Can Fashion Be Feminist? How One Brand is Reshaping Fashion for Equality

My path to challenging the status quo was shaped by profound personal experiences. Growing up on social welfare and becoming the first in my family to attend university, I learned early on about systemic inequalities and the importance of creating change. The life-changing illness and disability of a parent deepened my understanding of vulnerability and resilience while coming of age in Ireland under restrictive reproductive rights shaped my commitment to feminist activism.

These experiences fostered a deep respect for craft, heritage and the often-invisible women who make our clothes. They instilled in me an unwavering hunger for women's equality that would later become the foundation of Black & Beech. When I started the brand during my maternity leave with my first son, what began as a side hustle evolved into something far more meaningful – a platform to challenge the status quo of both fashion and feminism.