By: Samantha Romano
Anna Zarlinga was at a crossroads. Having recently moved to Upstate New York, she felt a sense of isolation in an unfamiliar environment. She had an important choice to make. What happens next? Constantly living in melancholy wasn’t an option. The only way to find normalcy was to create it herself. Little did Anna know her decision to work at a local boutique transformed the course of her life.
“I started working and got experience with business management and branding. I started working two days a week…something about being in an industry of entrepreneurship and helping people get outfits for life events, I was always meant to be in this.” Anna reminisces about her earlier days.
Anna was simultaneously working for Chanel Beauty out of Syracuse. She believed her calling was to become a makeup artist having worked for several beauty chains previously.
Makeup did end up playing a role in changing Anna’s life- just not in the way you’d think. “For my senior thesis, I created a brand from the ground up,” she explained before introducing the name of her brainchild, Hellbent.
Hellbent: a powerful word that Zarlinga felt was missing from the industry. But Hellbent, as a makeup brand, temporarily came to a halt. Working in retail created sparks of inspiration though. Soon Anna revisited the idea of starting up her brand.
Hellbent made a return but in a revamped form. Anna shifted her focus from makeup to designing and creating her clothes. There was an issue though- Would people take her seriously? Starting a clothing brand was a big step. “I don’t know if people took me seriously because they thought it was a side project and it was. I started screen printing in my apartment and then was outsourcing pieces ‘, Anna shared.
As Hellbent progressed into a sizable brand her anxiety over people’s perceptions faded. Zarlinga became her boss, swapping the traditional 9-5 for owning her brand.
Anna joined the game with some experience under her belt. Graduating with a degree in graphic design, she credits her education with helping her create Hellbent’s image. It was an unorthodox use of her degree, she notes, but a smart move. She made her degree work for her instead of working for her degree
Image is important to Zarlinga. Hellbent has long incorporated her artistic touch into its merchandise and marketing. But Anna is always learning. Ralph Lauren is known for their old money aesthetic, and Vivienne Westwood for her eclectic punk, but what about Hellbent? She recognizes the importance of a signature look and is slowly creating one for the brand.
“My ideal customer is inspired by a French girl who moved to the US. She lived in Malibu and maybe she moved down to the South to settle down but also to find her personality” Anna explains, noting the brands’ Raleigh Roots.
A lot of people perceive Southern style as preppy or in-your-face. Anna likes to think her brand can be a balance between the contemporary nature of urban fashion and the boldness of southern flairs. Her current merchandise offers a mix of statement pieces and everyday basics.
Recently, Anna announced via Instagram that Hellbent will be opening its first brick-and-mortar location! This marks the first step down an important path of development, leading the brand into a new era. Even in the face of excitement, though, Anna lets her humility shine by thanking the greater Raleigh community for loving her business from the very start.
Their first location will provide an opportunity for Hellbent to expand its own identity and inventory but will also serve as a multifunctional space to highlight other women-owned and BIPOC brands.
“I think I’ve always envisioned Hellbent being alongside other brands. One day it would be cool to have a Hellbent store but I love the idea of mixing and matching with other tones.” Zarlinga added.
The decision to bring in other brands pays homage to her beginnings. Hellbent debuted at the boutique where Anna was employed in Upstate New York. Now, she repeats the same practice that expanded her brand. Maybe it is her contribution to the karmic cycle but decisions like this show the unspoken solidarity among women-owned businesses.
Anna represents the young generation of female entrepreneurs who transformed their dreams into reality amid the hardships caused by the recent pandemic.
“I had to keep the ball rolling. If I didn’t do it, it would never happen. Butterfly effect, I probably didn’t need to go to college but it was the reason I started this brand.” Anna reflects.
Her lesson is clear: dedicating effort to your dreams already sets you apart from the 99% who often abandon theirs. Listen to your mind- it communicates with you for a reason.
“It’s all the lens you look through. It’s destiny, the universe, god. You have to recognize it”.
You can shop Hellbent’s collection at https://shophellbent.com. Her store is set to open on April 1st, 2024 at 540 St Saint Albans Dr, Raleigh, North Carolina (Suite 118).