Photo: Christopher Sherman/Courtesy of Aurora James
Watch the full conversation between Aurora James and Editor-in-Chief Dhani Mau on The Fashionista Network.
“There’s a saying in Africa. It goes, ‘How do you eat an elephant one bite at a time?” designer and entrepreneur Aurora James told Dhani Mau on The Fashionista Network. (Watch it here!) That motto perfectly illustrates James’ entrepreneurial journey, taking a slow and steady approach to launching her accessories brand Brother Vellies in 2013 and nonprofit organization Fifteen Percent Pledge in 2020.
“With Brother Vellies, I started it at a flea market,” she said. “I had $3,500 in savings and, listen, it wasn’t a big launch, like [what] some of my friends have had with their fashion brands. But it was a launch that made sense for me, and it was the launch that I could stomach at that time — it felt right, and it was right.”
Eleven years later, what began as a “hobby project” has transformed into an industry-favorite accessories brand. (In the full interview, she speaks more about navigating logistics and the lessons she’s learned as a young brand founder.)
James knew she had an entrepreneurial spirit, but it was always about taking each step at her own pace: “I think if I just only wanted to be a designer or a creative director, I would work at a different house. But I had a little bit of an appetite to run a business. I also think that I didn’t necessarily put the same pressure on myself as some of my peers did. Like I didn’t feel like I needed to be Michael Kors and have a $300 million-dollar business.”
It was also important for Brother Vellies to be authentic and celebrate cultural histories. The brand keeps traditional design practices and techniques alive by working with artisans in Africa, Mexico and beyond to create handmade items.
In 2020, James launched her nonprofit Fifteen Percent Pledge with a somewhat similar goal. The initiative urges major retailers to allocate 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned brands. To date, over 30 brands have taken the pledge.
Having conversations with retailers and executives about racial discrepancies in fashion — without either side getting defensive or accusatory — can be difficult to navigate. James’ approach has been to start with understanding that “everyone is guilty but ultimately the system is to blame.” She advises, “if you’re going to have a real conversation with someone, you have to respect that person. A lot of times, for whatever the reason is, right now, we don’t really respect people who have a difference in opinion than us.”
Despite this, she emphasized her main focus is on “how can we move forward?”
“How can we change what we’re doing in the future?” she continues. “How can we build a stronger community? How can we love each other more? Ultimately, if small, Black-owned businesses in America are prosperous, America is more prosperous. Everyone agrees on that, whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican. So let’s really partner on making sure that small business and America is prosperous.”
Watch the full interview here.
This conversation was hosted on The Fashionista Network powered by interactive media platform Fireside, where viewers get the chance to participate and speak directly with industry figures. Learn more about The Fashionista Network here.
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Source: Fashionista.com