How the #GirlBoss movement is backed by fashion
According to Forbes, there are more than 6 million small businesses in the United States, with over 90% being owned and operated by women. That’s 5.5 million businesses that belong to women! This movement where women are consistently and consciously making the decision to establish their own companies is called the #GirlBoss Movement.
What is the Girl Boss Movement?
The Girl Boss Movement refers to a social movement inspired by Sophia Amoruso, the founder of NastyGal, an e-commerce clothing brand. The girl boss movement was coined in 2011 by Sophia Amoruso, the founder of Nasty Gal. Although a young entrepreneur and CEO of her own company, she refused to be categorized - by men or women alike. She became one of the most prominent executives in the US while maintaining her fashion-forward, edgy, irreverent persona online and in interviews.
By encouraging women to go after their business endeavors and to be passionate in what they do daily, many are flocking to join the movement (along with the masses) as a way to empower women both globally and locally in all areas of business from fashion, art, finance, food, etc. Let us talk about one major aspect of this movement, fashion, and how it plays off in a realistic day-to-day standard.
How does the Girl Boss movement relate to the fashion world?
The first and the most prominent factor is that the Girl Boss movement first came into effect with Sophia Amoruso with her e-commerce fashion venture NastyGal. What started as a tiny San Francisco apartment stacked with killer vintage, one computer, and an eBay account has grown to be a $300+ million business. NastyGal started in 2006 when Sophia Amoruso walked away from her six-figure corporate job in a suit with nothing but a dream and one laptop.
That is just one example. Several women across the globe are leading their own ventures, drafting powerful legislations, and changing the world one step at a time. One such woman is the bold and beautiful Bethany Williams. Williams is a woman on a mission. With her company Feral Childe, she champions several issues, including sustainability, fair pay for fashion workers, and innovative manufacturing methods.
Another woman that is making her mark on the world is Ruth E Carter, an award-winning and inspiring fashion mogul whose work can be seen across a variety of films. She has used the platform of films on several instances to promote and imbibe the values of equality and inclusivity. Through her work, she has given rise to powerful characters in films by Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino, etc. She has also worked with Selma director Ava DuVernay on Black Panther a black-dominated film that bagged her an Oscar award.
How does fashion encourage women to chase their dreams?
Fashion always tells a story, and that story is usually rooted in the past, present, or future. In the case of a business, we learn from our past to be better for our future - and a good way for us to represent that is by looking like women that represent our future ideals. Women globally enjoy dressing up as their role models with the aim that they may someday walk the same path as them. That could be by creating an award-winning clothing label like Sophia Amoruso or creating their own unconventional ventures like NastyGal.
