The latest installment of the What She Said event series took place on October 13, 2022, at W Bellevue in partnership with Gossip & Glamour and Bellevue Fashion Week. This once-a-year event provided a much-needed opportunity for fashion industry professionals, independent business owners, and local influencers to gather for an evening of insight and inspiration in support of a great cause. A portion of the proceeds from every ticket sold was donated to Ada Developers Academy, a Seattle-founded non-profit working to provide cost-free coding classes to women and gender-expansive adults.

The evening included a dynamic panel discussion featuring trailblazing women in fashion, drinks & light bites, a decadent dessert bar by Trophy Cupcakes, immersive photo opportunities provided by The Bellevue Collection, and a curated shopping marketplace featuring local women-owned brands.

The panel featured a full range of fashion industry experience including entrepreneur Elisa Yip of Sskein, Brittany Sierra of The Sustainable Fashion Forum, jewelry designer Valerie Madison, fashion consultant Lauren Pistoia, and fashion publicist Sydney Mintle of Gossip & Glamour.

“What She Said is an irreverent play on women speaking up for themselves. It is an ironic juxtaposition to a traditionally degrading phrase that allows women to take ownership of their words and what they say. There is no mistake about it – this is WHAT SHE SAID – not what she agrees with, or what someone else said on her behalf – it’s her thoughts, her opinions, her voice, and her words,” said Cindi Breen, Complex Director of Sales and Marketing for W Bellevue.

"It's exciting to be part of the growing fashion community in Seattle. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to gather, share ideas, and manifest our creativity,” said featured panelist Elisa Yip.

The fashion industry is a competitive and ever-evolving place, but it’s also a creative space fueled by innovation and inclusive ideas. The event offered a unique platform for featured panelists to share their entrepreneurial journeys, valuable tips for success, and strategies for navigating the “next normal”.

Here are 5 key takeaways from the What She Said Women in Fashion event:

1) Our shared experiences as women in business are universal

One of the most common things women experience as they’re building their own business is the feeling of being overwhelmed and isolated. Leaving the familiar behind to start something new is scary and requires women to embrace a variety of skill sets in order to “do it all”. This leads many female entrepreneurs to feel like imposters for not knowing what they don’t know, but the truth is that we all have blind spots (and a set number of working hours each day) and that’s totally normal. These feelings are universal and events like What She Said help women in business feel validated by their experience.

2) When women come together to support other women, amazing things happen

The domino effect is real and when women take action and help other women, the possibilitie are endless. Each step in the right direction ultimately helps the world to become a better place.

When The Bellevue Collection stepped up to support three independent designers during Bellevue Fashion Week, it unlocked a world of new possibilities for all three emerging brands. Designs by Sskein, The Cura Collective, and Sarah Donofrio were all featured at the Collective Runway Show and the event helped to raise over $58,000 for local non-profit Dress of Success. The mission of Dress for Success is to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire, and the development tools necessary for women thrive in work and in life.

All three designers were also featured in the curated marketplace at the What She Said event, helping the brands to acquire new customers, network with fellow industry professionals, and align with like-minded brands.

The Cura Co., owned by Kiko Eisner-Waters, uses its business model as a vehicle for impact, working to offer an edited selection of ethically-made products from women-owned brands sourced from around the world. These brands provide job training, education, child care, healthcare, wellness benefits, and more to the women they employ. And in turn, the communities these women live in ultimately flourish from the benefits.

Getting to know local business owners and understanding all the ways that they are supporting not only their immediate communities but women from around the world is critical for their long-term success and vitality.

3) It’s easy to feel isolated but support is closer than you think

When you’re a woman running your own business, it’s easy to feel alone. Rest assured, support is often just a coffee date or phone call away. There’s a keen sense of solidarity when you connect with other business owners who are also in the trenches. They’re going through it all too, while also trying to manage their personal lives. Connecting business owners in the community is another reason why events like What She Said are so powerful.

4) There are no wasted experiences

The featured panelists at the event all shared a willingness to learn from each and every experience that came their way. Things will not always go accordingly to plan, there are market conditions (like COVID) that you won’t be able to anticipate, or people on your team that won’t necessarily be a good fit for the company culture. Things happen in business that will shake you to your core, but if you can remain open-minded about solving problems and look for the lessons learned in each experience, you’ll be ok.

5) The Seattle Fashion Industry is bigger than you think

Despite being frequently overlooked when it comes to fashion, Seattle is home to a wide variety of brands and retailers that are big players in the industry including Nordstrom, Amazon, Eddie Bauer, REI, Tommy Bahama, Prairie Underground, Costco, San Mar, Zumiez, Filson, Boma Jewelry, Luly Yang, Brooks Running, Union Bay, and so many more. The What She Said event offered a welcome opportunity for fashion industry professionals to reconnect with peers, learn more about emerging brands in the market, and network with new talent looking for future employment opportunities.

Community events like these are a strategic part of the growth and development of the fashion industry in the Pacific Northwest. While we still have a long way to go to rebuild and recover from the ongoing pandemic, What She Said provided a welcome occasion for women to come together and cultivate lasting connections.

Event sponsors included W Bellevue, The Bellevue Collection, Trophy Cupcakes, and Gossip & Glamour. Learn more about the What She Said event here. Event photos by Vivian Hsu photography.