MISSION STATEMENT

WOMEN HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AT THE CORE OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY - WE CREATE IT, WEAR IT AND DEFINE IT. YET DESPITE OUR CENTRAL ROLE, WOMEN’S PRESENCE AS CREATIVE DIRECTORS, CEO’S AND KEY DECISION MAKERS LEAVES MUCH TO BE DESIRED.

THE HARD SELL IS A FEMALE-LED, NON-PROFIT MOVEMENT, TRANSCENDING THE CAVEATS AND PARAMETERS OF THE RETAIL EXPERIENCE AND CONFRONTING WHY AN INDUSTRY THRIVING ON FEMME VOICES CONTINUES TO BE DOMINATED BY ITS MALE COUNTERPARTS.

PROPULSED BY AN ETHOS OF CHANGE, THE HARD SELL POP-UP AIMS TO FOSTER A SPACE WHERE WOMEN NOT ONLY THRIVE BUT LEAD.

BRINGING TOGETHER 40 FEMALE-IDENTIFYING, INDEPENDENT DESIGNERS, JEWELLERS, AND ARTISTS, THE EVENT PROVIDES A PLATFORM TO SHOWCASE THEIR ARTISTRY WHILST FORGING A LASTING NETWORK OF SUPPORT, COLLABORATION AND SOLIDARITY AMONGST WOMEN ACROSS THEIR DISCIPLINARIES.

RE-CENTREING WOMEN IN A CONVERSATION ABOUT AN INDUSTRY WE HAVE LONG SHAPED. THE HARD SELL IS A RECLAMATION OF A RIGHTFUL SEAT AT THE TABLE.

Our investigation exposes a concerning trend – for every stockist examined, male designers are vastly outnumbering their female counterparts.
A glaring example is Machine A, where out of 89 stocked designers, only 19 are *women.
*women: referring to all those female identifying
The imbalance raises questions about the systemic challenges faced by female designers in reaching the same heights of financial success.
Are the same opportunity’s being offered to male and female designers or does a gender bias bleed into stockist’s investment decisions?