This feminist clothing line is going the distance to promote inclusivity
With feminism running rampant as a fashion trend these days, it’s hard to tell who takes the message to heart, and who’s just jumping on the bandwagon.
Well, Portland, Oregon-based lifestyle brand Wildfang wants to set itself apart from the pack. Because Wildfang says that its been feminist long before it was cool.
In case you haven’t heard of it, Wildfang is on a mission to make androgynous clothing more accessible to women. According to its official website, it identifies with “tomboys.” One look at the brand’s Instagram, and you’ll see models that defy industry stereotypes and represent all types of women.
It’s true, the clothing line peddles a boatload of girl-power merchandise. The brand creates T-shirts emblazoned with the words “Wild Feminist”, as well as bombers, sweatshirts, and hats, among other things. And awesome workout wear!
Besides their signature slogan, there’s more merch representing the fight for equality, too, from subtle symbols and clever phrases. (Ten percent of the profits from selling these products also go to Planned Parenthood and the ACLU.) Clearly, Wildfang has carved itself a niche in feminist fashion.
But, according to CEO Emma Mcilroy, Wildfang’s brand of activism goes way beyond just clothes, reports Racked.
"We walk the walk and talk the talk and there's a huge amount of heart behind what we do, Emma tells Racked. “We're not going to just put out those messages on March 8 [International Women’s Day]. We're going to put them out every day, forever, in the same way we've been doing it every day for the past four years.
Emma goes on to say that they’ve been peddling feminist march for more than a year now, when “it wasn’t a particularly popular conversation to be having,” according to her.
Wildfang takes part in plenty of community activism, too. The Portland store hosts a monthly event called Free Speech, a place for women to tell stories. Wildfang requires that at least half of the lineup be either nonwhite and/or queer, to stay true to their inclusive message. Past speakers include patent attorney Jennifer Yruebas, model (and ex-Marine) Michel Mesa, and author-comedian Jordan Hayles.
“We tell women that it's okay to stand outside of the box they've been put in by other people," Emma tells Racked.
Now if that isn’t the key to feminism, we don’t know what is.
Way to go, Wildfang. We want to be Wild Feminists, too!
