I get a kick out of watching entrepreneurs who have their mojo together and are not afraid to take a leap, but it takes serious guts to give up everything in which you have previously pursued to support a principle. I think that is why I am so impressed with Megan Grassell, who as a high school student, turned a personal frustration into a full-fledged business, Yellowberry. At the age of 17, after traveling 2 hours to a mall to help her 13 year old sister buy her first bra, Megan was stunned by the limited and sexually overt choices available for young teens. Deferring her college entrance and renouncing her Olympic dreams as a competitive skier, she began a journey as a spokesperson for a new generation of feminists. Yellowberry is her standard bearer; a company rooted in her belief that pubescent girls (target 11-15) have a right to transfer into womanhood comfortably and unexploited.
With absolutely no background in the lingerie industry, she went forward, made a lot of big mistakes (how about sail cloth for her first bras) and endured the “no can do” feedback bombarding her. But clearly, her marketing, branding and product instincts are right. After a year of trial and error, Yellowberry was born on line. A successful launch and a subsequent collaboration with Aerie, convinced her to move forward with wholesale. The line is anchored by a collection of seamless double-lined cotton bralets that accommodate multiple shapes (available XS-XL). The introduction of the seaweed derived ultra-soft Seacell fabric underlines Megan’s regard for intelligent product development. Everywhere, the color yellow rules. The fact that all the models are Megan’s sister and her friends only serves to underline her commitment to feminine reality. But my favorite point is that each one of them is only ever photographed from behind insuring that the brand message to all young girls is clear: “We’ve Got Your Back”
“Follow The Yellow Brick Road” ~E.Y. Harbur
