HAUNT COUTURE - THE SHOCKING REALITY OF FAST FASHION

Jason Leung

 

Written by Emily Stephens (she/her) for The Rising Womxn Zine

Across the last few years, cancelling has become more prominent on social media. The act of cancelling, also referred to as cancel culture, describes a form of boycott in which an individual (usually a celebrity or influencer) who has acted or spoken in a questionable or controversial manner is boycotted. The YouTube beauty community seems to be on the receiving end of cancel culture more than other communities, however over the last few months, fast fashion brands such as Boohoo, Shein, Primark and Missguided are the latest to be boycotted. 

 

@Boohoo

 

 

Trendy clothing brands that offered a ridiculously cheap alternative to the labels being paraded across Fashion Week became more and more popular, especially with the rise of influencer power across social media. Fast fashion brands are often partnering with up and coming influencers to gain brand exposure. Fast fashion was highly praised, with consumers being able to wear the same outfits as their celebrities for only a fraction of the price. 

 

However, the world received quite a shock in 2013 when the Rana Plaza clothing manufacturing complex in Bangladesh collapsed, tragically killing over 1,000 workers. This was when we got a true insight into the conditions inside sweat shops and prompted us to think more deeply about the garments we were buying at such cheap prices. 

 

Before we delve further into the world of fast fashion, there are three kinds of fashion you need to understand first:

• High fashion: (also known as haute couture) expensive, fashionable clothes produced by leading fashion houses, often featured on catwalks of fashion weeks. Heavily influences celebrity fashion trends. This high-end fashion is cost specific, occasion specific, custom fitted, bespoke and extremely high quality. 
• High Street fashion: These are clothes that you could buy on your average high street. These include high street brands that mass produce clothes catering to a larger target audience, are affordable and aren’t very occasion specific. These clothes are ready-to-wear and keep changing season to season. High street fashion is heavily influenced by high-fashion-week catwalks and celebrity culture. 
• Fast fashion: This is inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends. It is when designs move quickly from the catwalks of high-fashion-weeks to the racks in high street stores and allows mainstream consumers to purchase trendy clothing at an affordable price. 

 

Even though the idea behind fast fashion is to get the newest and trendiest styles on the market as fast and as cheap as possible, the sad reality of fast fashion is that these garments are often discarded after only a few wears, which is creating a huge problem for the environment. Fast fashion contributes to the mindset that repeating outfits isn’t fashionable, and this is another reason why it is called fast fashion, as the market produces clothing that quickly that it convinces consumers that garments they may have only purchased the week before would now be out of fashion. 

 

@ecowithnico on Instagram

 

 

Fashion production was slow pre-1800s. Materials like wool or leather had to be personally sourced and prepared, weaved and finally made into garments. New technology, like the sewing machine was introduced during the industrial revolution. History suggests it was around this time that the first sweatshops started to open, which brought an array of health and safety issues with it. The first major sweatshop disaster took place in New York’s Shirtwaist Factory in 1911, where a fire broke out and tragically took the lives of 146 workers, many of whom were young female immigrants. 

 

The 60s and 70s started to see a significant rise in quicker changing fashion trends as younger people used this as a form of self-expression, but high fashion and high street fashion still remained strictly divided. Online shopping really began to take off in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and this is where fast fashion really started to come into its own. Shops we consider as retail giants now like Topshop, Zara and H&M began to take over the high street by reproducing the latest catwalk and celebrity trends at a quick and cheap rate. It’s not hard to imagine how many fast-fashion companies exist in today’s climate, with online shopping now becoming more favourable than high street shopping, and celebrity culture possibly at its most influential status in history. 

 

Bangladesh is potentially the world’s most notorious location for sweatshops, with 3.5 million workers in 4,825 garment factories producing goods for export to the global market and generate 80% of the country’s total export revenue according to War on Want. Approximately 85% of these garment workers are women, and this is no accident. Gender discrimination runs deep throughout a number of countries where sweatshops are based. Not only is this the case in sweatshops, but also in the fashion industry as a whole. 

Louison Webb (she/her), an ethically conscious fashion designer from London said, ‘Throughout my experience in the fashion industry, I have noticed that it is predominantly men who own the business and will hire females to work for them. Not only is this because of traditional and patriarchal views still holding the fort, but businesses in the textiles industry in particular get away with paying women a lot less than male counterparts, and this is why women are hired to do the hard labour.’ 

 

@Do Something

 

 

Women working in such conditions are often subject to verbal and physical abuse as well as sexual harassment. Louison said, ‘even though I’ve been lucky enough to work in ethical fashion businesses previously, I have still sadly faced sexual harassment with male colleagues making inappropriate comments about what I would wear to work. I acknowledge that there are women working in sweatshops in the UK and the rest of the world that face a much bigger scale of discrimination, harassment and assault much more severe than this, but it still all adds to the overall problem.’ 

 

Some garment factories in Banglasesh go as far as discriminating against women when it comes to family planning. According to Clean Clothes Campaign, women applicants are often asked if they are married, or plan on having children. Some employers will only hire unmarried women with no children, and some go as far as making women sign a document that they agree not to have children during their term of employment. Compulsory pregnancy testing during the recruitment process is also a common practice. If women refuse to be tested, or test positive, the likelihood of them being hired is very slim. 

 

Over the years, more reports have come to light of pregnant workers facing an alarming rate of harassment such as verbal abuse, higher production quotas, longer work hours and more difficult tasks. As a result, many female garment workers who become pregnant during their employment go to great lengths to try and hide it, often resulting in birth defects and other childcare issues. Louison told us, ‘how female workers are treated in fast fashion has inspired me to do what I do; activism through craft, and I will continue to be part of the movement in giving those women the voice that they deserve.'

 

@Euro News

 

 

If this harrowing information wasn’t enough, the majority of garment workers in Bangladesh earn below minimum wage which is 3,000 taka a month (which equates to £25). Many garment makers are forced to work 14-16 hours a day, seven days a week, with some workers finishing late hours into the night only to start again at early hours of the morning. Factories are often unsafe, cramped and hazardous, and since 1990 more than 400 workers have tragically died and several thousand more have been wounded in 50 major factory fires. 

 

Fast fashion brand Boohoo is the latest brand to come under fire regarding working conditions and is facing an investigation into accusations of modern slavery after it emerged garment workers at factories in Leicester were being paid as little as £3.50 an hour, way below the national minimum wage which currently starts at £6.45. Louison said, ‘I love seeing people calling out big brands on social platform, it gives me life! The recent boycotting of fast-fashion brands has been a long time coming! The conditions that workers find themselves in is just disgusting and goes against all aspects of human rights.’ Given this information, it is easy to understand the uproar in the British media over the last few weeks with the new information regarding Boohoo. Owned by the Kamani dynasty, Boohoo is worth an eye-watering £5billion, which makes the revelations of sweatshop slavery even more appalling. 

 

Fast fashion factories in Leicester are a long-standing issue, but sadly authorities often struggle to find evidence of modern slavery despite the prevalence of sweatshops in the city. Many reports were published in 2019 surrounding the notorious Spinney Hills – the heart of Leicester’s textiles industry. Stories emerged of immigrant women working in poor conditions for an hourly rate way below the minimum living rate. 

 

The impact of fast fashion is devastating, not only to its workers that are exploited and underpaid, but to the planet too. As of 2018, the UK had 26.7kg consumption of new clothing per head, which is currently the highest in Europe. 235 million items of clothing were sent to landfill in 2017. 700,000 fibres are released in a single domestic wash and 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon emissions are produced annually by the global fashion industry. With the current boycotting and ‘cancelling’ of fast fashion brands on social media, many are campaigning for the use of creating a more ethically sourced wardrobe. 

 

@The Guardian

 

 

A few years back, an app we all may know by now, Depop emerged. Depop is marketplace that encourages account holders to sell and buy second-hand garments. Of course, eBay has always been a platform for doing the same thing, as well as donating to charity shops, but Depop made second-hand clothing fashionable again. ASOS followed suit, with ASOS marketplace housing thousands of second-hand clothing.

 

Not only has ‘thrifting’ become more popular - which is basically a cool term for second-hand shopping – more ethical fashion companies are popping up across the globe. Being an ethical fashion designer herself, Louison said, ‘sustainability within your business or product should be a priority,  it is not only vital for the planet but the consumer has become more aware and educated with the production of clothing It may have become a trend, but the consumer will willingly research the ethics of a brand and ones that don’t act sustainably will have less chance of selling their products. Buying fashion should be a conscious choice. We should all consider where our clothes have come from, the impact on the environment and the conditions for the workers.’

 

@verteej on Instagram

 

 

While many high-street and online fashion brands still choose to utilise fast fashion, others are pledging to make a positive change, no matter how small. ASOS were already trailblazers by featuring a marketplace full of second-hand items for consumers to buy, but they also feature a number of eco-conscious garments that are made from recycled materials as well as moving towards using more eco-friendly packaging. Louison said, 'it has become a lot more common for brands to enforce sustainability whether it be in the production of their clothes or the use of recyclable packaging. Although many of the larger names see this as an advertising opportunity and will use it to entice the customer, stating that they use second-hand materials but still pay below minimum wage to their workers or predominantly use synthetic materials which causes extreme negative impacts towards the planet. What I have seen most is the smaller, independent brands that will implement a more ethical approach to starting a business, this is truly refreshing, and I wish that people supported these more!' 

 

It is important that more clothing brands take a step towards becoming more sustainable with a specific socio-conscious focus because, ‘as designers and brands, we have a responsibility to highlight and include important societal issues within our work given the size of the platform we have. There are so many events taking place right now that need a voice to educate people on what is happening not just to the planet but also to the people that inhabit it. Most pieces of work coincide with a description, this could include, inspiration, process’ and meaning. A lot of people will be reading this and not including an important message would be a missed opportunity to help where we can.’

 

@verteej on Instagram

Louison wanted to add, ‘during this piece, I have revisited events that I had subconsciously ignored, and it then spurred me to have conversations online with other females that have been a victim to similar issues. This can be an uncomfortable topic to talk about, I urge that people don’t stop! Talk about your experiences and teach and learn that you are not alone, and this is the start to systemic change.'

 

To find out more about Louison and her ethical fashion, visit: https://www.instagram.com/verteej/

 

 

BeYou: ALL THINGS PERIOD POSITIVITY AND FIGHTING POLLUTION

Shutterstock

Written by Emily Stephens (she/her) for The Rising Womxn Zine

*DISCLAIMER: At The Rising Womxn, we stand behind the messaging that not everyone that menstruates identifies as female. So, we have taken a step in the right direction and have chosen to use all-inclusive pronouns for the following article. We are also proud to encourage an all-inclusive educational approach, and the purpose of this disclaimer is to allow those from different generations or backgrounds to understand the use of generic pronouns and their positive impact. 

 

Plastic pollution is a huge problem globally, with over 5,000 items of marine plastic pollution found per mile of beach in the UK alone in 2019. Over 150 plastic bottles litter each mile of UK beaches as of 2019 statistics (SAS) and while many of us automatically think of plastic bottles and food packaging when we think of pollution, there is also another big offender that often goes unconsidered.

 

Single-use menstrual products are used mainly by cis-women, as well as transgender men, and non-binary individuals globally, as they are convenient and easy to use during menstruation. These include pads, liners and tampons – making them single use as there is no potential to wash and reuse them. A big-brand pack of 14 menstrual pads contains the same amount of plastic as 5 carrier bags, and people in the UK use an average of 11,000 disposable menstrual products during their reproductive lifetime – which is the equivalent to 786 plastic bags per person. A huge 4.3 billion disposable sanitary products are used in the UK every year, and around 2.5 million tampons, 1.4 million pads and 700,000 panty liners are flushed every single day. This also results in more than 200,000 tonnes of waste landfilled per year, which can take centuries to biodegrade. (Isonomia)

City To Sea

 

A 2010 Marine Conservation Society (MCS) beach-watch survey found 23 sanitary towels and 9 tampon applicators for every kilometre of coast. Rather than taking a progressive step forward to combat this, many big brands continue to make single-use menstruation products out of plastic – which used to be made out of paper and card in the not so distant past – due to the low cost of mass production. 5.9% of all beach litter in the UK are items that have been flushed down the loo when they should have gone in the bin. (City To Sea) 

With big brand, single-use menstruation products, consumers often don’t actually know what it is they are exposing their body to. Some period products include fragrances and scents, which can interfere with the balance between good and bad bacteria. Synthetic fragrances can be made from a cocktail of up to 3,900 chemicals (styrene, chloromethane, chloroethane, chloroform, acetone, among others). Some of them are identified as carcinogens, neurotoxins, irritants, hormone disruptors and reproductive toxicants. The chemicals in these products can also modify the pH balance of the individual. However, most of the time these chemicals are not disclosed on the product by the manufacturer. (Zero Waste Europe)

Many of the conventional single-use menstrual products (pads and tampons) and their packaging contain plastic and other synthetic materials like rayon, adhesives, artificial fragrances and toxic chemicals such as phthalates, bisphenol - A and petrochemical additives, which are recognised environmental pollutants and are also known to be endocrine-disrupting substances linked to some diseases, such as heart diseases, infertility and cancer. Even traces of dioxin, created when these products are bleached white, and pesticides and herbicides, including glyphosate, can be found in menstrual products. (Zero Waste Europe)

Not only are menstrual products considerably harmful to the environment, they are also leaving women out of pocket too. Menstruation products are a necessity that cost the average UK person £5,000 in their lifetime, a new study by Intimina found. When thinking of period poverty, it’s easy to think of third world countries where access to necessary products is slim, with UNESCO estimating that 50 per cent of girls (disclaimer: use of girls over people due to accuracy of UNESCO study) living in Central Africa and South and West Asia are without access to period products. 

Samikshya Koirala. Credit: Anup Subedi.

 

In fact, period poverty is also present in the UK, and the conversation around this has grown over the last few years. A poll run by Bloody Big Brunch concluded that a quarter of girls (disclaimer: use of girls over people due to accuracy of Bloody Big Brunch study)  in the UK have been forced to miss work or school due to not being able to afford period products. 

In March 2019 the government introduced free sanitary products into all English secondary schools. Period poverty also affects adults, with half of the 2,000 18 to 55-year-old women (disclaimer: use of women over people due to accuracy of Intimina study) surveyed reported experiencing it, with two-thirds (60%) saying they have had to budget in order to afford sanitary items and 79 per cent said they have made sacrifices or gone with less to be able to buy menstrual products.

 

With all the above taken into consideration, it’s hard to imagine why these products are still in use when they do so much damage across a varying number of circumstances. By switching to reusable period products, users can expect a lifetime saving of up to 94% of what they would have spent on disposables by switching to reusables. Also, every year in the UK it costs around £88 million to clear blocked drains and sewer pipes – and this money is paid directly through water bills! Reusable products can help cut this cost and have many other benefits too!

City To Sea

 

BeYou, (https://beyouonline.co.uk) aims to make a change for people everywhere by “Celebrating Individuality Together” – ultimately showing the importance of Being You! Determined to reduce the hinderance of period pain, BeYou displays a whole range of in-demand natural products that offer stress and pain-free alternatives to help keep period pains and cramps away.

 

We sat down with brand founders Krutika (her/she) and Hemang (he/him) Patel (brother & sister) to find out why embracing the natural approach to menstruation is the way forward, as well as all things period positivity! 

 

*Disclaimer: pronouns throughout interview will be in brackets as these are part of BeYou’s messaging and not The Rising Womxn’s. 

 

Tell us a little more about the history and ethos of BeYou!

 

Krutika: A couple of years ago I found myself working in a male-dominated workplace, silently battling crippling period cramps. I didn’t want to use over-the-counter pain medication but was openly called out and shamed by my colleagues for using a hot water bottle. Struggling to find any more discrete alternatives, I teamed up with Hemang, our other Co-Founder, and created my own! After months of formulating and experimenting, the Monthly Patch was born!

 

Along with (female) empowerment, the ethos of our brand is ‘science-backed, natural products’, which, as we have grown, we have continued to stand by as we branch into other products - all with the purpose of finding natural solutions to (women's) everyday problems.

BeYou

 

Why is the use of natural period pain relief more beneficial than over the counter pharmaceuticals?

 

Krutika & Hemang: As a brand, we actually say, each to their own in terms of finding the right product for you. We don’t promise to be a miracle cure - only you know what is best for your body, which is why it’s important to experiment and find out what works best for you! We’re just here to offer a 100% natural alternative to other products which contains absolutely no added chemicals! We do know that there is sometimes scepticism about natural or herbal products vs over the counter drugs, however, there is often so much science behind natural solutions, including our own!

 

What is the benefit of someone purchasing a reusable menstrual cup over tampons and pads?

Hemang: The great thing about Menstrual Cups is that, if cleaned and stored correctly, they can last for a whole ten years! That’s 120 months of not buying tampons and pads - which is great for the environment in terms of waste, and also your bank balance! We have a calculator on our website which works out the saving based on your average usage - we think you’d be surprised by the amount!

 

*author’s note – I used the period savings calculator and I was truly shocked, not just by how much money I can save by purchasing reusable menstrual products, but also how much waste production I would contribute to from period products alone in my lifetime if I continue to purchase single-use products. You can see your own savings here. *

 

BeYou Savings Calculator

Why is it important that society takes more steps to become period positive?

 

Krutika: Periods are completely natural, and stifling the conversation can be potentially very damaging, for example, in terms of young (girls) learning about adequate menstrual hygiene. We want to empower (women) to be able to talk openly about periods (if they want to). Why does everyone always talk about discreet period products? If you don’t want to talk about periods because they gross YOU out, then we’re all for it. But if you don’t talk about it because you feel like you can’t (because of what society has conditioned into us) then join the movement!

 

Do you think conversations around periods should be introduced and normalised as part of sex education schemes that is inclusive to all genders in primary schools?

 

Krutika & Hemang: Absolutely! We feel passionately that all children should be educated on (women’s) health topics such as menstruation which we feel would massively reduce the ‘taboo’ factor when it comes to the way these children approach this as an adult. For example, Kru was shamed by men for using a hot water bottle in the workplace - would this have happened if these people had grown up with talking about this being the norm?

BeYou

 

Over the last year or so, more TV adverts have surfaced around periods – why should more companies make an effort to be period positive and normalise the discussion of menstruation?

 

Krutika: There has definitely been a shift in terms of advertising and there are now more companies like ours offering alternative menstrual products and not being afraid to address this in marketing. We do feel there is still a long way to go, however, but the more companies who embrace period positivity, the more we will break down the stigma!

 

What advice would you give to those who have never used a reusable menstrual cup before?

 

Krutika: When it comes to using Menstrual Cups for the first time, it can definitely be daunting as they definitely look very different to tampons and pads, but it’s important to remember that our cup is made of a soft and flexible silicone that moulds very comfortably to your body. It can take up to 3 cycles to fully get the hang of using one though, so we always say, don’t be disheartened if it doesn’t go perfectly the first time! We provide lots of tips and tricks on finding the right insertion methods for you though - practice definitely makes perfect!

 

BeYou

Similarly, what advice would you give to those who are apprehensive into purchasing natural period pain relief?

 

Krutika & Hemang: Like we mentioned, we do know that there is some scepticism about using natural or herbal products, however, we would reassure them that - generally speaking, there are fewer side effects and of course, less or no chemical ingredients. While natural, all our products are also completely science backed, and dermatologically tested where relevant, so there really should be no need to worry about trying natural solutions out. 

 

You have recently launched your CBD range – tell us more!

 

Krutika & Hemang: A few months after we launched our Patches, we actually did a survey of customers at the time, asking them what products they’d like to see us work on next. We have a large community of people with Endometriosis or other chronic pain conditions within our customer base, and we were overwhelmed with messages asking for CBD. Many of them had read CBD may be of use to them, however, they were confused about finding a reputable brand, whether it was safe and legal, or how much they should be taking. 

 

We then set out to a high-quality CBD which is independently tested by a third-party laboratory which comes with clear dosage guidelines. A year later and after being very well received by customers, we have since launched a Gummy variant exclusively with Superdrug, and a new stronger dose, with more to come over the next few months.

BeYou

 

What would you say to young people who are embarrassed about having and talking about periods?

 

Krutika: We would reassure them that periods are 100% natural and nothing at all to be embarrassed and ashamed of - we hope part of our future at BeYou involves becoming a destination for information and research about periods in an approachable and digestible format so no-one feels they can’t access the information they need.

 

 

To shop BeYou’s range of natural, period positive products, visit: https://beyouonline.co.uk

 

You can also find BeYou on Instagram @beyouperiod, Facebook on @beyouperiod, Twitter on @beyouperiod and YouTube @BeYou.

 

 

EMERGING INTO A MALE DOMINATED WORLD: PERLcosmetics & GIRL IN BUSINESS

@girlsinbusinessuk at Instagram

Written by Emily Stephens (she/her) for The Rising Womxn Zine

Finding support when setting up a business can be difficult but can be especially challenging for females. The world of business has always been and still remains to be a male dominated industry, leaving little room for women to emerge into higher status roles. Not only can this be demotivating, but it can potentially put women off starting their own business altogether. 

 

The one industry that is seeing more and more female-owned businesses arise is skincare. Maybe this is due to the fact that self-care and beauty is often stereotyped as a female market, but it’s clear that there is plenty of room for female entrepreneurs in this sector. 

 

We caught up with Isobel Perl (she/her), a Biology graduate and founder of PERLcosmetics; who gives us the lowdown about emerging into the world of business and skincare, as well as creating a platform for supporting other female entrepreneurs. 

 

What made you become a business owner?

 

After working in the corporate world at a big 4 company in HR, I knew this wasn’t what I wanted to do. The thing is with me, I seem to have a good idea of what I don’t want to do, but struggle knowing what I want to do. In November 2019, I was at home one weekend and broke down to my parents. I was so miserable, I honestly felt like a shell of a person. It wasn’t so much that I hated my job, it was okay, and I liked who I worked with. I just didn’t feel passionate about what I was doing, and that was what I was struggling with. I needed to find my passion and purpose in life, and when you come out of Uni there is so much pressure for you to get an ‘adult’ job that we tend to just rush into things. 

 

How did PERLcosmetics come about?

 

I’ve always been a lover of cosmetics and skincare and have formulated my own products from face oils to pressed glitters. I remember reading an article about two young e-commerce guys who have started a highly successful skincare business in Australia initially selling only clay masks. It got me thinking, what brand is there in the UK known purely for clay masks? I couldn’t think of any off the top of my head, so I did some research. After, it appeared there was a gap in the market for a brand such as PERLcomsetics that specialises in clay masks, and so I set up my website and Instagram account. 

 

What was the inspiration behind your products and brand?

 

The idea for the product was to supply a glass jar with powder clay and a glass bottle of illuminating oil, whereby the customer mixes water with the powder clay and illuminating oil to create their own mask. It would be customisable, allowing different textures and can be made to suit the customer's skin needs by altering the amount of illuminating oil.

 

My product is all about keeping the formulation simple and as natural as possible. Every ingredient in my product has a purpose to promote healthy skin, there isn’t anything unnecessary in my product which also promotes waste reduction. 

 

I also wanted my brand to be empowering, embracing everyone’s differences and to give people the confidence to glow in their skin. I hope in creating my product, I can give my customers some time to invest in self-care whilst being able to put the fun back into their skincare routine with a DIY mask

@PERLcosmetics at Instagram

 

Did you face any challenges setting up your business?

 

Honestly, it wasn’t the start I’d hoped for my new brand. I had a full-time job and wasn’t in a position to leave job security to be able to fully invest my time into getting the brand launched. The idea got parked and I went back into the 9-5 of the corporate world.

 

When coronavirus broke out, it also took my job. My company were making financial cuts and unfortunately my job was lost. Initially, it was a shock and a struggle trying to figure out what I was going to do. However, rather than seeing it as a setback, I saw it as an opportunity. An opportunity presented to me in order to get the business set up. I’ve been focusing full-time on it since the middle of May and I honestly can’t believe how far I've come in these short 6 weeks.

 

The biggest thing I’ve had to overcome is imposter syndrome. I can sometimes feel incredibly foolish for trying to start a business in an already incredibly saturated market, with basically zero skills aside from my biology degree which has been essential in helping me formulating my product and understand the skin

 

Natural skincare is all the rage at the moment, what are the benefits?

 

Natural ingredients are not only better for skin but also the environment. I am proud to say that 88% of our ingredients are natural, with 6% being nature-identical (our pigment) and 6% being a synthetic compound which is used in the mining of our clay. Natural ingredients are packed full of beneficial qualities to help promote healthy skin. My products are also paraben, palm-oil, alcohol and artificial fragrance free. 

 

Consumers have become more interested in what they are putting on their skin, and I want my brand to be as transparent as possible in showing what ingredients I use and why.

@PERLcosmetics at Instagram

 

Being a female business owner is hard! Why is it important for more female entrepreneurs to emerge?

 

Having a brand that is created by a woman is, I hope, inspiring. All too often I see headlines such as “Men twice as likely to become entrepreneurs than woman,” and numbers support this – the amount of British female entrepreneurs still remaining surprisingly low, with just 5.4 women entrepreneurs for every 11.1 men. Is it because men were risk takers, with women being notoriously more risk adverse? For me, I knew I was a risk taker, and I know when I’m passionate about something I will not stop until I’ve achieved it. I hope using my passion to start this business can help empower other women to follow their dreams. 

 

Do you think there is a lot of pressure on women to have flawless skin/appearance based on the influencer culture? 

 

I definitely think there is a lot of pressure to have flawless skin, which has been perpetuated through years of airbrushing and photoshopping of images to remove blemishes, uneven skin and texture. To me, it is such a shame that women (and men) feel they have to hide and cover up any imperfection. Also, nowadays there are lots of apps around where you can edit your skin in seconds, it’s too easy for people to quickly ‘improve’ their appearance at the click of a button.

 

Do you think much is being done to combat this?

 

there have been movements to spread positivity surrounding skin and embracing the skin you are in. Acne awareness month has just ended, and there are a lot of new Instagram accounts that are all about promoting acne, blemishes, uneven skin etc. I do think there is a big responsibility on big brands and influencers alike to begin promoting all skin, which is anything from textured, to blemished and uneven. When I have the budget to do shoots, I’ll be sure to choose a variety of models with differing skin types embracing their imperfections. There is no way I will be promoting ‘perfect’ skin, as it simply doesn’t exist.

@PERLcosmetics at Instagram

 

Why is it important to empower women to feel confident in their own skin?

 

Being able to promote your own skin and body in a positive light is vital as everyone is different. We can’t all conform to one ‘perfect’ stereotype portrayed by media, e.g. slim, light skinned and with perfect skin, as it is simply impossible. By being able to encourage the notion that everyone is different and beautiful in their own right helps to dismantle the pressure put on females to look a certain way.

 

Do you aim to empower women through PERLcosmetics?

 

By using my platform to do so is something that gives me great pleasure. By creating PERLcosmetics I hope to be able to highlight that loving yourself and your skin is the most important thing someone can do. Confidence is your most valuable asset, and accepting yourself, imperfections and all, is a positive step in being able to live your best life.  

@PERLcosmetics at Instagram

 

Tell us about Girls In Business!

 

Girls in Business came after I’d set up PERLcosmetics. After trying to find ways to help promote my new business, I saw there was gap for a platform to help inspire and encourage other women in business. Whilst trying to get the word out about my new business, I thought of how many other women there were who have or are setting up their own businesses. 

It’s a platform on Instagram where I feature women in business each day, telling their story and providing their insights on their journeys into business. I also have a closed Facebook group where we can come together to connect and share ideas. I actively encourage self-promotion and encourage new joiners to share an #introductionpost to introduce themselves and tell us about their business! 

Already I’ve had so many women tell me the platform has inspired them to take the plunge and take their idea from a dream to a reality. By being able to share advice and tips from women who have been there and done it, it provides a supportive community where we can all learn from each other.

 

@girlsinbusinessuk at Instagram

 

What are your goals over the next 12 months for PERLcosmetics and Girls in Business?

 

It would be my absolute dream for PERLcosmetics to become a source of stable income, but I have to think realistically about it. Getting big in the skincare industry, which is an already saturated market, will be difficult. So, my aim is to manage the business alongside a job I have accepted which will begin in the autumn. By then, I hope the business will be in a solid position to manage a full-time job alongside it. Within the next year, I'd love to expand my product range to provide a cleanser, moisturiser and even exfoliator. There are big plans for PERLcosmetics, but currently I am remaining level-headed and not getting too ahead of myself! But, catch me in an edition of vogue one day…gotta start manifesting!

 

For Girls in Business, again I hope it will continue to grow into a large supportive community of brilliant businesswomen. Already day by day it continues to grow, and I am so proud the platform can inspire other women that they can do it too! I am enjoying being able to connect with women all over the globe and hearing their incredible stories. I’m tempted to do either a YouTube channel or an IGTV where I interview the women and their stories, which would be super fun. I hope once PERLcosmetics is up and running smoothly, I’ll have more time to focus on expanding Girls in Business.

@girlsinbusinessuk at Instagram 

 

What advice would you give to any aspiring female entrepreneurs?

 

One of my biggest pieces of advice is to follow something you're passionate about. I ended up in an uncreative corporate job and I was miserable. I chased a nice salary and that was all I cared about. Because of it, my mental health really suffered. I’m now unemployed, with no salary, and I’ve never been happier because I’m doing something I genuinely love and am able to be creative and learn a wealth of new skills! The most important thing is your happiness, make sure you’re happy doing what you’re doing, and the rest will fall into place. That is my promise to you.

 

 

You can shop Isobel’s innovative skincare range at https://perlcosmetics.com/  and make sure to follow PERLcosmetics and Girls in Business on Instagram @perlcosmetics & @girlsinbusinessuk. Isobel also has a blog where she’s opened up about her struggles in both her personal and business life: https://perlcosmetics.com/the-silver-lining-of-coronavirus/