In a world of fast fashion and vaguely LGBTQIA+ quotes printed onto mass produced T-shirts, it’s more important than ever before to support independent retailers just like Womxn Up.
Born out of a bedroom in Shropshire, Womxn Up is the brainchild of Ashleigh Turnbull, who had a drive to create queer, feminist and empowering merch with a difference. Turning her designs into a small business in lockdown, Ashleigh worked with a group of business led, creative womxn to create a unique set of clothing made to be worn with pride.
Ashleigh said: “I’ve always wanted my own brand, I started designing T-shirts a couple of years ago. I never really did anything with the designs but when we went into lockdown I had some extra time and money to put into it. I found a female owned business called Kelham Print who hand prints everything!”
“I’ve always worn ‘controversial’ clothing. I work at a cafe which is very liberal and you can wear whatever to work. I wore a ‘the future is female’ shirt once and there were SO many different reactions. Men would make comments like ‘if the future was female then the future wouldn’t exist’. It sparked a few mild debates and ended up in some people being asked to leave. Most people however, loved it! I’d always get compliments or fist bumps like fuck yeah the future is female. Starting this brand was a way for me to find a medium in standing up for myself and the LGBTQIA+ community, a way to make a statement and a way to finally own my sexuality and my identity. It’s not really about making money, it’s just about having fun and creating a community and sharing a statement. That’s what I want it to be about.”
In a world of mass produced and mass media, we need unique voices such as Womxn Up to be one of the representatives of the queer community. Be sure to follow Womxn Up on their journey, and shop their collection here.
