Aurora James on the 'lack of exit opportunities for American fashion brands'

Between creating and running the 11-year-old luxury footwear brand Brother Vellies and the 4-year-old non-profit organization Fifteen Percent Pledge, Aurora James has become a trusted voice in fashion. Her work hasn't stopped there. James has served as the vice chair of the Council of Fashion Designers of America since January 2023. The same year, she published her memoir, "Wildflower," which was released via paperback last month. And she also co-manages the Parity Collective, a private equity fund created to invest in founders of color. While James admits that balancing all of her ventures can prove challenging, her goal of changing the narrative around entrepreneurship in fashion is one of her biggest driving forces. "I want to manage expectations for people about what life is supposed to be like when you take on that much work or even what it means to be an entrepreneur," James said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. "It's a lot, and burning out in that situation is normal, and failing sometimes is normal, too." Another of James's goals is to further her advocacy for more diversity in fashion. Also on the podcast, the multi-hyphenate discusses her role in the push for expanding DE&I initiatives in fashion. Plus, she digs into the less glamorous, yet vital, sides of entrepreneurship.