Chanae Richards is the CEO & Principal Designer of ọlọrọ interiors, an interior design firm with offices in Philadelphia and New York. Chanae is also a graduate of the Women’s Entrepreneurship certificate program. She was recently featured in this article and video in Black Enterprise. We are so proud of the amazing journey she has been on and can’t wait to see where success next leads her!
Stella McCartney, famous English fashion designer and daughter of British singer-songwriter Paul McCartney, has always been a staunch supporter of animal rights and environmentalism and is known for the use of animal-free alternatives in her fashion work. This article in The Story Exchange shares how McCartney is now taking her designs to the next level. In one example, she is producing a parka made from Econyl which is a regenerated nylon created from discarded fishing nets and other plastic waste that is 100 percent recycled and recyclable. With the fashion industry being one of the most polluting industries, this is a fantastic step forward. Click the link above to read more.
In recognition of her contributions to the fashion industry, Mattel has announced its latest Barbie honoree as Vera Wang. The daughter of Chinese immigrants, Wang first became one of the youngest editors at Vogue and then became the design director for accessories at Ralph Lauren before finally becoming an entrepreneur when she opened her own boutique in 1990. How wonderful that Barbie can reflect trailblazing entrepreneurs in women’s fashion! Read more about the story in WWD.
This October 24, 2021 Fortune article shares an interview with Anne Marie Johnson about the founding of her sustainable fashion company, Bitter Grace, and the company’s first few years in business. During the discussion, she shares that the goal of her company is to present a holistic approach to help women align their external selves with their inner selves in order to be as authentic as possible. Johnson also discusses strategic decisions that enabled the company to grow throughout the pandemic and where she sees the company heading in the next five years.
This interview with ThirdLove founder Heidi Zak shares how her personal experience shopping for bras made her realize that the product AND the industry needed a new approach.
To read about how she grew her company after a bad shopping experience at the mall, click here.
In this CNBC video, Stitch Fix CEO Katrina Lake discusses her company’s new “Shop Your Looks” feature that responds to the demand for a more individualized online shopping experience. This technique may be something that we begin to see more of the online marketplace.