Taylor Koontz (she/her), is the Marketing and E-Commerce Manager here at Meg. She's responsible for our beautiful Instagram feed and our weekly e-mails.
This Pride Month, we caught up with her to learn more about her journey at Meg and find out what being a queer woman in New York means to her.
Taylor wears the Ruffle Sleeve Babydoll Dress in Deep Ocean.
A: I’m originally from Virginia and moved to the city in 2016 to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology. It’s hard to believe that that was almost seven years ago! I have always wanted to live in New York, ever since I was 13 and visited for the first time.
Q: How did you come to work at Meg? And what do you like about the company?
A: When I originally started working at Meg I was the store manager of the Archive Store in the East Village. I ran that store until it closed last fall. I was then promoted to Marketing and E-commerce Manager, which is what I do now! It has been a great learning experience for me, and I love working for a small, woman-run company. It’s so much fun to be able to see firsthand how a collection is made, from the initial sketches and pattern-making to samples and final pieces.
Taylor wears the Fay Pant and Fabienne Blazer in Flax, as well as the Cropped Tee in White.
Q: How do you celebrate pride month and what does it mean to you?
A: I love being able to celebrate Pride with my chosen family. We try to do a little bit of everything during Pride Month, from partying at House of Yes and Nowadays, to going to the Pride Parade and Dyke March. To me, Pride is about celebrating and uplifting the LGBTQ+ community.
We have been through so much to get to where we are today, individually and collectively. Pride is a great time to celebrate ourselves, celebrate each other, and remember that there is still a lot of work to be done in the future.
Q: How do you feel about being a queer woman in the current political climate?
A: Watching this country take so many steps in the wrong direction is hard. As someone who can pass as straight and is cis, I have the immense privilege of not having to worry as much about being targeted in hate crimes. However, for many of my friends and many queer people, especially those who do not live in New York, this is an everyday fear they face. Many of my friends have been or know someone who has been attacked recently, both verbally and physically.
It’s really hard to watch parts of queer culture that bring so much joy to the community, like drag performances, be banned and shut down for no reason other than blatant transphobia and homophobia. It’s insane to watch government officials say that drag harms children, and then do nothing about the gun violence that in fact is killing children every day.
The best thing we can do for the queer community is stay informed and continue to protect and stand up for each other, especially for our trans brothers and sisters.
Taylor wears the Odette Pants in Blue Stripe and the Boyfriend Shirt in White.
Q: The organization Callen-Lorde that we are fundraising for is an organization that you brought to the company. What about their work is essential for you to support?
A: My good friend Devin brought the organization to my attention and I’m so glad he did. Callen-Lorde makes it possible for queer people, most importantly trans people, to get the healthcare access they need. They do not turn people away who don’t have the ability to pay for their services. They are also advocators for community health education and are leading the way for important research that is being done for the community.
To support Callen-Lorde this Pride Month, you can purchase the super cute Pride Hoops, or make your own monetary donation here.
Thanks so much for this interview, Taylor! We are so happy that you're a part of the Meg team.