The Gurl Next Door

Why be someone else, when you can be The Gurl Next Door! 

In the fashion industry, women are often put on the back burner when it comes to the genre of streetwear. Oftentimes, we are forced to shop in the men’s section in which we run into the struggles of clothing that can be unflattering to our body types. Although, our main focus is women who love streetwear, ultimately, our goal is to make everyone, no matter the gender, feel comfortable with expressing themselves through streetwear. We would love to break that barrier by making the industry more inclusive. There also is a lack of representation when regarding black women-owned fashion brands. Only 4% of the council of Fashion Designers of America are African American in which African American women are on the smaller half of that percentage. With the racial divide, being a successful fashion brand will ultimately show other young black women that they can follow their dreams regardless of what the statistics say. 

The Gurl Next Door is currently being funded and run by myself. My name is Kayla Mitchell and I am a 20-year-old college student. I recently had to go from a full-time to a part-time job just so I can give my all to my business and my schooling. Working full-time truly opened my eyes to how unhappy I was. I felt as I was settling and that is a position that I never want to put myself in again. Now that I can solely focus on doing what I genuinely love to do, I plan on bringing my business to the next level. Purchasing a bus and converting it into a mobile store would be the perfect step my business needs to take. My customers being able to physically shop with me, and try on clothing in person would elevate my company. Being able to connect to my customers will allow me to provide them with other services like styling and just fashion advice. I want my customers to feel like my store is their comfort place and with your help, I can make my dreams come true. 

If you plan to donate to my brand, The Gurl Next Door, that would mean that absolute world to me. I have been through so much throughout this year and knowing how much I’ve put into this brand, I know that it will be all worth it. Thank you so much for your support and see you guys at the top!