From the moment you meet Sheylin Luna, the woman behind the brand Capable Ry, you immediately gain a sense of authenticity. And this is not curated authenticity, much of it we see these days, but one that stems from a woman who has a story to tell.
In fact, this is the first thing she brings up when asked about her journey so far, “The story always begins with a girl who had a dream and somehow found herself on a path that deviated far along the spectrum. Capable Ry shares so many facets, so many stories, and lots of moments that have inspired me and compelled me to keep creating. But don't think for one second that this brand blossomed from a place of beauty because it is a story far from that.”
Defined as a “mother's creative outlet,” Sheylin's Capable Ry showcases 'curated modern/minimalist pieces styled with the vintage collective in mind.' The brand aims for two things for its audience.
“Timeless and versatile, we hope our pieces can carry you through each season life brings and allow room to style as you wish,” Sheylin enthused.
More than just a brand, Capable Ry's ability to weave stories and inspiration is what sets it apart. The reason for this is because of Sheylin's authenticity and desire to weave her own journey into the story of her brand.
“The beauty about having a creative outlet is the journey that unfolds through each season you face, as you are 'becoming.' As the story transforms, the finer details are brought to light and the intent behind it all becomes that much more intimate, that much clearer and you find that there is so much gold to gain from this non-linear path.”
She then proceeds to sharing a bit more about her journey, “Let's rewind and get real here. Let's get transparent. Let's bring forth moments of defeat, shame, doubt, comparison etc. Let's bring to light that we're human and we feel all the above. I had a long-fought battle between being a 'college graduate' or a being a 'college' dropout between the years 2013 to 2019. College dropout was the winning label along with six years of barista experience added to the resume, I was also married and two kids deep. It was not society's ideal picture of success but that was life and my heart was fuller than ever but my spirit was emptier than ever. I dealt with a lot of shame. I remember being asked the infamous question, 'so what are you doing now?' and I would always respond very vaguely.”
During this period, Sheylin was struggling with finding her purpose and so in 2019, as an effort to move forward, she decided to give college another try but that was when she realized that this path was not for her.
“I made the decision that after investing a few thousand dollars into trying college again, I came to terms that I was never going back. I had this deep yearning to create something, anything, but could not pinpoint exactly what it was going to be. By the end of 2019, I felt a tug towards being an entrepreneur. It came from a single emotion of pride. I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do but all I knew is I wanted to create something to call my own, to find something new to label myself as, and entrepreneur sounded like I had my life figured out.”
By 2020, Sheylin launched Minimal Modern Motherhood, an online boutique that offered all things mother, children, and home related goods.
“I began the pursuit completely unorganized and in no way prepared myself to succeed. I had no business knowledge; I threw money at different wholesalers as if I were a kid in a candy shop. I mean It was just complete chaos. I was more concerned about being labeled an 'entrepreneur' then actually putting the work in to successfully become one. Ouch. That business venture lasted all four months until I hit a wall. I was embarrassed, ashamed, defeated, and found myself back at square one, pleading to God to reveal my life purpose.”
Sheylin vulnerably continued, “I came to terms that I failed and I allowed the fear of failing to bring the entrepreneurial pursuit to a long pause. I went through a phase of exploring a social life again, going out with girlfriends, drinking one too many martinis and falling into the everyday mundane routine. The single thought remained in the back of my head. “There has to be more to life than this.”
And then inspiration hit, “I remember one night admiring a local clothing company, from the styles, to the marketing, the website, even down to the fonts displayed on the website, every fine detail of the business. I remember thinking how beautifully orchestrated the aesthetic of the brand intertwined and the thought of orchestrating my own brand seemed like just that…a thought.”
This lightbulb moment was further fueled by her love for her daughter, “Being a mother to a little girl does something to you, inspiring to say the least. My three-year old's love for playing dress up and all that it entailed re-lit my flame for women's fashion and inspired me to create something…again.”
She continued, “My days consisted of scrolling through the gram and I found myself clicking from one brand to another brand to another one and another one. In complete admiration at how beautiful it all was collectively. When you think of something beautiful, you typically think of some scenic sunset, maybe a grand waterfall hidden in a lush green forest or maybe a painting from decades ago. But what I found beautiful were brands that built themselves from the ground up, who curated different aesthetics that aligned with who they are, where they've been, what they stand for, the photography for campaigns, the unfolding of one's vision through visuals, through words, through their own…. creative outlet.”
It was this moment that she realized that she wanted to create a brand, “A brand that gives my story purpose and transforms my journey of defeat into an everyday reminder that 'I am capable', amidst the failures, prideful moments (that quickly humbled me), I mean really the list goes on.”
Sheylin revealed that this is the heart of Capable Ry, “Capable Ry aims to share my admiration for modern/ minimalistic wear, styled with the vintage collective in mind. And inspired by my daughter Rylyn and her affinity for playing dress up! A knack for fashion but a love for people. A brand should always be felt and we hope that everyone near and far we connect with the love we all deserve and leave feeling inspired by our journey to create and 'try again.'”
“We value transparency when it comes to sharing our story because it adds the human element and bridges the gap, we all need to remind ourselves that the perfect little squares we aimlessly scroll through are not always what they seem. There's a story that runs deep, an inspiration that feeds a passion and a mother who just needed a creative outlet to escape the everyday mundane, and remind herself that, heck she is capable!”
It is also a brand that serves a personal reminder that yes, she is indeed capable, “It serves as a reminder that I am capable and Ry is short for daughter Rylyn who has inspired the brand to become again.”
At the end of the day, Sheylin believes that everything in her life happened as it should to lead her to where she is today, “It has been a journey. God planted the seed in my heart back in 2019 and it took me a few years to find my niche and figure out how to get there but I am a true believer that there is purpose in everything that happens to us. I was meant to go through those years of confusion, frustration and defeat because those are the very moments that have propelled me to where I stand today.”
She concluded, “I have built (and am still building) Capable Ry from the ground up. I didn't go to a fashion school or obtain a business degree but I do know that if you've got enough grit and your intentions align with your purpose, then there is always a way. Because of my credentials (or lack of degrees/exposure) I find this journey that much more valuable because it is something I am truly building all on my own. If my story can touch at least one person, then I have accomplished the goal behind Capable Ry; which is to create regardless of your background, upbringing, credentials, etc. but create not out of selfish pursuit but to inspire and spread love and light. To truly leave people better than we had found them.”
To know more about Capable Ry, visit https://capablery.com/.
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