Tuesday's Treasure - Fashion Flourishes through Female Entrepreneurs!

What a great time to be a female in the Fashion industry. Through my association with the 85 Broads Network, I have met many very talented and savvy businesswomen who work in the fashion world for top designers, or who have recently set up their own ventures after working in other areas.

Our own Evie, who is a Spokesmodel for WWRG and an 85 Broads member, is actively involved in several projects including the Fashion for Development initiative she is now rolling out via South South News. We featured her shows in a recent Lifestyle Lifters post.

We have also featured a venture curated by Shauna Mei called Aha!Life. For those of you looking for something unique to give to someone or yourself, I recommend you visit their website and sign up. Many of their offerings are created by women or benefit women in disadvantaged countries.

Another recent addition to the firmament of fashion by an 85 Broads member (or members in this case!) is Moda Operandi. Here, Ashlaug Magnusdottir and Lauren Santo Domingo have created a "first-in-category, members-only online store that lets customers browse and pre-order designer collections immediately following their runway presentation. Launched during New York Fashion Week, M'O was created to allow its members to "shop the runway" from the privacy of their own homes.

Moda Operandi provides direct access to complete runway collections from the finest designer brands, including Nina Ricci, Giambattista Valli, Carolina Herrera, Calvin Klein, Alexander Wang, and Proenza Schouler, as well as jewelry, shoes, handbags, and accessories. Membership perks include recommendations from top stylists, personal shopping assistants, and tools to review looks from every angle."

So many great Women now hold C-level positions at fashion industry Icons like Burberry and Gilt Groupe, to name but a few. If you have a "passion for fashion", please consider joining a network like 85 Broads where you will find plenty of support and mentorship. This is the vision that Janet Hanson set forth when she co-founded the organization in 1997 which has grown to a membership of over 25,000 women and a few enlightened men (me included!)