Empowering Women: An Interview With Everyday Phenomenal Founder Ayesha Mustafa
On a mission to make women feel phenomenal!
Empowering women through minimalist, stylish, and sustainable staples, Everyday Phenomenal inspires others to feel phenomenal inside and out!
By combining fashion and impact, founder Ayesha Mustafa wanted to highlight the importance of how you feel through what you wear and provide resources to help women connect deeply, prioritizing self-love.
It was a pleasure to speak to Ayesha about her inspirational and revolutionary story of the creation of Everyday Phenomenal, diving into her impressive background in sustainability.
Hi Ayesha, thank you so much for taking the time to let me interview you today! I want to start by asking, who is Everyday Phenomenal?
Everyday Phenomenal is a sustainable wellness brand that creates comfortable, stylish and affordable wardrobe staples that make women feel confident inside and out! Our ECOS is based on mindfulness, wellness, and empowerment, which are the core ideas behind EP's creation.
Your website states that you have this incredible process of creating stunning and comfortable everyday wear. Ensuring every part of the overall experience - packaging, materials, etc - is eco-friendly and toxin-free!
Why is it essential for other businesses to implement these practices? And what is the importance of using these sustainable materials?
Sustainability is crucial when making progress with global issues like climate change. For example, fashion is the second biggest polluter after oil and gas. We throw around 87% of clothing into landfills, and when thinking about these numbers, you ask yourself - "How can I even create another fashion brand? And how can I form a brand that gives back and protects the environment?".
EP is a very slow brand that does not produce straight away. Instead, we create about 60 pieces each and once that has sold out, we manufacture more. People think starting a sustainable brand is easy, but it is not!
It is hard to source sustainable materials; it took me around 11 months to find a supplier to work with.
We are a small family-run business that only works with startup brands. The entire process is super soft organic cotton, and OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100, so no toxins are used from planting to production.
I try making every aspect minimal, from the recyclable packaging to the website and product designs. Plus, the seamstresses that work with us in the UK mean we do not have a big carbon footprint! All these things are necessary, and if you want to create a sustainable brand, you have to ensure you are as sustainable as possible.
You raise awareness and empower women through Everyday Phenomenal, which is truly inspirational! Being a female founder of a women-led business, how has it been launching a sustainable fashion brand?
Have you noticed a positive impact of working in a predominantly female environment?
Yes, I have. For me, fashion is all about the psychology behind it and how you feel, and this aspect is missing, which is why I wanted to create EP to have this emotional connection with the wearer. Women today are always on the go and in a rush that you do not see what is happening behind closed doors. So, I formed EP for women to connect inward and feel good!
We have a small team of two to three people who work with us and seven seamstresses. I primarily work with women, so there is a different level of understanding. We are a community of people who understand one another and our work-life balance, and the ethos is very similar. They acknowledge the struggles of motherhood, juggling, and your need for change, which I feel is very woman-led.
Women are taught to compete against each other, so by taking that away, there’s enough room for everyone to grow and come together, which is paramount.
Continuing from the above question, you emphasize your passion for "creating joy and power in women's lives", and that's why you founded Everyday Phenomenal.
Why was focusing on uplifting women through your brand and the clothes a key direction for you? And has this resonated with or elevated your journey?
Amazing question! When I looked into starting a brand, I spoke to women, and one thing that was missing was that they run around, stressed, juggling life, especially in a city like London.
They don't prioritize themselves and are lower down on the list. Women have countless tasks, so focusing on taking care and loving ourselves first is vital so we can be good for others.
Creating this brand was something that I wanted to become second nature to women. Wear comfortable clothing, and look good on your school run whilst remembering you are powerful and phenomenal!
Doing this has uplifted my own life. I write for the blog and think about what goes into the brand, which has me thinking about myself and my internal dialogue. It's a blend of therapy and uplifting that is a message I feel women can identify with.
Our star logo has seven points that signify seven days of the week. None are equal, showing that every day is different! It's a self-belief and self-love reminder that "it all comes together in the end".
You provide a great variety of resources to help others feel motivated and positive! Especially with ‘The Circle of Feeling Good’ – your online wellness hub, which is a fantastic idea, where you have daily material including ‘Wellness Wednesday’ and ‘Sustainable Saturday’.
What made you want to incorporate this into Everyday Phenomenal?
Starting your self-love journey and looking inward is not an easy thing. It takes time, effort, and a lot of daily work. Providing daily nuggets for anyone trying to create the life they want helps them build that everyday habit. And I feel so passionately about it that it doesn’t feel like work to me, it flows naturally and is part of the lifestyle we promote.
Sustainable fashion is increasing and creating more awareness, which is desperately needed. There’s more access to eco-friendly products, but there’s an issue still with big, fast-fashion brands not actioning enough change.
Have you noticed a positive or negative change in the fashion industry towards sustainability since Everyday Phenomenal launched?
I have! People are discussing it more, and I think many organizations and retail groups are making that step forward. However, completely changing how we source and work does not happen overnight, it takes years. So I feel there is another side where smaller brands like EP and bigger ones are truly challenging that status, and that is where the change originates.
Gen Z is very aware of ethics and brands that they want to align with their values. Therefore, I believe it is also the consumer. The more conscious the consumer gets, the more fashion companies have to respond to it, creating a cycle which takes time. We are in a world where people want things in three hours and get them, so the more celebrities and brands raise awareness, the more it creates that change. Unfortunately, it is just moving slower than we all want.
Finally, out of your products, what is your favorite? And where do you see Everyday Phenomenal in 5 years?
I love them all, but the sweatshirts are super easy to wear! They go with everything and are a staple statement to add to your wardrobe.
I want Everyday Phenomenal to be a brand that fits into every aspect of your lifestyle, growing into EP gifts, EP home, and so on. Additionally, I see EP creating an educational platform for the consumer. I do this now by going into schools and talking about conscious consumers, the importance of it, why we need to be aware of our purchases, and how it impacts us. Educating at a young age creates a step towards bringing that kind of change.
To purchase Everyday Phenomenal's products, visit every-phenomenal.com
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