by FORT WORTH, Texas — To promote women-led businesses and direct shoppers to more meaningful consumption, HerStory launched early last year to sell luxury fashion and accessories exclusively from dedicated women-led businesses that pay fair wages.
The young retailer grew out of a subscription service introduced in May 2020 to help small women-owned businesses sell their inventory during the pandemic, explained co-founder and chief executive officer Tinsley Merrill Paul.
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Designed as a destination for ethically made luxury goods from around the world, HerStory sells through supportherstory.com, as well as a downtown Fort Worth store and pop-up stores.
“I love empowering women and these women-led brands that are making an impact in their communities and changing the cycle of poverty,” said Paul. “We want to make sure that they are not only achieving what is expected of the consumer in terms of quality and sustainability but also make sure that the brand is paying more than what is expected in their country own.”
The company, funded by friends and family, has grown rapidly and has already reached $1 million in annual revenue, Paul said, adding that it hopes to reach profitability next year.
Embellished hats and feminine dresses are some of the big sellers at HerStory, which carries a handful of beauty products and tableware.
Top performers include Corazon Playero embroidered straw hats from Mexico, Fanm Mon embroidered cotton dresses and linens made to measure in Turkey, Kahindo colorful sportswear from Kenya with “Project Runway” alum Kahindo Mateene and silk holiday wear, lace and hand crocheted by Miguelina from Brazil. .
Other hot items include X Nihilo recycled leather bags from Australia, Shea Yeleen body balms from West Africa and Gresham’s stacked silicone bracelets, each customized with a letter or symbol in Dallas.
Some items are exclusive to HerStory, which gives sellers feedback on the best colors and styles to help build capsule collections.
“We want to get to know them personally and really see them grow,” Paul said. “We never want to have anything but a transactional relationship.”
Each brand’s designer and backstory is described on the website and via QR codes in the store, and almost everything is shipped to reduce inventory, packaging and transportation.
“I think a lot of people are confused about sustainability versus ethical, so we try to push the envelope on where your clothes come from and what impact they have,” said Paul. “You’re looking at wearable art and personal stories rather than pushing the product. It connects with that luxury customer that has been in touch with that for a long time.”
The company puts on monthly shows that are often at private venues in wealthy enclaves, such as the Yellowstone Club ski and golf community in Big Sky, Mont. In June, HerStory will have a booth near the entrance to the Food & Wine Fest in Aspen.
The inspiration for HerStory came primarily from Paul’s sister, Brittany Merrill Underwood, who founded Akola Project in Dallas in 2007 as a non-profit fashion jeweler that provides a living income to poor women in Uganda. All profits were reinvested in civic services, and Akola was eventually taken over by Ugandan women.
Underwood is a co-founder and consultant for HerStory along with Whitney Rowell, who created Miracle Milkookies to boost lactation in breastfeeding women. The founders all live in Dallas, and HerStory is headquartered at her gallery in Fort Worth.
The company represents about 250 brands that rotate seasonally through the store and website, Paul explained.
Its genesis dates to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Paul’s event marketing business declined, and Akola faced canceled orders from retailers. Brainstorming what to do, Paul, Underwood and Rowell decided to create donation boxes of small luxury items from women-led brands in Texas and New York. They launched on Mother’s Day in 2020 with 30 brands, including Akola, BeautyBio and Mignonne Gavigan.
The three were surprised to receive 150 orders the first week, which they packed themselves, working out of their garages. Priced from $149 to $300, the boxes continued to sell at a rate of 150 to 200 per week.
“We took it as an immediate help for these brands, but it wasn’t sustainable to grow into a big business,” explains Paul. “After 18 months, the team was exhausted from compliance. We had to create a new model or close the business.”
Going online allowed them to sell clothes and other items that wouldn’t fit in boxes and allowed shoppers to pick up their purchases.
Paul explained, “We wanted to create this inclusive market and really empower international brands not just in accessories but in ready-to-wear home goods, and really expand into a lifestyle brand.”
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