Dress for Success (2023) Movie Script

1
Whoo Hey
Whoo Whoo whoo
How do I look?
I think you look like a corporate lawyer.
Hm.
Well, that's the goal.
You're gonna use a slip stitch, right?
You know about slip stitches, but you're in my shop?
You know I don't have the time.
Where is my dress? Uh!
What are you doing? They're about to start calling names.
Girl, you know my best ideas spark in times of chaos.
Oh! But it was already perfect. Why are you changing it?
You'll see.
Oh, shoot. I need it for a meeting Monday morning.
It's out of my hands.
You young people and these pocket computers.
You think everything is out of your hands,
when actually everything is in your hands.
I'll get it for you Monday morning.
-Hm? -Thank you.
Now, our findings in this case thus far
gives us freat gaith...
great faith.
Great faith.
Come on, Fabi.
Great faith.
Gives us great faith. Okay.
Now you'll see here
that our findings in this case thus far
gives us great faith that...
Oh!
Fabienne Larke, what do you need?
It's nice to hear your voice too.
I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was you.
Wait.
Are you calling me on my work phone?
Because you don't answer the other one.
Fair enough. All right, what's up?
You sound tired.
- I am always tired. - Okay.
Well, can you get untired by...
-tomorrow? -Why?
Because I'm coming into town for a last minute
charity gala meeting, and I'd like to see you.
You're coming into town for a last minute...
charity gala meeting, are you?
Oh, gosh, it's just a meeting
with the designer for my dresses.
-It's no big deal. -Oh, is Marco coming?
Ah, no, he has a business trip.
But you know, what else is new?
Okay, well, I really, I don't think
that tomorrow is gonna work, honestly.
I've got a huge presentation. If it doesn't go well--
Fabi! It's been, like, four months.
What would our mother say?
I know, I know. It's just...
Right now, there might be a big promotion opening up.
And I just, I wanna be ready.
I am not trying to get in the way of your work.
I just wanna do lunch with my cousin.
It's perfect.
It's missing something.
Can we finish this in the morning? It's getting late.
Yeah.
Yeah. Sure.
Okay, I can do lunch.
Okay, good. Noon?
-Our spot? -Noon it is.
Don't work too hard, okay?
Wake up wake up wake up...
You know...
Life is like a dream
Watch out watch out watch out watch out
Road blocks
On the ground I see...
Gotta get my shake up
Life is my B-day...
Are you still working on the Chapman case?
Good morning to you too, Charlotte.
-Didn't you get the email? -What email?
Derrick sent it like ten minutes ago.
We just dropped Chapman.
What?
I was supposed to present to them.
Well, not anymore.
I don't understand. Why did we drop them?
-We're already so far in. -All right, look.
I'm not supposed to say anything,
but something bigger came along.
I'm talking making speeches on TV bigger.
Okay. Are you gonna tell me what it is?
No, well, it's not my news to share,
but I'm sure you'll find out about it in the meeting.
What meeting?
Fabienne, sweetie, you've really gotta
check your emails.
For too long,
Konera has been paying their workers the bare minimum
in order for them to ensure maximum profits.
Hey! Ho! The greedy courts have got to go!
Hey! Ho! The greedy courts have got to go!
Hey! Ho! The greedy courts have got to go!
Hey! Ho! The greedy courts have got to go!
Today, I stand here before you
demanding more for the people, us,
the people who helped run this corporation.
Today, we stand up.
Today, we speak up.
Today, we say we will no longer be silenced.
We will no longer be silenced.
We will no longer go hungry
while the corporate beast feasts.
We will no longer struggle to pay rent
while you sit on your yachts.
People over profits!
People over profits!
Exciting stuff, no? This kind of battle?
This is what puts law firms like Bellford & Harlowe on the map.
Let's get him, D.
Yes, Charlotte?
I just wanted to say that
I think that tackling a union fight like this
is incredibly inspiring.
Thank you, Charlotte. Fabienne?
I'm sorry, I feel like I'm missing something here.
Who are we representing?
Well, I thought I made that obvious
when I spoke of the enormous opportunity
that this case represents for the firm.
- Mhm-hm. - Right? Konera.
Fabienne, we're representing Konera.
-Really? Not a problem. -Is that a problem?
Um, no, not a problem. Um...
My apologies.
It's just that I was just on the Chapman case.
And that was a very different type of case.
A real power to the people kind of case.
And it kind of feels like with this situation
we're switching sides.
Hm. Well, I suppose if you expect a law firm
to be representative of a specific political
or socio-economic stance
then yes, comparatively we are switching sides.
But that's not what a law firm does.
Not this law firm anyway.
We chase the cases that bring us publicity.
And this situation is just that.
May I continue?
Let's talk about strategy.
Why don't you take a little peruse?
Hey, come in.
Hi, um, Derrick, I have to apologize about earlier.
Um, I didn't mean to undermine you in there.
Fabienne, relax. It's not why I called you in here.
-It's not? -No. Sit down, please.
Oh.
-You're smart. You know that? -Oh, thank you.
While others are sucking up to me, you ask questions.
Good questions.
-Stay curious. -Hmm?
Eh, stay curious, it was something that, um,
my professor from university used to say.
It's kind of like her motto. I guess it stuck with me.
Ha, exactly. See, this is what I mean.
Fabienne.
I'd like to offer you an opportunity.
An opportunity? - Yes.
I wanna offer you a post with the Konera case.
And not just any post.
A very important post.
I want you to be the spokesperson
for Bellford Harlowe.
There's gonna be a lot of delicate territory to navigate
between the Konera corporate and the factory workers.
It's gonna require the right person,
the right face to navigate it correctly.
And I think that person... is you.
I-I... don't know what to say.
Say yes.
We would need you to be public-facing, of course.
Talk to the press when necessary.
Manage communication between the firm
and the union workers' leader.
Hmm. I sense a hesitation.
Oh, gosh! Oh...
Okay, what did you do?
What is this layer?
It's a peacock. A live one. Be careful.
No, seriously, Fabi! What is this?
Okay, listen. When you finish your interview,
unbelt the dress and do a spin.
You should be up there.
It's your dress.
Mirlande...
this was the plan.
To get the Beauty In Measure name out there.
Doesn't matter whose face it is.
What matters is...
everyone's gonna get to see our designs!
Besides, you and I both know what would happen
if I had to speak in front of that many people.
Blech! Blech!
Oh, no. No, it's not that. It's just, um...
Uh, public speaking is...
Fabienne.
Hmm.
Why did you become a lawyer?
Um, oh, um...
I don't know. I, um...
I did really well on the LSAT, so, it seemed like a good fit.
Hmm, why do I have a feeling there's more to it than that?
I think it was because of my mom.
You know, we came here as immigrants,
and she always said that when I make it to university,
I have to do something big
and important and something that mattered.
My daughter. The lil' worker bee.
Something that really challenged me.
Beautiful.
But do you think this case
would be something that might challenge you?
Yes. Definitely.
Well, I'm sure you heard the rumor that
I'm looking to fill the Davis' partner position.
And if this goes well...
Ah...
Oh, so, is that a yes?
Yes, that...
-That is a yes. -Excellent.
We'll have a hands-on meeting first thing in the morning.
I'll get reception to send you an invite.
-Thank you so much, Derrick. -My pleasure.
I made you I made you look
Charlotte. Can you grab me a latte?
Mm-hmm.
Well, cheese on bread. There she is.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You know, 12:30 is the new 12:00.
-Didn't you hear? Huh? -Oh, is that so? Okay.
Does that ring keep getting bigger and bigger?
Or am I seeing things? -Oh, Marco upgraded it.
Honestly, I think it's just guilt
for how much he's been traveling for work.
Well, it's stunning.
You look beautiful.
You're just trying to butter me up because you were late.
No, I'm not.
-But I do have news. -What is it?
Okay, so, you know I was on the Chapman case, right?
- Mm-hmm. -Good case, small potatoes.
But a really great opportunity.
Anyway, I found out this morning that we dropped Chapman.
And I was so upset because I had worked so hard,
I had this presentation planned.
-Derrick walks in. -Um, who's Derrick?
Senior partner. Yes.
So, Derrick walks in,
tells us the reason we dropped Chapman
was because we got a huge new client.
A big case. And he wants me to be the spokesperson for it.
Who's the client?
Konera.
Konera? - Yeah.
Like, has a strong hold on the fast fashion market, Konera?
I wouldn't call it fast fashion.
Oh, okay, come on. I mean, I know it's been a few years
since your BIM days, but Konera's like
the definition of fast fashion.
I feel like that term is a little negative.
I think it's a little more like...
express shopping.
That may be the lawyer-iest thing you have ever said.
-Well, I am a lawyer, so... -Well, call it what you want.
But all I'm saying is Konera is...
not known for working with, I don't know, the best warehouses.
And their fabrics are,
how shall I say it, uh, not exactly organic.
-Okay. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. -No, it's fine.
Look, I'm not trying to rain on your parade,
and it's no judgments.
Tell me about the case. What is it?
Okay, well, um, the factory workers are trying to unionize.
-Good for them! -Uh-huh.
And that's great for you. You already have experience
in the apparel world, and you know how to prioritize
the needs of the people.
- Uh-huh. - Yeah.
Screw those corporate bullies.
Those workers, they're lucky to have somebody like you
advocating for them.
-Mirlande... -Congrats, cuz.
It wasn't totally myself.
Your cousin looks beautiful.
The vision for this dress came to life
with the guidance of my cousin, Fabienne.
Together, her and I believe
that clothing should express not just who we are,
but also where we want to go.
And that is why, regardless of what happens tonight,
she and I will continue to make beautiful Barbados proud
with BIM, Beauty In Measure...
A sustainable clothing company that strives to represent
the rich culture of beautiful Barbados
and give back to the community that we love so much.
Oh, you ordered.
I had to do something while I was waiting for you.
Oh.
Okay, so, uh, why did your designer back out?
Uh, he got a last minute request from an A-lister.
Oh, you're an A-lister.
What? You've got like a hundred thousand followers.
Okay, and it's not enough.
That is more than enough for me.
You know, one day everybody wants you,
and the next you're doing charity galas.
Oh, who is that? He's cute.
Okay, stop it.
Stop it. He's the union leader for Konera.
I'm just doing some research.
Wait, is that the Beauty In Measure page?
Oh, yeah.
I haven't seen this in forever.
-What made you go look at this? -I don't know.
I bring it up every couple of months
just to make sure it was real, I guess.
-What are you doing? -I just wanna see something.
Hm.
Can you believe people are still sending inquiries?
Like, look at all these.
Wow.
God, that was another lifetime ago.
I've got an idea.
I need a dress.
-No. -One itty-bitty dress.
I have not designed anything in like ten years. No!
Okay, well, maybe we could revamp
something that we already have.
Like, these are great. They just need to be elevated.
Mirlande, are you serious?
Look at how much work I'm doing. No.
You know, when we decided to stop doing BIM,
it was because you wanted to go to law school.
And you wanted to do something bigger and better.
And I really didn't get much of a choice.
That is so unfair. And also not true.
Yes, I was in law school. Mom got sick.
And you, um, you were modeling quite successfully,
if I remember correctly. That was your dream.
And you made quite an amazing living out of it.
And now you're just...
You-you-you, you just, you wanna start a new chapter.
-And I think that's good. -Yeah.
And maybe my next chapter is Beauty In Measure.
Well then, you should go and revamp BIM. I support you.
You don't need me.
Yeah, I do.
What is me designing one dress gonna accomplish, really?
Well, like you said, I have 100,000 followers.
It's a built-in audience.
When's the gala?
Next week.
- Cheese and bread. -Ah...
The relationship between union workers and Konera
is of utmost importance.
Which is why I have brought in
Fabienne Larke to act as liaison.
Hm.
I think she will make an incredible asset to the team.
I look forward to working with you and Konera.
All right, all right. Well, let's break for lunch
and we can reconvene at 2:00.
Fabienne, would you mind sticking around for a moment?
Of course.
Maybe when this is over, we can talk about
any other news you may have, legally speaking.
Well, we could see how this plays out.
Absolutely, of course.
Just know that, Bellford Harlowe
wants to be a good partner to Konera.
That's what we're all hoping.
Excellent. I'm glad to hear it.
She don't waste no time.
Um, yes. I'm here.
So, we'd like to set up a first meeting with Zayn Qaadri.
The union leader, yes. I've done a ton of research on him.
I told you, this one's a hard worker.
Come.
5:00 p.m. sounds great.
Ah... walk and talk?
Okay, yeah, we can do that.
I will see you then. Thank you.
Ahem.
How can I help you, Charlotte?
Charlotte?
Hello?
Derrick would like me to ask you
if you'd like anything from the cafe.
I'm doing a coffee run.
No, but thank you so much for asking.
People over profits! We're in this together, okay?
We're all here together. Make Konera pay!
We're all in this together.
Hey! Ho! The greedy courts have got to go!
Hey! Ho! The greedy courts have got to go!
Hey! Ho! The greedy courts have got to go!
Did you see the response? Crazy, right?
It's like people have been waiting
for Beauty In Measure to come back.
Uh, yep, I saw.
Very cool.
I'm gonna do another post later to introduce
the dress that we're altering and ask for suggestions.
People love to feel like they're involved,
and it'll be good for the algorithm.
Um, yeah, can I call you later?
I'm kind of in the middle of something.
Forgive me for jumping right in. I don't have a lot of time.
Ah, well, thank you for squeezing me in.
Yeah, no problem. What's your story, Fabienne Larke?
How'd you become assigned to be my babysitter?
I am not your babysitter. I'm here to bridge the gap
between the protesters and Konera.
Oh, unless you're trying to build a bridge
paved with fair wages, paid time off,
maternity and paternity leave, safer--
Okay, you don't need to continue. I get it.
Yeah, I figured you would kind of get it,
considering where you came from.
-Excuse me? -No...
I assume you did your research on me.
I figured I'd do the same for you.
Fabienne Larke, born in Barbados to a humble home
with a penchant for clothing design.
Comes to the good old US-of-A
in a pursuit of a higher education,
graduated with honors.
And now, the glorified babysitter of Zayn Qaadri,
-Union Boy Wonder. -Union Boy Wonder?
Did you, um, come up with that all by yourself?
No, but I kind of wish I did.
You know, I recognize that your confidence is
likely rooted in intelligence,
but it does come off a little cocky.
Has anyone ever told you that?
Yeah, only every day of my life. All right, tell me
what you wanted to talk to me about.
Well, we are gonna be communicating quite often,
and I wanted to get off on the right foot.
I want you to know that I understand
the desires of the Konera employees--
- Needs. -What?
Needs. They're not desires, they're needs.
I understand the needs of the Konera employees,
and I have great faith that we'll be able to
negotiate a deal that will make everyone happy.
Now, I want us to get a meeting
on the books in the next couple of days...
Yeah, hold that thought. Hey! No, do not park there, please.
We're gonna get a ticket again.
Okay, no, I'm gonna come. I'm gonna come right now.
All right, I'm sorry, I gotta run.
-Food truck problems. -Okay, um, please, take this.
Um, let's secure a date, and maybe--
Yeah, my people will call your people. Thanks.
-Hey, you. -What you up to?
Ah, just a last minute craft project
that my cousin strong armed me into doing.
Ha-ha, very funny. So, how's it going?
Can I help you with anything?
Maybe send you some pictures for inspiration?
No, no, no, I don't need any inspiration.
I can see it in my brain.
Okay. Well, I was thinking that maybe
I could come into the city early,
before the gala, that way we could do,
I don't know, last minute fittings,
or I can help you to find some fabric.
Hmm. Is Marco going out of town again?
- Correct. - Mm.
Well, New York is a public place. Come if you want.
Well, jeez. With an invitation like that?
I'm kidding. Come. But I do want you to know
that I have a press conference in a couple of days and--
A lot of work. I know, I know. You are very busy.
When are you thinking about coming?
My flight gets in tomorrow at 6:00.
Of course it does.
I'll see you tomorrow.
I'm here outside of Konera Corporate,
where I'm standing with union leader Zayn Qaadri.
Mr. Qaadri, what will your focus be for the next few days?
We're staying focused on the needs
of the hard-working employees.
That is most important. And I'll have you know,
we filed a number of lawsuits against Konera Corporate,
and they just keep shutting their doors and their windows.
We'll just get louder.
I mean, aside from getting Mr. Qaadri to settle down,
and before we talk about lawsuits...
our focus should be on presenting Konera to the public
as being flexible, but not weak.
Listening, but not taking orders.
Admittedly, our long-term response
will be heavily influenced by what happens on the trade floor
once we make an initial statement.
Money talks. And we have to take our cues from our shareholders.
Are we prepared to offer the workers
any type of negotiations
before we take things to the press level?
It might be a useful tactic.
Well, negotiation is a strong word.
We put together a list of offerings.
Tiny offerings, to try to quell the energy of the strike.
In our experience, when you breadcrumb things along the way,
the hungry birds focus on the scraps.
Forgetting there's a whole meal at stake.
Hungry birds.
I like that.
We'll draft an initial response,
get it out to the chosen outlets,
and keep a close eye on the markets.
And I will set up a follow-up meeting with Mr. Qaadri
and present him with our breadcrumbs.
All right, everyone. That's it. That's all. Thank you.
I can walk him out for you, Mr. Harlowe.
-Amazing. Thank you. -Thank you.
Right this way, sir.
-Hey, buddy. Do me a favor. -Yeah, whatever you need.
I need you to be my eyes and ears
at the protest from here on in.
Head down there today, scope it out,
see what Qaadri's saying to the press.
-Might come in handy later. -You got it, D. Hey, question.
Uh, is this a potential partner position type of task or...
No, this is a do your job
because I'm your boss type of task.
Yeah.
Thank you. Thank you.
All right...
Oh, look who it is.
I figured this was the only place I would find you.
Well, here I am.
So, um, what's going on?
Oh, family dinner.
Plenty to go around.
Oh, I...
Are you hungry?
Yeah, you are. Come on.
Pop a squat.
Hi.
Hello. I'm...
Nice to meet you.
Thank you.
After you.
That was really cool what you did back there.
What?
Well, I'm pretty sure handing out food
sits outside of the scope of union leader duties.
You know how half these people...
live in their cars.
Handing out dinner, that's the least I could do.
They live in their cars?
Seriously?
Sixteen-fifty an hour to live in this city? It's not enough.
Shouldn't be that much of a surprise.
I have a list of offerings that Konera put together.
I wanted to share it with you.
Now, it's nothing formal. No one's signing anything.
We just wanted to get a conversation going.
Okay.
Well, the pay increase is meager at best. You...
You haven't even addressed the maternity leave,
and there's barely any time off.
What is this?
It's a starting point. You know, you can't put out a fire
if you keep adding more gasoline.
That's the point.
The protesters, they are the gasoline.
The movement is the fire. Why would we wanna put that out?
This passion is what makes you a good leader.
But I also want you to consider that it might be
getting in the way of some forward movement.
It's not always about yelling on a soapbox.
You have to give and take.
Listen, this might surprise you.
I am not the enemy.
My mother, she actually worked in a factory
for half of my childhood.
-Really? -Yeah.
You didn't find that in any of your research?
No?
My mom did too.
Look at that.
Finding common ground already.
Let me, uh, let me ask you a question.
Okay.
If your mother worked at a factory,
how come you're so comfortable taking sides
for a corporation like Konera?
You know... right now I think we live in a time of extremes.
Extremes that often make us resistant to compromise.
I'm a person that actually knows
what the Konera employees are fighting for.
I have found myself...
in this unique position of power.
Believe me, I wanna find a way to meet in the middle.
I think it's what my mother would have wanted.
Erm...
You know, I might...
be able to make some of those things that you want happen too.
If you cool it with the incessant news interviews.
Those are my favorite parts though.
Oh, but it's Konera's least favorite.
Just keep those at bay. Just for a couple of days.
Let me work on these offerings and... who knows?
Maybe the press conference will work out in your favor.
We'll see.
I'll take that.
What...
I've been knocking for like 15 minutes.
What are you doing here? I thought you weren't
getting in until later tonight.
Uh, well, change of plans.
-And we need a band-aid. -Wait, what? Why?
I already started the dress, Mirlande.
Well, okay. The other night I was a little bored
and I decided to do a live stream.
And you know, just explain to people what we were doing.
And people loved it. Especially the people back home.
So, the BIM follower count has been growing like crazy.
And now my social media agent thinks
that we need to level things up.
Wait, your social media agent? When did all of this happen?
Oh, I've been working with her for years.
So, I have a brilliant idea for this dress.
Does this brilliant idea require me to start a dress
from scratch on top of my full-time job?
-Mmm... -Mm-hm.
Okay, get dressed. We are going shopping.
This color... you picked it yourself?
I have to admit, I have not had this much fun
on a Saturday in a long time.
Well, maybe you should quit your job,
and we can put all of our chips back into BIM.
You know, contrary to what you might think, I like my job.
I do. It challenges me. And look, I am on the verge
of impacting some actual change.
-Oh, my gosh. -What?
It's working. Do you know who this is?
Okay, that's because you're not in fashion anymore.
But this is like a really big style influencer.
One client like this, and we can get back in this thing.
This is a big deal, Fabi.
Correction, you can get back into this thing.
I am here for one dress, and one dress only.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Thought you'd drive faster
Floor it like we stole it
Roll the top back hit the road until we own it
Feel the breeze get into our...
Taking hits while we'll be floating
Keep rolling out till we can't get enough
So have all we flaw till we both fall in love
Stop that
Keeping going...
But we ain't 'bout that now
I can see you now
I can see you now
Stop that
Keeping going...
But we ain't 'bout that now
I can see you now
I can see you now
Oh! Darn it!
What happened?
Nothing.
-Here, let me see. Oh. -No, it's fine.
-I have a seamstress. -Oh... I can fix that.
I don't need you to.
It'll just take a second.
Just stand right here.
Mm...
Right.
Done.
I mean, this red color is all wrong.
But...
that's fine, I guess.
You're welcome.
Hey, Charlotte.
-Fabienne, do you have a sec? -Um, yeah, what's up?
Have you talked with Zayn Qaadri yet?
Yes, I did. I actually had a very productive conversation
with him on Friday.
Did you join him at dinner with the protesters?
Um...
How do you know that?
Where... where did you get these?
I think the real question is,
why are you befriending the enemy?
He's not the enemy, Jake.
It's our job to find a way to work with him, not against him.
These pictures are making it look like something
that it is not, so we are just going to delete it.
You know, I think the competition for partners
is a little too steep for a faux pas like this,
so... I think I'll hold on to them just in case.
If you come to this party you can't leave so
If you come to this party you can't leave so
I tell you if you come to this party
You can't leave so
What's going on in here?
Do you like it?
Where did you find all of this stuff?
In the back of your closet.
I needed to find something to spruce this place up
for our live Q&A.
It's much better, right?
Our what?
BIM hit 50,000 followers today,
so we're celebrating with a live Q&A for our new followers.
Fifty thousand followers? How did that happen?
I did a photo shoot today, and I sent to my agent.
And you know that style influencer
who I was saying that was commenting?
Uh, yes. I-I guess.
Well, she reposted.
Oh, my gosh, okay. We start in like five minutes.
Um, I've got something for you to wear.
Mirlande, I-I really had the worst day at work.
I-I can't do a live stream, anything.
You'll feel much better once you change.
Okay, here we go.
Okay, and...
All right, so, just when I tell you to,
just start picking some usernames.
We're gonna let them ask us some questions, okay?
Okay.
Hi, guys and girls.
Hey, Little Gemini.
Uh, Juniper, hi.
Okay, guys. For those who don't know, I'm Mirlande,
and this is Fabienne, and we are the owners
of Beauty In Measure, and designers
hailing all the way from beautiful Barbados.
And some of you may know this
if you were on the live with me last week,
but we recently decided to take you guys on
a journey with us as we revamp our company.
But, we hit a major goal today,
and so we wanted to celebrate
by just getting our new followers
to ask us some questions.
Some of us wanted to celebrate by stitching a dress
that needs to be ready in four days, but...
All right, let's get started. Who's the first up?
-Oh, um, I guess Lexiloo. -Okay.
Lexiloo wants to know, what made us decide to bring back
Beauty In Measure now?
Well, it really happened out of the blue.
But, mostly, we saw a space in the market for a company
that prioritizes culture over fast fashion.
That's what BIM's all about.
Thanks, Lexiloo, and thanks everyone for joining us.
Okay, let's take one more question.
One more question. Okay, um...
Charles Z. Final question.
Oh, that's a great question.
Fabienne, why don't you take that?
Uh...
Okay, she's just being really humble, you guys.
And some of you may know this, but Fabienne has
gone on to a career in law, and right now,
her firm is helping the factory workers
to unionize in the National Konera Apparel case.
And she has become the face of the movement.
Yes!
She's fighting the good fight.
My cousin!
Wow.
Fabienne Larke.
Uh-huh.
Okay.
Thank you, Charlotte, that's all.
Oh. Good morning, Fabienne!
Fabienne, have a seat.
Hey.
I called you in here because I wanted
to talk to you about this.
Oh, uh...
How did you even see that?
So you know what it is?
Yeah, um, I believe it's called a livestream.
My cousin and I, we have a... side business.
It's just a little fashion thing.
"Little?" Well, your follower count would say otherwise.
Well, it's really more my cousin's thing.
I'm just helping her out, but it won't affect my focus
on the case, I guarantee you that--
It doesn't matter to me what you do with your free time.
But the things that were said on this livestream
are a huge conflict of interest with Konera.
Yes. Derrick, I am so sorry. My cousin doesn't really
understand the logistics of the...
I don't care why it happened.
I only care that it did happen.
If someone from Konera found out that you were
lying about your position with the case,
for your own personal company's gain?
What? No, no, no, no. It wasn't like that at all.
Yeah, I'm not interested in apologies.
I'm only interested in employees who value their work
to have a modicum of decorum when speaking
about it on a public platform.
Are you one of those employees?
Yes.
Yes, I am. I promise.
We won't have to have this conversation again?
No.
Good.
Now, uh, I believe you floated
some potential negotiations with Mr. Qaadri?
Oh, um... yes. We made some great headway--
Yeah, unfortunately we're gonna have to scrap all of that.
What? Why?
Well, the stocks tanked
after our initial statement,
and Konera fears that it came off as weak.
We're retracting all of our initial offers?
Correct.
Zayn is...
Zayn?
Mr. Qaadri...
is expecting a very different conversation.
He's gonna be pretty upset.
If you're gonna be a lawyer,
you gotta get used to disappointing people.
What about all the displaced workers?
Loud voices get tired. Energy dies.
The people will dissipate and the workers
will pick up work somewhere else.
Now, if you'll excuse me, please.
How's the new statement coming along?
It's pretty good. I just need to tweak a couple of things
and it should be ready in a few hours.
- Good. Mm-hm. - Question for you, D.
I was just thinking that maybe I would be a good person
to make the 'ol press statement tomorrow.
Really? Because I was thinking, since I'm the one
who's actually writing it, that I should make the statement.
Fabienne will be reading the statements.
Derrick...
I don't mean to overstep but...
Fabienne has proven that she isn't trustworthy
on the case, then why is she being given
so much responsibility?
Let me put it this way,
if you were up against a group of migrant workers
protesting for equal pay and safer working conditions,
who would you send as a peaceful messenger, hmm?
Someone that looks like you?
Or someone that looks like Fabienne?
To me, being a modern women
means dedicating yourself for the forward progress
of people everywhere.
Regardless of your place in society,
or the amount of money in your bank account,
we all deserve to be celebrated.
Lifted up. And that starts with what you're wearing.
Which is why tonight, everything I'm wearing
I dreamed of and created myself.
Don't forget to leave some comments below.
Thank you, guys, for shopping with me.
And, come back tomorrow,
so that we can do a little Get Ready With Me!
Okay, bye guys.
Oh. Hey, you!
So I was thinking that we could go down to Port of Spain.
A few of the followers were asking if maybe
we could make some Caribbean food content--
- I'm not hungry. - Okay, that's fine.
Maybe we could just, you know,
get a drink or something?
No!
Uh, Fabi, what's wrong?
You've barely said two words to me since yesterday.
Well, you talk enough for the both of us so...
Wait, what did you say?
I said you talk enough for the both of us.
What's that supposed to mean?
You know, you broadcasted my personal life
to like, a thousand people on the internet last night.
We were doing a live social media stream.
What did you think was going to happen?
I-I thought I was gonna come home,
you know, eat some dinner, pass out!
But instead, you turned my entire apartment
into a blasted club!
I was just trying to do something nice for BIM.
For BIM or for you?
For me? I didn't make it about me at all!
I talked about you and your job! I was singing your praises.
That's exactly what I'm talking about.
You don't know what I'm allowed to talk about, Mirlande,
and you just went running your mouth.
Oh, I'm so sorry, that your precious job is so hush-hush.
Just because you don't have a job doesn't mean
you should make fun of mine.
That was really uncalled for.
Yeah, well, so was what you did last night.
So I guess we're even.
And you, if it's okay with you,
I would like to keep my personal life separate from BIM.
Okay, you can't separate yourself
from the brand, Fabienne.
That's the reason why it worked in the first place
is because people fell in love with our story.
Well, maybe it's not my story anymore!
I didn't mean to speak for you.
Mm. Well, you've been speaking for me for 25 years,
why stop now?
Huh?
I'm gonna give you your space for tonight.
I'm gonna get a hotel.
Fine.
Fine.
Okay, Woo-hoo. I'm here on behalf... okay.
Okay.
These people depended on you.
They needed you. Don't do this.
There she is.
-Hey. -You ready for this?
Uh... uh-huh, yeah.
You okay?
Yeah, I just, uh...
I need to, um...
focus.
Yeah, it's a great day.
Whoa! Oh!
Do you... should I...
I'll give you some space.
Good morning.
I'm here on behalf of the Konera Corporation
in response to the recent unionization attempt
by the factory employees.
It is with a great deal of sympathy
for the hardworking people standing before me today,
that I come to you with a message
from the board and shareholders of Konera.
Unfortunately, these demands
of the factory workers has been deemed
unfounded and unreasonable...
What are you doing? - And, um...
We all refuse it! Boo!
As a result of your refusal to work,
anyone in violation of their contract
will be terminated effective immediately.
Sorry, that's all for today, everyone.
We won't back down. We're not gonna stand down.
People over profit, that's what we believe in, right?
People over profits! Hey, people over profits!
People over profits!
Just how free
You could be
Oooh oooh
Familiar roads...
Unfortunately, this demand
of the factory workers has been deemed
unfounded and unreasonable.
Only wanted to hide
In your fold of dreams...
You were right.
It was missing something.
The Fabienne touch.
Oooh ooh ooh
Oooh ooh ooh
I look like a supermodel.
Fabi, don't you think I look like a supermodel?
Maybe if super models were flat as an ironing board...
They'll come. You'll see.
Let me fix it, you were draping it all wrong anyway.
Is what you believe
Don't fade
Just don't fade
Get out there.
Go on.
It's perfect.
It's missing something.
Can we finish this in the morning? It's getting late.
Yeah. Yeah.
Sure.
You're the best designer in the world, Fabi.
Thanks.
Hmm.
My daughter, the little worker bee.
I almost finished, mama.
You were right.
It was missing something.
The Fabienne touch.
Fifteen minutes.
Then rest, my love.
Thank you, mama.
Well, it looks like the press conference
-has had a positive effect. -Mm-hmm.
The strike seems to be dying down.
I did a drive by the site today and it was pretty bleak.
Good work on the statement.
So now that we have the protest side of things
at bay, I think we should focus on how we should
handle the lawsuits being filed.
Well, we're considering an out-of-court settlement.
It would minimize attention,
keep things away from the public eye.
I would caution you against throwing in the towel too soon.
In such a big corporation, jumping to a settlement
can give a green light to other employees that,
any lawsuit can have an easy payout.
I took a look at some of the suits last night,
and honestly, Mr. Qaadri was grasping
at straws with some of them.
In my opinion... these could be easy wins for Konera,
based on the sheer lack of evidence.
Hm.
-Fabienne, hi. -Hi.
I want you to do a little coffee run for us.
Four oat milk lattes and get yourself something too.
- Um, ahem, of course. - Great.
And when you get back, I'll email you some court paperwork
that I need printed and filed.
And just focus on that for the rest of the day.
Good work. And I firmly believe as does the entire firm
that Konera will come away from this situation
not only in a stronger market position...
Yes, absolutely.
...but also having redefined it's position
with consumers.
If you're scared
Yeah
Just know that I've got you
Just know that I've got you
I wish that I could hear
All things that you can't say
All other little things
I wanna know
Mm-mm-mm
Mm-mm-mm-mm
To me, being a modern woman means dedicating yourself
to the forward progress of people everywhere.
Regardless of your place in society,
or the amount of money in your bank account,
we all deserve to be celebrated, lifted up.
And that starts with what you're wearing.
Which is why tonight everything that I'm wearing,
I dreamed up and created myself.
I'll be right here waiting for you baby
My baby made that dress.
Actually, that's not true.
It wasn't totally myself.
Your cousin looks beautiful.
-The vision for this dress... -Thanks, mom.
came to life with the guidance of my cousin Fabienne,
who is here tonight and is an incredible seamstress.
Go. That's your moment. Go!
You know, I tried calling you.
-You did? -Mm-hmm.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I was kind of in the middle of something,
I wasn't looking at my phone.
Is that my pageant dress? - Yeah.
Where did you find it?
It was way in the back of my closet.
It was in really rough shape.
Well, you've done a lot of work to it.
It looks beautiful.
I still have to steam it
and, um, do some final edits under the skirt,
but... it's gonna be ready.
Okay? It will be ready for the gala.
I don't think I'm gonna go.
What? Why?
Just not in the mood, you know?
Mirlande...
I'm really sorry about what happened the other night.
No, it was my fault...
No, it was not.
I have been so stressed about work lately,
and I took it all out on you.
You have an entire life here, and a career...
and I have intruded.
If I'm being honest...
I felt a little lost lately.
I've just been in search for a purpose,
and... you know, being around you, it just...
it lit me up again!
It really made me feel like I was home.
Well, you're not alone.
Yes, I know it seems like I have it all together...
but I'm a mess.
I got taken off the Konera case...
Why? Was it because of what I said on the livestream?
I lied. I was representing Konera, not the workers.
You misunderstood, and I didn't correct you.
Why?
You know you can tell me anything.
Mirlande, you looked so proud of me
when you thought I was fighting the good fight.
I didn't know how to tell you that I was...
fighting for the man.
Fabi...
you have worked so hard for that job.
You can't help what cases they take on.
All you can do is your best.
You know that I'm always proud of you.
I really screwed up.
You know, I screwed over Zayn and all of those workers.
Oh.
That's what they were talking about.
What?
Great. So, I, um...
screwed over Beauty In Measure, too.
What would my mom tell me to do?
She'd say, "Be happy, Fabi."
And no matter what you decide,
get rid of those grey suits, because they're boring.
Yeah.
So now what?
My best ideas spark in times of chaos.
Just do what you love, Fabi.
You can do this.
Hey, girl.
So I'm about to do it.
Um, just wanted to show you the final look.
And I topped up the red lips
just like you said.
And you should see what she's been wearing.
What a tacky nightmare.
This is a law office, not the carnival.
And she been acting all high and mighty...
Joke is, the only reason she even got this role with Konera
is because Derrick knew that sending in someone
who looked like her to negotiate with a bunch of immigrants,
would be more useful than sending one of us.
Did he actually say that?
I mean, he's a lawyer, so not in so many words, but yeah.
That's what he meant.
Don't stop now
Don't stop now
Don't stop now
You don't stop now
I can't stop
I can't stop
I can't stop
I can't stop
I need to speak to you.
We're kind of in the middle of something here, Fabienne.
- Yeah, I can tell. - Is there a problem?
Yes. I'm gonna make this quick.
I quit!
-Excuse me. -I quit.
We're in the middle of a case.
No, you're in the middle of a game of putt-putt,
I'm in the middle of resigning.
This isn't the way a professional resigns, Fabienne.
It's childish and, frankly, it goes against our code of ethics.
That is rich, coming from man
who made me the token Black woman.
You're bordering on insubordination.
And you are bordering on a personal lawsuit.
And if I ever feel like pursuing one is worth it...
believe me, I will.
See this is why we don't have women
in the important stuff, right, D?
Hey, Jake, close the door on your way out.
Yeah.
Um, hey, do you guys know where Zayn is?
Zayn!
Zayn!
You gotta be kidding me.
Can I borrow this?
Zayn Qaadri...
stop ignoring me.
I owe you an apology.
You know, it's funny.
I've been doing this for a long time,
and I could usually smell a rat a mile away.
-You got me. -I'm not a rat, Zayn.
I didn't lie to you, they just, they changed their tactic at--
It's fine. I mean, look, did I expect more from you?
Yeah. But that's on me.
Because not everyone's who you want them to be.
Listen to me. They gave me a paper to read
20 minutes before I went on stage, I didn't have a choice.
Oh, you always have a choice.
You're right. Yeah, you're right,
and I made the wrong one.
And I'm sorry.
But that's why I'm here, I wanna try
and make it up to you, if you'll let me.
I'm not sure if you realize that there's nobody left.
You know, people tend to go home and stop striking
after a company terminates their contract.
It's kinda how it works.
It's over, Fabienne.
No, no. This part may be.
But, I have something to offer you.
Just come with me. Okay? I wanna show you something.
I can't. I-I really can't.
Well, w-we have to clean up and--
Zayn, please?
What do you have to lose, right?
Okay.
So you started your own clothing factory.
Interesting.
Working conditions seem questionable.
Very funny.
And it's not a factory, it's a business.
-This is, uh, pretty cool. -Thank you. I made them.
Correction. We made them.
This is my cousin Mirlande. Mirlande this is Zayn.
Oh. Very nice to meet you!
And this...
is Beauty In Measure.
It was a custom dress making business
that we started years ago, bit of a teenage pipe dream.
But now we're revamping it, and taking it to a whole new level.
If you're looking for an investor, I'm not your guy.
You know, union rep work doesn't pay incredibly well.
Well, it's a good thing that we don't need
your money, we wanna help the displaced Konera employees
find new jobs.
By working out of your living room?
When I had my first job interview after law school,
I had nothing to wear.
And it occurred to me,
a lot of people are facing that same problem.
Why would you have professional attire,
how can you afford it
if you've never had a job where you needed it?
That's a good point.
And more importantly, how do you get a job like that without it?
See, what you wear...
affects how you feel.
And how you feel, affects how you present yourself
to the world.
If we can help people
look better and feel better,
then maybe we can help them find jobs where they don't have to
picket for an hourly wage.
We wanna take our entire BIM inventory
and custom fit it for whoever wants it.
And we wanna start with the Konera employees.
So what do you need me to do?
-You're in? Just like that? -Yeah, I'm in.
Okay, well, um, we don't have contact info
for anyone at Konera.
Can you help us track down the displaced employees?
-Yeah, I can do that. -Woo! Yes!
Okay. We're gonna do this.
Oh, oh, I almost forgot.
Oh, this is nice, but I'm more of a jean and t-shirt kinda guy.
Mm, yeah, just try it on so I can mark it up.
Wait, I have a question. How are you handling
all of this with a full time job?
Oh, I quit.
Are you following me?
No. Well, yes.
But not in like a creepy way.
Let me guess, Derrick asked you to keep an eye on me.
Make sure I'm not selling state secrets.
No. No, not at all.
I wanted to say...
Well, when you quit...
I didn't get the chance to tell you...
I'm sorry.
What you heard me say on the phone, what...
what Derrick said, it-it sucks... he's a jerk.
It didn't seem like you felt that way when you said it.
I know.
I'm a jerk too.
You know I was never trying to compete with you, Charlotte.
I know.
I think Derrick tries to pits us against one other...
as a way to keep us both down.
Yeah, so why play his game?
Y-you know how they say that there's a child
that lives inside all of us?
Mine is a, a mean girl.
- Mine's a designer. -Obviously.
A-and I wanted to say to you,
I-I think that what you do is really cool
and-and very impressive.
I-I would love to wear one of your outfits.
Really?
Well, maybe we can get there.
Take care, Charlotte.
Have you given any thought to what you're gonna do next?
Where you're gonna end up? Another law firm?
No. I'm exactly where I wanna be.
Beauty In Measure is back and bigger than ever.
Soon to be moving into our new space,
we are making sure that every displaced Konera employee
get back on their feet and into the workforce.
So, follow along as we go on this journey.
Bye, guys.
We did it.
-There we are. -Ah, thank you. Thank you.
-Thank you. -Careful, it's hot.
Mm.
-Mm. So good. -So good.
I love chai tea.
-Ah! Here we go. -What?
When you say the word "chai..."
-Mm-mm. -It means tea.
So when you're saying "chai tea" you're saying tea tea.
-Really? Well, I love tea tea. -Yeah.
Me too.
Do you get a chance to go back home often?
I haven't been back in a few years.
Not much there for me now. How about you two?
-Do you guys go back? -No.
We have not been back in a long time.
-But we'll have reason to soon. -We will.
We're gonna store some sustainable fabrics
directly from Barbados for BIM.
Oh, that's a good idea.
I still can't believe how many
people we've been able to help so far.
That's right. So now it's time for the fit!
- Mm-hmm. -The what?
Come on.
-Ahh! -Whoo! Whoo-whoo-whoo!
- Come on. -
Come on!
-Whoo! -Yeah! Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh!
Yeah! Yeah! Yes!
Thanks for coming. I appreciate it.
Where's everyone else?
Hey. Is this the best we could do?
At the last minute, yeah. This is the best we can do.
Sorry. No, you're right.
You've done a lot. I really appreciate it.
I owe you one.
So, uh, what's the plan here?
Well, I'll talk for a bit,
and then I'll introduce Fabienne and then...
Hey, could you whip around real quick,
we're gonna have a couple people
comin' in through that door.
-Uh... -Hey, I recognize you.
Weren't you working for...
I was, but not anymore.
This should be interesting.
Fifteen seconds.
-Hey. -Hey.
Are you, uh, are you good?
You know, you're not gonna...
No, I'm...
I'm really, really, I'm good.
Yeah?
Okay.
I'm here with Zayn Qaadri,
former leader of the union movement for Konera Corporate.
That movement may have ended, but Mr. Qaadri is now working
with a new company called Beauty In Measure. Zayn?
-That's right. -Marco!
I'm really happy to be working for this team
as an employee counselor, but, uh...
I'm only really here to introduce
a friend, and the CEO of
Beauty In Measure, Fabienne Larke.
Thank you, Zayn.
Fabienne, tell me about Beauty In Measure.
What's your mission, and how does it connect
to the Konera movement?
Well, I remember my first professional job interview
like it was yesterday.
I, um, didn't have a lot of money,
so I went to the thrift store
to try and find something to wear.
I'm guessing what you found wasn't as fabulous as this.
No. No, definitely not. I ended up with a oversized jacket,
and an... let's just call it an ill-fitting pair of khakis.
Beauty In Measure's mission is to capture the rich beauty
of our home and infuse it into custom made pieces
for people entering, or in this case re-entering the workforce.
Our fabrics...
they come from the Caribbean, so we're supporting
local economies, and our designs,
they're a nod to the color and culture
that inspired our love for fashion.
I am so excited because we just completed our first round
of custom creations for the displaced of Konera workers.
And some of them are here with us today.
They look incredible. These pieces are so colorful,
so bright, what was your inspiration?
My home. The beautiful island of Barbados.
My mother, Cicely... and my cousin
and co-founder, Mirlande.
And that's Beauty In Measure.
-Thank you so much, Fabienne. -Thank you.
Right. Let's turn around. I wanna interview them.
That was so good.
We did it!
They're on their way now?
We are walking out now.
You ready?
Yeah, I am.
Man, I kinda wish we could do this together.
I know. But it's against the law.
-I see them! Go. -Okay.
Okay. Thanks.
Thanks for being here.
I wouldn't miss it.
Mr. Qaadri. What a surprise. W-what are you doing here?
Looking for another soapbox to take over?
It's good to see you too, mister, uh...
Sorry, I... I forgot your last name.
Harlowe. Derrick Harlowe. It's of English origin.
What's this? Discrimination?
-"Hostile work environment?" -You've been served.
- Ready? Thanks. -Yeah. Anytime.
-You knew about this? -Mm-hmm.
Did you see that? Because I felt a face.
Oh, I'm so jealous. Okay, you have to tell me.
What did his face look like? Like, up close.
It was like...
That's too good.
Honestly, I feel like I can take the world on right now.
Okay, well, before you do that, we're taking you
to our favorite Caribbean restaurant to celebrate.
-You ever had flying fish? -What am I, new?
Well, you haven't had it from this place.