Ep 019: Beyond Labels: Inclusive Clothing & Personal Empowerment

In this episode, Candise Shanbron and Justin Cernitz speak with Marialexandra Garcia, a seasoned bridal designer and trailblazer in the garment industry, and Christian Lisogorsky, a business professional with a keen understanding of the LGBTQ+ market, have been challenging gender norms and empowering individuals through their work in inclusive clothing. Through her brand Outplay, Garcia has created clothing options for individuals who have been ignored by the industry, including those resorting to harmful methods to present themselves authentically. Her insights were gained through focus groups and listening to the experiences of the LGBTQ+ community, and she discovered her clothing line also resonated with women who have had mastectomies. Lisogorsky, on the other hand, acknowledges that clothing is a means of self-expression and representation, and his perspective is driven by a desire to fill the gap in the market for clothing that aligns with the identities of the LGBTQ+ community.   Here are the takeaways from this episode:   ·      How clothing narrates personal stories and the absence of inclusive choices can hinder self-expression, affecting confidence and self-esteem. ·      The importance of learning from errors and unity and how mistakes fuel evolution ·      How establishing a space where everyone feels acknowledged, amplifies self-expression by defying societal expectations. ·      Why inclusive clothing fosters an inclusive, accepting society, encouraging self-expression and nurturing a supportive environment that discourages judgment and discrimination.   Quotes:   "Clothing is what we use to represent ourselves to the entire world. It tells a story about us. And when you don't have an option to find something that helps you tell your story, it affects you deep down because you don't have a way to express yourself like everybody else" - Marialexandra Garcia   "I think the biggest lesson is very simple and I'm going to say everybody says it's simple. It's not easy to do, but it's very simple. It's a discipline and consistency, a congruency small steps every single day and being better, 1% better every single day takes you to success. And it's a long tail game. This is a marathon, it's not sprint." - Christian Lisogorsky   "We made a crazy amount of mistakes and very expensive mistakes. But trust me, we don't make those mistakes again. And we've gotten better and better and better because of those mistakes." - Marialexandra Garcia   “When did we stop celebrating failures? Because when we were kids, when we were learning how to walk, our parents would celebrate our failures so we can become successful knowing that.” - Christian Lisogorsky Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices