International Women’s Day: Female Fashion Designers

In Honor of International Women’s Day on March 8th, we got to know our favorite female designers and CEO’s of the coolest upcoming brands. We asked them about their inspiration, style and what it takes to be a strong entrepreneur and leader. The future is female!

Do you find it difficult to be a woman entrepreneur?
I really love to be a female entrepreneur! I get to meet and work with incredible, crazy and inspiring people every day. It is a big responsibility that can be tough at times, but I get energy from my team that strengthens me when the workload is overwhelming.
Have you faced any hardships based on your gender?
When I was pitching AÉRYNE two years ago, I was only meeting men, and at one meeting I was asked “where I got my good confidence” from. I don´t think a man in the same position would be asked the same in the middle of a pitch.
Your slogan is to “empower women through style”, can you tell us more about this?
Being a fashion buyer for a long time before starting AÉRYNE, I was working and traveling in India. I fell in love with the country, and wanted to be a part of the discussion, challenges and possibilities the women in India has. I knew that if I started my own brand, I wanted to give back to the country in terms of helping girls with education. So we started AÉRYNE ACADEMY, our own education fund. For us “empowering women through style” refers to our statement pieces as well as our steady contribution to women’s charities with AÉRYNE ACADEMY.
What do you think is the most important piece of clothing in a woman’s wardrobe?
A great power-suit that you feel like you can take over the world in. Having a tough day, I always wear a good power suit to pick myself up with.
Speaking of women, which female figures would you say have inspired you the most?
So many! Giovanna Engelbert, Arianna Huffington, Michelle Obama and Cristina Stenbeck are great inspirations for me to name a few.
How can women help to empower each other more?
Support, support, support! We are not rivals – we are allies.

How did the three of you meet and decide to start BY FAR?
Me and Sabina are twin sisters and Denitsa is our best friend for many years. After we had our babies, we were having lunch together and decided to explore this dream. After the second week of our launch in June 2016, our collection was recognised by the British Vogue and few key boutiques in London. The brand just exploded after this.
When and why did you decide to design bags?
Bags were always great passion for us! We’ve been working on it for almost 2 years before we actually launched the bags collection, cancelling few collections along the way. Knowing our obsession for the 90s and the early 2000s, we were absolutely inspired by the nostalgia of those decades. Indeed, BY FAR was the first brand to re-introduce the baguette bags and it was received with phenomenal success, completely selling out within 2 weeks.
Bags or Shoes?
We could never decide that! : ) It’s like choosing your favourite kid.
Do you find it difficult to be a woman entrepreneur? Have you faced any hardships based on your gender?
Absolutely! We’re 3 young women entrepreneurs with very feminine business. So many have questioned our success (especially men), we’ve heard remarks such as “it’s just luck” or “is your father behind your success” when we answer “No, its purely us” then they ask “Ok, then are your husbands behind it” but no one has ever asked “Is your mother behind your success?” But to be honest, we find it very satisfying the challenge to push those boundaries and to prove them wrong.
Speaking of women, which female figures would you say have inspired you the most?
We’re very inspired by current influential female entrepreneurs that are involved in feminine ventures such as Emily Weiss Founder & CEO of Glossier Inc, Kylie Jenner and the Olsen sisters. They’re disrupting the market, changing the rules of the game and truly representing what women actually want nowadays.
How can women help to empower each other more?
We need to support each other, we should mentor each other constantly and never be intimidated by any men.

Why did you name your brand after the Greek mythological figure Medea?
Medea Is know in most stories as a sorceress, a myth viewed as an enigma. Our inspiration comes from the film “Medea” of Pasolini, a masterpieces, played by the incomparable Maria Callas, wily divine, superb and able to support this mythological figure in a unique and extraordinary way.
Medea bags are simple yet strong in design, can you tell us about your design process and why you chose that shape?
We thought it was ironic and provocative to create a ” fancy ” version” of a simple everyday object. We are always amused by the reaction of people that see and touch the bag for the first time.
When and why did you decide to design bags?
About a year ago, we always dreamt to do something together as sisters, but both our previous jobs never really made it possible. At a more mature age we felt more artistically confident and decided to join forces and turn a passion ( bags ) into a venture.
Can a bag define a woman?
We believe it’s a woman to define a bag.
Do you find it difficult to be a woman entrepreneur? Have you faced any hardships based on your gender?
The fact that we are a women duo, and in the “business” since 10 years, is definitely helping us to be a stronger force . It is a pleasure to see that a lot of people respect us and enjoy our non conventional communication.
Speaking of women, which female figures would you say have inspired you the most?
We are inspired by women that have the guts to change the business they are in, like Maria Callas or Michelle Obama. We are also inspired by hard working women that do not feel forced to follow the 30’s cliche “get engaged, get married”, and believe that their path is not the one society tries to push upon you.
How can women help to empower each other more?
By teaching and sharing that personal success can come in any form.

You describe Wandler as a brand that embodies modern femininity. How would you describe modern femininity and what does that entail?
From a design point of view, I’m focused on creating designs that complement a woman’s look by combining functional relevance with elegance. Having that functionality while creating pieces that are luxury products, I try to capture the attitude of a modern-minded woman.
When and why did you decide to design bags?
I felt there wasn’t a lot of brands out there that offered bags with a fine balance of clean yet bold designs. I find it really interesting to play with the tension between super feminine and clean androgynous designs. We launched our first collection end of 2017. It felt like the right time as everything fell into place just before that. The right people, the right opportunities, the right available resources.
What’s your “It bag”?
It all started with the Hortensia bag. That’s one of our signature styles. This one has always been our bestseller. However, this season we expect a new #1 sales sweetheart: our Yara Bag.
Do you find it difficult to be a woman entrepreneur? Have you faced any hardships based on your gender?
Being an entrepreneur isn’t always easy. Period. I’ve personally never had any experiences of being treated badly because I’m a woman. It’s beyond words that this still happens in this day and age – there’s so much access to knowledge.
Speaking of women, which female figures would you say have inspired you the most?
So many women. So many different women. Women with an opinion and strength. To name a few: Sofia Coppola, Cher, Diana Vreeland.
How can women help to empower each other more?
By being strong and soft and showing vulnerability. Tackling those multiple feminine roles in our everyday life, being proud and embracing the qualities of being a woman.

Do you find it difficult to be a woman entrepreneur? Have you faced any hardships based on your gender?
I consider myself very lucky to be a woman entrepreneur at a time of an almost level playing field. From where I stand, the fashion industry seems to be very much dominated by women from whom I have been very fortunate to receive a lot of support. I am very aware that things can be very different in other fields but it is not something I have had to grapple with in my day to day.
How has your industry experience and approach to design influenced the Yuzefi identity and aesthetic?
I studied and worked in Ready-to-wear and fell in love with leather while creating commissioned editorial pieces for Patti Wilson, Steven Klein and Hedi Slimane. I had no previous experience in designing bags before I started and most of the inspiration behind the brand aesthetic has come from outside of fashion. Interior design has always been the main source of inspiration and continues to fuel my fascination with the relationship between material, form and function.
What’s your “It bag”?
Our Mini Delila is our iconic style and has been an all time favorite, a mini bag with a perfect day to night aesthetic.
Can a bag define a woman?
Most certainly. While historically it was all about the brand names women wore, nowadays it is much more about the overall personal style. From spotting minimalist or eclectic taste to much more subtle personality attributes, our outfit and especially accessories can sometimes communicate our persona better than words!
Speaking of women, which female figures would you say have inspired you the most?
Lee Miller, Elsa Schiaparelli, Miuccia Prada and Frida Kahlo have been a source of inspiration for their forward thinking artistic vision but I am even more inspired by the less widely known trailblazers of our industry and my personal network.
How can women help to empower each other more?
Mentoring other women, I was very lucky to receive great advice in the early days of the Yuzefi which has had an incredible impact on where the brand is today. Women can also be are very hard and critical of themselves, we can support and empower one another by acknowledging each other’s strengths and qualities. I also believe that empowered women empower women and that our achievements can be highly inspiring and enabling those that wish to follow a similar path.