wishes for children with critical illnesses. We also ensure safe and sustainable products with our certified Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX® guarantee — meaning our products are tested and certified against 350 harmful chemicals and offer many recycled cotton products. Good for you and good for the environment!
“E-comm business operates at a fast, ever-evolving pace. I would fail fast and learn from it then standstill. One of my favorite parts of the day is listening and sharing feedback from the team. It’s important to be surrounded by a group of smart, passionate, positive, and confident people who you know have got your back. It’s a big part of what makes this company work.”
Thanks for sharing, Jenny.
