why i find brendahashtag so inspiring

"Avoid all short-cuts. Dress the way you like. Always check the train schedule in advance. Pay your own way. Apologize for what you did, not what you didn't do. Don't be mad at the guitar player in the subway. Don't wait too long. Patience is relative. Read the paper. Keep throwing things out. Keep your life light and spacious. Expect to feel different. You might need a camera. There are puddles and angles you'll never want to forget. If you get scared, count."

This quote is from "Steal Like an Artist" by Austin Kleon and can be found on the website of the Second-Hand Designer Archive/Store disruptive berlin, founded and run by brendahashtag, on the "before you buy" page. I think it describes her pretty well.

Brenda started her journey as a fashion influencer and founded disruptive berlin after studying fashion journalism. She is also an editor at 032c, where she has her own fashion column called Brenda's Business, where she interviews various people in the fashion industry. She also works as a consultant, advising companies on branding, and this year launched a podcast called brendawareness, where she talks about various aspects of her life and gives a more honest insight into the fashion world.

Brenda has a strict no-color rule. Her wardrobe and home are completely black and white, so much so that she has a collection of only the black and white "Six Magazines" by Comme des Garçon. She is known as one of the most honest influencers, offering the most honest insights into the fashion world and her perspective on things, no matter how important the brands or people she is addressing. To me, that is self-branding at its best.

And I think the keyword self-branding is what makes her so special and inspiring to me. She has maintained her style and her honest and incredibly friendly demeanor for years, regardless of changing trends. She says that she lost countless jobs due to it but has persevered to finally gain a voice in the industry.

"you can only get to the land of cool by climbing the cringe mountain" - brendahashtag

I just love this quote. She tried things, believed in her opinion and herself, spoke her mind, and just did what she wanted, no matter how many people laughed at her. And now she has turned that strength into her profession. She consults with brands from the beginning with the first mood board to the end with the curation. She gets paid by brands to be critical - isn't that super cool? She judges other brands and writes down everything she finds negative and what they can improve. So basically, she gets paid to judge and gossip about brands. She also helps brands with branding. When some have lost their way and don't know where they are or how to get back on track, she helps them reposition themselves and find their way back.

I also find it super exciting how her archive/store is set up. It's a super simple site that works on a subscription basis. That means you get an email with a password to the website, and then you have access for 24 hours. Before you buy anything, though, you have to read the "things to consider before you buy something" section to make sure you really need the item and whether you can sell another item from your wardrobe for it.

When I listen to Brenda, clothes and things regain their true value to me. You look at clothes from a different perspective, as something that has a story and a lot more meaning than just looking good. It's so much nicer to have things that you know the story behind and that you can look back on and have memories with.

I think we should all take a little bit of Brenda's confidence. We should know the value of our opinion and trust our gut. We shouldn't lose sight of our goals, even if it takes time and there are many who will ridicule us in the beginning. Maybe it is the very things we are ridiculed for that will make us successful.

I hope this story has inspired you all today. It certainly did for me. It gives me confidence that you can build something like this on your own, and that you should trust your opinion and taste no matter what others say. Our opinions have value and we shouldn't underestimate them.