Special Guest Q&A:ISABELLE QUINN on International Women's Day

Q. In light of this year's theme, "Inspire Inclusion," how has your journey as a woman in business inspired a sense of community or support among your peers?

A. Having my label, I design my pieces to make women feel their best. This has given me the opportunity to meet so many amazing women around the world. I have been so lucky to have met a huge variety of interesting ladies doing amazing things and where I can I try to connect people.

We have our social points where we have grown our community & also an ‘exclusive IQ’ Facebook group with loyal followers. We share behind the scenes from our photoshoots, previews of designs & archive samples with this group. We also love to ask our communities input on designs when we need the help and want the feedback of our customers.

Over the years I have done many mentorships with incredible women in the business. Their knowledge was so invaluable, and I have also shared a lot of my learnings with friends in businesses too! Last year I mentored a student at FBI college which was so rewarding! It was really nice to give back & help this young girl through questions and help her business grow!

Q. Considering the theme, what specific advice do you have for women entrepreneurs seeking to build supportive networks and connections within their industries?

A. Don’t be afraid, just get out there and do it! Chat to other women, go to events, hold events, reach out to people online. The more networking you do the more invaluable knowledge you gain! I think sometimes it’s easy to hold back or be intimidated to reach out to other women, but a lot of the time women are so happy to just help and share information and support each other! I personally try to catch up with another woman in business once a month. Set yourself a goal to push yourself out of your comfort to do coffee, dinner or go to a networking event once or twice a month!

Q. On International Women's Day 2024, how do you envision women supporting and uplifting each other in the business world?

A. I think sharing advice, helping one another, share each other’s businesses on one another’s platforms. To spread the word and grow together. We have curated a list of my favourite small brands doing incredible things which we will be sharing on socials & email marketing.

Q. Reflecting on your experiences, how has being a woman in business allowed you to contribute unique perspectives or innovations within your industry?

A. I guess I design for myself. I’ve been lucky enough to be able to create beautiful clothing for myself when going to do beautiful things in life. Whether that be weddings, vacations, baby showers, festivals, birthdays (the list goes on). I know what a woman needs and how she wants to feel doing that thing. It is the best thing creating clothing and knowing your woman is going to feel great in it.

Q. In the context of "Inspire Inclusion," can you share a personal story or achievement that highlights the power of collaboration and unity among women entrepreneurs?

A. A few years ago, we did a collaboration with influencer Ashton Wood which was so much fun and a huge success. Ashton’s friends all hopped in and collaborated in on the shoot and across social media to support her. When we launched the collection the women on her platform shared and spread the word and it was fantastic! We saw fantastic hype, followers and sales. The unity among both communities was amazing to see!