Gabrielle Union is very busy these days, with filming a new TV show (a female-led spinoff of the blockbuster film series Bad Boys,) being a wife and stepmom and now entering into the fashion arena. She has joined forces with New York & Company for a new fashion collection that is all about inclusivity and empowering women.
Gabrielle Union and New York & Company collaborated together for the first time a year ago on her first fashion line and now her August 2018 collection focuses on her commitment to empowering women from all walks of life. In an exclusive with Marie Claire, she discusses the inspiration for her latest collection, stealing hubby Dwayne Wade’s clothes and the importance of body positivity, diversity and friendship.
The fall campaign is called #AllTogetherNow and features her Hollywood besties Essence Atkins (Marlon,) Valarie Pettiford (Being Mary Jane) and Aijona Alexus (Empire and 13 Reasons Why) wearing pieces from the collection. On her reasoning for including her BFFs, she said “I wanted to show how inspiring and empowering friendship can be between women and how far-reaching friendships can be.”
She also detailed her need to ensure that her line was not only showcasing the importance of female friendships, but also how crucial it is for size inclusivity in the fashion world:
“We want inclusion in fashion, but what we deliver sometimes isn’t inclusive at all. I’d like to change that and let women see themselves more in campaigns to better serve our consumers. When you send a narrow scope of what a woman is supposed to look like in these clothes down the runways—for example, a size double zero—you’re telling women in a loud and clear voice ‘not you, not ever you.’ To me, that’s socially irresponsible and mean.”
Currently, Union’s line offers sizes ranging from XS to XXL, including petite and tall, to ensure the clothing is suitable for women of all sizes and shapes. However, Union promises that if a specific size or style is not currently available, she will rework the next season’s collection to include them based on customer suggestions.
One of the collection’s standout pieces is a $60 black cropped sweater that says “Rule The World” on the back. It’s perfect to wear this fall and let everyone know that the future is definitely female.
You can shop the full Gabrielle Union x New York & Company collection here and check out some pics BELOW:
