A Personal Passion Project Made Possible Through the Work-Life-Balance Culture at Infinite Edge | Excluded Fashion
To start this off, all I can say is “wow”. How grateful am I to be able to share my passion project with you all! How loved and supported I feel from Mary and Dee Anna to be able to pursue my passion for the fashion industry. And how great it feels to have worked towards building something that fulfills me and lets me do the one thing I’ve always been striving for: providing value to women.
This October I was able to launch Excluded Fashion, a digital media company dedicated to creating content for women who have felt “excluded” from the fashion industry, which, at some point in life, has been every woman!
Prior to starting at Infinite Edge in 2021, my career went sort of similar to the story you hear these days. Stuck in a 9-5 job that leaves me feeling drained everyday. Dealing with bosses who do not share my values. Being thought of as only an employee rather than a whole person and punished for trying to pursue something outside of my job. The list goes on…
After starting here at Infinite Edge, I quickly felt at home knowing that I was at a company run the right way. Mary and Dee Anna have always put people before the work and encouraged a positive working environment of flexibility and trust.
It was only through experiencing their drive to change the business world for the better, incredibly hard work building a model business here at Infinite Edge, creating an environment of trust and flexibility, only taking on clients that align with their core values, development of their passion for Future Ready CMO etc. that I knew I was surrounded by the right people to encourage me to pursue something of my own that will one day make a positive impact as well.
I created Excluded Fashion to help women finally feel included, in what can feel like a very exclusive place that is the fashion industry.
As a 6'2 bi-racial millennial woman with an athletic body type, I always found it incredibly hard to find clothing that fit my specific body frame. I once spent over 4 hours online searching for the perfect pair of baggy denim jeans in a 38' inseam (crazy right?!), just to end up disappointed in the only pair I found that were too tight around my thighs, not long enough and left a massive waist gap.
Not only that, but prior to Infinite Edge, I worked first hand to develop two clothing lines for two different companies and at neither company did it cross anyone’s mind to attempt to include anyone who wasn’t an average height, size small, young woman in the development of the clothing, or marketing of the brand; despite my plea for representation.
I distinctly remember a man I worked with to bring these clothing lines to life asking me why I never wore the clothes that I worked so hard to launch and telling him “they weren’t made for me.”
This lack of recognition for women who don’t fit the “standard of beauty” in our society is what has contributed to record low levels of self esteem and self worth in so many women of all walks of life. We’re left feeling insecure and focusing on our outward appearance, rather than just living our lives and focusing on things that truly matter.
This further fuels a mindset in women feeling like we don’t belong, or that something is wrong with us, that we are the problem. When the reality is… the fashion industry is the problem.
A few months after I returned the pair of jeans that didn’t work for me, I went back to search for a better pair of jeans and I actually found a pair I loved, in my size, my length, at a great price and they made me feel amazing!
I finally felt recognized and included.
As little as it sounds, in that moment I thought to myself "imagine if it only took me only 20 minutes to find that perfect pair of jeans."
I could have had 3 hours and 40 minutes back in my day to do whatever I wanted! I could've gone to happy hour with a friend, worked on building my business, called my mom! Instead, I used up that precious time of my life just to end up disappointed with another shot to my confidence.
And that's one thing that none of us can get back. Time.
That is how I came up with the idea for Excluded Fashion.
There are women out there who face the same struggles as me, whether it's finding jeans that are long enough and cute, finding the latest trending fashion item in a size 18 instead of just a size 8, finding clothes that flatter you if you use a wheelchair, etc.
What if there was a way we could shop online, knowing that what I bought will work for me? Rather than it being a tossup and endless 4 hour search?
We all deserve a place where we are recognized for our unique selves in the fashion industry and through Excluded Fashion, you can filter all content and shop the posts knowing they are written from women exactly like you, for you.
Each blog is tagged with the body type, size, height and age of the writer and budget of the products recommended throughout, so you know exactly what point of view the blog is coming from - thus making it easy to find products recommended for your exact features.
Not only does it make the shopping experience easier, but the long term effects on women’s self confidence knowing they can come to Excluded Fashion and feel recognized, means more than anything in the world. Not to mention having a home for curated products contributes to less product waste in the industry, fewer returns, reduced carbon emissions from shipping, etc. and to lead a movement towards demanding inclusivity and diversity throughout the entire fashion industry.
Leaving the world a more positive and encouraging place for women.
I am so incredibly grateful for the privilege and opportunity I have to carve out a space in the fashion industry for women to feel included and to share it with our incredible network here at Infinite Edge.
I cannot wait to see what else we can all create together.