20 Jul 3 Brands Created by Women, for Women
Part 2
With more and more women stepping up and taking their rightful place as leaders in the fashion industry, we think it’s only fitting to highlight their achievements with a recurring brand spotlight. We love these brands and are proud to support their vision! Scroll on to discover the brands and meet the women in charge.
Marie Oliver
Sarah Doggett Evenson is Founder and Creative Director of Marie Oliver. Living by the belief that fashion makes a statement without saying a word, Sarah has appreciated fashion as a means of expression since a young age. Noting the stark correlation between a woman’s dress, her confidence, charisma, and charm, Sarah’s passion fostered a foundation for Marie Oliver.
In late 2012, driven by her father’s frequent reminder to “find something you love and learn how to be successful doing it”, Sarah began working with her now husband, Peter. Together they developed what was a mere childhood dream into a reality using her middle name, “Marie”, and his middle name, “Oliver”.
Sarah designs each collection with her personal style in mind and the inspiration drawn from those around her. Her taste for cultural experiences and love for luxury interior design heavily influence the print and color in Marie Oliver collections. Her southern roots and the happiness found when celebrating with friends and family inspire Marie Oliver’s effortlessly chic silhouettes.
Nora Gardner
After working in finance for nearly six years, Nora Gardner noticed a pressing need for attractive women’s workwear. She found traditional business suits uncomfortable and unflattering. Driven to help women succeed in the workplace, she left the corporate world and founded her own clothing company in 2013.
Nora is dedicated to providing women with attire to help them feel confident, attractive, and comfortable. As a result, she designs with their lifestyle in mind. As a business traveler or modern executive on the go you need fabrics that are machine washable and wrinkle resistant. Nora Gardner’s fabrics are just that and stylish! Nora’s designs can go from the boardroom to cocktail hour effortlessly and they are 100% manufactured in the New York Garment Center.
Her collection features practical details as well, such as hidden pockets (which who doesn’t love pockets!). The brand’s most popular styles are available in a wide array of colors and neutrals. This way women can own multiples of their favorite pieces!
DL1961
When it comes to a love for denim, it was ‘like mother, like daughter’ for the leading ladies of DL1961 Premium Denim Inc. While DL1961 was founded in 2008, the Ahmed family had owned mills for over 3 generations. The mom-daughter duo Maliha and Sarah Ahmed has made it their mission to rewrite the way denim is made.
After graduating from Parsons in 2011, Sarah Ahmed became creative director for DL1961. Sarah was aware of the excessive production that was happening in the denim industry. She felt that our impact on the environment is critical to the future of the planet. The result was a jean that fused fashion and technology while honoring sustainable practices. DL1961 has since revolutionized the denim world, offering next generation fibers, 360-degree movement, and empowering women through their Instasculpt and Instaslim technologies.
Sarah Ahmed continues to push DL1961 forward in terms of innovation and sustainability. For starters, Sarah was in Forbes Top 30 under 30 for 2017! Also, last year the company installed solar panels to power their factory operations. This year, they will be one of the first denim companies to partner with Lenzing to utilize Refibra™. Refibra™ is the first man-made cellulosic fiber that features recycled material on a commercial scale. DL and Lenzing are bringing this game-changing fabric to consumers in their upcoming Pre-Fall 2018 collection. Be sure to ask about a pair in your fall box!
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