African American Female Entrepreneurs
According to a 2015 Fortune article, the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs is African-American women. “The number of businesses owned by African-American women grew 322% since 1997, making black females the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the U.S.” Included in this are two friends, Ayanna Watkins and Kimisha Moxley. Ayanna Watkins is the creator of the clothing line Rebirth which she created after being a camp counselor at XS tennis camp. A conversation with one of the children after being bullied about her clothes inspired Ayanna. Ayanna told her, “that what she wears does not define her, and to never belittle herself due to not following a ‘trend’. I told her to be proud in what she’d wear, to be different.” Ayanna’s clothing line Rebirth is focused on empowerment for individuals. The name ‘Rebirth’, Ayanna said, comes from the concept “to ‘rebirth’ the idea of always following trends for fashion.”
Her clothing line indeed sends out a powerful message to individuals about being confident in what they wear and that you don’t always have to follow the latest trends. Kimisha Moxley is the creator of Kim Products which was based off her interest for arts and crafts from an early age. She also said that due to her parents being fans of recycled clothing and her love for thrift shops, her cultural appreciation of clothing flourished. Starting in 7th grade she would customize her own clothing, such as jeans, and she made wallets from the back pockets of pants. Once she began high school, she started taking her craft more seriously. “This is only the beginning”, she stated. She has branded the message of her clothing line very well and talks about how each jacket sends out its own individual message. She discussed her motto is for individuals, “to not underestimate the mind and capability of a young teenager.”
The motto very much inspires other young teens to get out and make their visions a reality. Kim Products indeed sends out the message that teens are very capable of getting out into the world and making their vision a reality.
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