Back in April of last year, the Girlboss Foundation awarded Alicia Rhodes and Natasha Endrei of Aeline a grant for their product Pliable Pattern. Their application stood out for its highly innovative, earth-friendly approach to making patternmaking more efficient and accessible for everyone. We checked in with Alicia and Natasha recently to find out how things have been going in the year and half since they received their grant. Check out their exciting progress!
It’s been a year and a half since you were awarded your grant from the Girlboss Foundation. What’s new?!
Aeline has grown in leaps and bounds since receiving the grant from the Girlboss Foundation. This summer, we partnered with a number of fashion and design camps to promote Pliable Pattern and educate students on how to use the product while enabling them to learn some of the basics of patternmaking through development of skirts, tanks and headbands. The next generation is so important, and we are thrilled to be a part in their growth.
In other news, we received our first editorial feature by a phenomenal sewing publication in the UK! Check out Love Sewing Issue 27 and Issue 29. We are slowly breaking into the international market, which is a challenging but exciting venture.
We have also expanded by launching a number of new design kits where the consumer can customize, create and construct their own ideas with our instructional guidance.
How has the grant changed your approach to your business?
We have been moving ahead by exploring new ideas and finding the most effective ways to progress as a company. We’re tackling challenges as they come and slowly and steadily growing Aeline and Pliable Pattern awareness. Post grant, we had the absolute honor to sit down and have lunch with Sophia and discuss all things Aeline. It was an invaluable experience, as we were able to ask questions and receive a fresh opinion with genuine input and knowledge.
