Shades & Layers
Shades and Layers is a podcast focused on black women entrepreneurs from across the globe. It is a platform for exploring issues and challenges around business ownership, representation and holistic discussions about the meaning of sustainability in an increasingly complex global context. Conversations are wide- ranging and serve not only as a Masterclass in Entrepreneurship but also provide wisdom and tools for Successful Living. It is a space for meaningful conversation, a place for black and other women of color to be fully human and openly share their quirks and vulnerabilities.
Guests include prominent figurers in the beauty, fashion and wellness industries both in the Northern Hemisphere and the Global South.
Dr. Theo Mothoa-Frendo of USO Skincare discusses her journey from being product junkie to creating an African science-based skincare range. Taryn Gill of The Perfect Hair is a brand development whizz who discusses supply chain and distribution of her haircare brands. Katonya Breux discusses melanin and sunscreen and how she addresses the needs of a range of skin tones with her Unsun Cosmetics products.
We discuss inclusion in the wellness industry with Helen Rose Skincare and Yoga and Nectarines Founder , Day Bibb. Abiola Akani emphasizes non-performance in yoga with her IYA Wellness brand and Anesu Mbizho shares her journey to yoga and the ecosystem she's created through her business The Nest Space.
Fashion is all about handmade, custom made and circular production with featured guests like fashion designer Maria McCloy of Maria McCloy Accessories; Founder and textile/homeware designer Nkuli Mlangeni Berg of The Ninevites as well as Candice Lawrence, founder of the lighting design company Modern Gesture. These are just a few the conversations on the podcast over the past three years.
Shades & Layers
Lydia Endora (Athleisure) with Lydia Endora (S6, E5)
My guest today is Lydia Endora, Founder, Creative Designer and Buyer at her self-titled fashion label.
The seeds of a love for fashion were planted in Lydia’s heart at a very young age by her grandmother. Combined with education and a work ethic modeled by her mother, she has tapped into her creative spirit and skills to find her own corner in the athleisure space of the fashion market.
With a focus on quality and obsession with the customer, Lydia has created a fashion line that features multifunctional pieces for the busy woman to seamlessly switch between activities during her day.
She says that this is a discerning and conscious fashion buyer who does not want to be forced to throw away clothes after a few cycles in the washing machine. And so, Lydia puts a lot of thought into who her customer is, right down to the activities she’s engaged in as she goes about her day.
In addition to her process, we talk about hopes and dreams, listening to the whispers of your life and following your gut.
We talk about some of the challenges that smaller fashion houses encounter while trying to implement ethical business practices and of course, we talk about Lydia’s personal story.
LINKS AND MENTIONS
Some of the fashion designers and exciting fashion leaders and spaces that Lydia mentions:
Harlem's Fashion Row – An exclusively black business bricks and mortar fashion marketplace in Harlem
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