When This Editor Was Told 'Fashion Is Not for You,' She Did This

photo credit: Becki Smith/ Smith House Photography

"They looked me up and down and said, 'Fashion is not for you.'” That was the experience of Fashion Bomb Daily founder Claire Sulmers while working in the editorial department at a magazine. But instead of letting that slammed door stop her, Claire stuck to a mantra of "I will not lose," and built something different. Something inclusive. Something that matters. The @fashionbombdaily IG currently has over a million followers and the site serves as a platform for people who had the audacity to exist, when an industry told them otherwise. "We decided to take the bull by the horns," the editor and Harvard grad explained. "With a tremendous platform, you can’t afford to be silent." 

It is a sentiment echoed by all of the women who took to the stage for the Beyond the Binary panel at Create & Cultivate NYC, moderated by Bobby Kim. "If you're not going to give me the job, I’m going to go out there, find it, and do it better," said Deddeh Howard, the Liberian-born model who last year released her Black Mirror photo series, where she replaced models like Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid in major campaigns.

“There are a lot of women who feel like they don’t fit inside a pretty little box, but there are a lot of people out there who are looking for something different,” shared Claire. 

“I worked in the fashion industry for nine years in public relations,” shared Katie Sturino of 12ish Style. “My mentality was always, ‘Why am I so fat?’ ‘Why can’t I fit into these clothes?’ But I flipped the script and asked why am I punishing myself like that?”  

Also joining them on stage was model Emily Sears who gained notoriety last year when she began DM'ing the girlfriends and wives of men who would send her dick pics. "There is no picture of what a feminist looks like," Sears told the crowd, acknowledging that her predominately male following hates when she talks about feminism, but that doesn't stop her. She's not excluded from the conversation simply based on her looks or the fact that she posts sexy photos. "That's my decision and it's not an invitation for abuse," the Aussie-born model explained. 

photo credit: Becki Smith/ Smith House Photography

The main thread pulled through the conversation by Bobby Kim, co-founder of The Hundreds, and, most recently JENNIFER, was the question of whether or not it's getting better. 

"Is the industry changing?" asked Bobby. "Is it open, more embracing?"

“There’s a lot of ‘token,’ explained writer and blogger Nicolette Mason. “Here’s our person of color, here’s our person above a size 12, here’s our gender non-conforming individual, and that’s supposed to be enough. But brands need to think what they’re actually representing, the passive choices they’re making in all of their collateral, in-store signage, language that is used, and if it’s not leading the conversation, if it’s only for those marketing and PR moments, then it’s not worth anything.” 

“We need to stop with the labels, the categories, and give more people more opportunities,” said Deddeh. “I wasn’t trying to attack the brands,” she said of Black Mirror. “I was simply trying to get them to see what I can do and what any girl out there can do.” It’s about consciousness and awareness.   

Right there with her was Venezuelan actress, writer, and executive producer, Maiah Ocando who told the audience, "First of all I’m a human, then I’m a woman, and THEN I’m Latina. What opens the door for me is also the thing that closes the door." Just because she's Latina, Maiah explained doesn't mean she likes tacos and is curvy. Not shocking: typecasting is a thing. She refuses to let it be her thing. 

"First of all I’m a human, then I’m a woman, and THEN I’m Latina."

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“Look, if I can’t change their minds, I’m going to create my own path,” explained the actress in reference to “white men.” She was interrupted by enthusiastic applause from the audience. "Well, I am," she projected. "I’m going to be my own executive producer. My own writer." 

The conversation didn't stop at the jobs held by the women on stage. "You also need more diversity behind the scenes,” explained Claire, so that major mistakes don’t keep happening. “You need nuance and context.”

For Nicolette, politics in her “brand” are a “non-negotiable,” even if that means losing a job now and then. “It’s imperative to me. I’m a queer, Middle-Eastern woman, and I can’t imagine not using the platform I have to speak to intersectionality. Working together and being part of the resistance together is such an important part of how we’re going to grow as a society. The personal is political and hopefully that’s how we create a better tomorrow.”

"The personal is political and hopefully that’s how we create a better tomorrow.”

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photo credit: Becki Smith/ Smith House Photography

Similarly, Emily shared that she has "absolutely lost jobs" because of the stances she takes, but she likewise encouraged the audience to “stand by what you believe in and the right jobs will come.” 

“The reason we’ve all found success is because we have a point of view and we’re vocal about it,” elaborated Nicolette. “It’s important to give visibility to our individual identities, our voices, and to show people that they’re not alone.”

This is not the easiest road to walk. And for every two supporters, there’s a hater.

Protecting the indentity of what she called a "family and Catholic" brand, Nicolette told the story of a prominent Italian designer that reached out to her and said, “We really love you, but you’re gay.” So she recommended ten other people they could use. "That’s one example,” she said, "but there have been many. I do talk about Black Lives Matter, I do talk about trans rights, and some brands won’t touch me. On the flip side," she furthered, "there are brands that are so grateful and supportive.” She cited Target as one her “biggest cheerleaders,” as well as Barbie, which has doubled down on diversity efforts. 

Claire jumped in to agree. “You have to stay true to yourself.” When honoring the lives of black men shot by police, Claire said, “We decided we were going to have a ‘black out’ day where we posted nothing." She paused, noting, "You can’t afford to be silent.” 

Arianna Schioldager is Editor-in-Chief at Create & Cultivate. You can follow her @ariannawrotethis. 

MORE FROM OUR BLOG

Entertainment: Franchesca Ramsey

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Entertainment List Here.

Morally resolute, intersectional feminist. 

Franchesca Ramsey had been making her own hilarious YouTube videos, a mixture of song parodies, impersonations, and socially conscious comedy sketches, since 2006, but it wasn’t until she made “Shit White Girls Say…To Black Girls” and went viral, racking up 1.5 million views in just 24 hours, that Ramsey was really put on the map. The video has 11 million views to date, and it gave Ramsey the confidence to pursue entertainment full time. “Quitting my day job took a huge leap of faith, but I knew I wouldn't be able to pursue the opportunities I was most interested in with a 9-5.” We’re all better off for it, as since then the actress, video blogger, and writer has quickly become of the most exciting voices, in both comedy and social activism, of our time.

Ramsey spent time as a writer and contributor to "The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore," where her recurring segment #HashItOut was a stand out part of the show, and in 2015 landed her current gig as the host of "Decoded," an MTV News web series that speaks to issues of race and culture. She also still creates original content on YouTube, both for her comedy channel Chescaleigh and her lifestyle channel Chescalocs, which focuses more on beauty, natural hair care, and styling (the two channels have over 250k subscribers and 29 million views combined), and does speaking engagements at colleges, inspiring and educating (and cracking up) students around the country with her incisive wit and cutting intellect. In short, she’s killing it. But ‘twas not always so. In fact, just a few short years ago, Ramsey was considering giving up on entertainment altogether. “In 2014 my videos weren't doing very well and I had a hard time booking auditions, so I seriously considered abandoning entertainment and leaving NY,” she recalls. “Instead, I got a remote job writing for Upworthy and used that to supplement the few acting jobs I was able to pick up until things started to take off.”

Even now, as accomplished as she is, Ramsey still encounters more than her fair share of challenging moments. “Being a woman of color on the Internet is challenging, let alone being one that openly talks about racism and feminism. I deal with an intense amount of harassment, which at times can be discouraging, but is also a reminder of why these conversations are so important,” she says of the trolls who follow her every move. Ramsey credits her husband, her parents, and her audience for keeping her going when things get rocky. “I'm really fortunate to have people around the world that enjoy my content and continuously reach out to let me know that it's making an impact on their lives,” she says of her devoted fans. A self-described “gym rat,” Ramsey also works out five days a week at 7 am. “It’s when I really let go of everything and just focus on accomplishing whatever my trainer puts in front of me,” she says of her routine.

"Being a woman of color on the Internet is challenging."

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Aside from her family and fans, Ramsey raves about her friend and mentor, Tracee Ellis Ross, as an ongoing source of influence and inspiration. “I'm incredibly inspired by her talent, work ethic and humility. She's given me tons of great advice over the years and most recently I got the chance to write for her when she hosted Black Girls Rock for BET,” Ramsey says of Ross, whom she met a few years ago through her YouTube channel. “She's incredibly gracious and a firm believer in supporting and uplifting other women which, is something I think is incredibly important.”

Another thing Ramsey (and we) think is incredibly important? Activism, and specifically, a commitment to intersectional feminism. “It's important to acknowledge our privilege and remember that there are all types of women from a variety of walks of life that face challenges that we do not,” Ramsey says. “If you're truly committed to advocating for women you have to be willing to stand up for all women regardless of race, sexuality, physical ability, religion, class or gender identity, not just ladies that look like you.” For her part, Ramsey is already making a big difference in the steering the current cultural conversation. As for her personal goals? “One day I'd like to be in a position to break and foster new talent,” she says. We have zero doubt that will happen, and probably much sooner than she thinks.

Sarah Kunst Is Part of the 4%, But She's Changing That

In an op-ed for Fortune last month, Sarah Kunst, founder of Proday, referenced a report published by Digital Undivided called Project Diane. The report found that just 4% of female-led startups are run by black women, and that those companies pull in about .01% (an average of 36K) of funding typically raised by a successful startup. She wasn't surprised by the findings, but she wasn't impressed either. 

And while Project Diane calls that 4% "the real unicorns of tech," Sarah is no mythical creature. She's astute and purposeful in her own efforts and her leading work to bridge the digital divide. 

We checked in with Sarah pre-SXSW where she will be joining us on panel: How to Launch Your Business, Create Community, and Stay Relevant in the Modern Marketplace. 

The stories we hear about women in tech, and WOC in tech are usually upsetting due to the lack of diversity and frustration of fundraising. But let’s talk about the positive to start. What are some surprising conversations you’ve had about Proday? 

The best thing about building Proday.co into an app that connects pro athletes with their fans for workouts has been the support from the sports community. The doors that have been opened and the help I've gotten from top athletes and agents has been beyond my wildest dreams. I'm so grateful for it. 

What’s the most surprising backlash you’ve experienced?

Many tech investors have gotten jaded or burnt and they are afraid to believe that someone can finally break through in a crowded market that's seen a lot of failure. Much like many investors weren't hot on Facebook a decade ago because Myspace seemed unstoppable and Friendster had failed, I sometimes talk to investors who think that fitness and apps are hard markets and that because no one has won the entire thing yet, no one will. It's fun to prove them wrong. 

Where do you see your work changing what you’ve called the “broken dynamic” of venture funding? Can you talk a little bit about the stats in the Project Diane report?

My work is building a billion dollar company in the sports, fitness and content space. That I do that as a black female founder may make me an outlier in an overwhelmingly white male tech world, but it doesn't change my mission or discourage me. It's kind of cool to beat the odds and know that my success will only help pave the way for more like me. 

Businesses with diverse leadership teams are proven to do better in the marketplace, and yet parity is still rare at high-level jobs. Why do you think it is so hard to break this mold?

People who run the most successful funds and countries in the world aren't dumb and they aren't incapable of changing things when they put their minds to it. They are though, not incentivized to make these much needed changes. When you see top execs fired for not having diversity in their teams you will see a change. Releasing diversity data from top companies in tech is a start, but there needs to be accountability and action for these execs to take the truth to heart and start building diverse companies that will deliver better returns. 

"When you see top execs fired for not having diversity in their teams you will see a change."

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Why is it important for you to invest in other women?

I invest my time, money and expertise into things that will make me money. When I was a venture capital investor that meant focusing on founders who I knew would be successful. Clearly, female and minority founders will be successful so I've invested in a diverse group of founders as an investor and advisor and I know that I will see huge returns on those bets. 

Piggybacking on that, you’re female and black in an industry known for blatant sexism. How does the idea of intersectionality influence your work?

Well, if I tried to split the parts of me that are black from the parts of me that are female, I'd literally die because humans aren't capable of separating their race from their gender any more than you can put ingredients in a smoothie back into their separate, pre-blended form. Intersectionality doesn't 'influence' my life, it is my life. It's all of our lives. We all are the sum of our experiences and bringing that whole self, all our parts, into our work is vital to innovation. 

In what ways do you think it is a key component of building a strong movement? 

If we ask people to silo themselves - to not like a certain kind of music or dress a certain way or be a certain thing because we assume that their resume or race precludes them from certain interests or traits, we're being close-minded and shallow. Close-minded and shallow people rarely change the world for the better. Be open minded and don't be afraid to go deep. Don't assume to know where someone else 'intersects' and what drives them. Ask. If we remind ourselves that everyone we meet has intersects that we'd never expect, it's a lot easier to remain open to the new ideas and innovation they bring. To think that we're a sum of our demographic qualifiers devalues all of us. 

"To think that we're a sum of our demographic qualifiers devalues all of us." 

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Be sure to check out Sarah on panel at #CreateCultivateSXSW.

Arianna Schioldager is Create & Cultivate's editorial director. You can find her on IG @ariannawrotethis and more about her at www.ariannawrotethis.com