This is what Women of the Future look like: empowered, diverse and determined

Historically, women have been depicted a certain way in the media. In the 50s, we were perfectly primped housewives. In the 90s, we were blonde and skinny bombshells. Today, we are empowered, diverse and determined – and none of that has anything to do with what we look like.

With feminist campaigns like #metoo and #thisgirlcan, women have never been more empowered, more heard, and more supported, but we have a long way to go.

According to the World Economic Forum, it could still take another 100 years before the global equality gap between men and women disappears entirely. For The Australian Women’s Weekly 2018 Women of the Future Finalists, they’re not happy sitting back and waiting for that to happen, so they’re making it happen.

I’m one of those women, and as one of three Entrepreneur and Business Finalists, I couldn’t be prouder of the impact I’ve had thus far in raising awareness of inequality in the fashion industry. It’s not something a lot of people think about; fashion is generally known as an all-powerful, all glamourous, all fabulous industry, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. In Bangladesh, some women are paid 39 cents an hour, and across the board in the fast fashion industry, ethics are left on the cutting room floor.

It’s never been enough for me to sit back and watch injustices happen and think that someone else will fix things. When I launched my business to promote ethical and sustainable fashion, I had a mission to change my industry for the better, and The Fashion Advocate is slowly doing just that.

Every reader that visits The Fashion Advocate blog is one more person who now knows why ethics and sustainability is so crucial in the fashion industry. Every new follower on Instagram is one more that now knows where they can shop when they want to wear their values. Every order I send out in our biodegradable plastic-free packaging, supports a local label who designs with intent to drive positive social and environmental change. One by one, we are slowly building our community, and creating a ripple effect of positive change. It's not just about having the voice of the independent Australian fashion community heard, it's also giving a voice to the disadvantaged women and children who are trapped in the modern slave labour fast fashion system.

I’ll be having lunch in two weeks with Lisa Wilkinson, Julie Bishop, Ita Buttrose, Lisa Harrington, Tanya Plibersek, Nicole Byers and Ronni Khan to find out who the winners are for this year’s The Australian Women’s Weekly Women of the Future Awards. Regardless of the outcome, I won’t stop fighting for ethical living wages in the fashion industry until we have equality across the globe.

The Fashion Advocate x

In the 90s, we were blonde and skinny bombshells. Today, we are empowered, diverse and determined – and none of that has anything to do with what we look like.

The Fashion Advocate ethical sustainable circular slow fashion business strategy mentor online course marketing how to

I spent my first five years in business stressed and in debt.

If you're feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or if you're not making enough sales to survive, you're not alone. I've been there.

I was exhausted and I wanted to quit.

Then I worked out a strategy that dramatically changed my business, increased my sales, and saved me time. I want to share it with you!

READ MY STORY

Want to know the top three ways to grow a successful and sustainable fashion brand?

  • ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS

    Every week on Instagram, you can ask me anything about fashion, business, ethical manufacturing, sustainability, and growth to get the answers you need to overcome challenges. Marketing, PR, your strategy, sales, how to wholesale, Instagram engagement, customers, sourcing... Whatever it is, ask me your questions and I'll go LIVE on Instagram with the answers you need to move forward.

    FIND ME ON INSTAGRAM HERE

  • KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

    To build a successful, sustainable and profitable fashion business, you have to empower yourself with knowledge and learn from others in the industry. I ran one of the largest online stores for ethical and sustainable fashion for over a decade, and I learned the ins and outs and the rights and wrongs of building a business. Now I'm sharing my strategies on my blog so you can take what you need to grow!

    READ THE BLOG HERE

  • BUILD YOUR SKILLSET AND LEVEL UP

    The only difference between a big fashion business and a small fashion business is a different skillset. Everything your competitors know - you can learn. My online courses and masterclasses are specifically designed for ethical and sustainable fashion brands, labels and businesses, so you can build your skillset, level up, fast-track your success and increase your impact.

    BUILD YOUR SKILLSET NOW