A Fashion Trailblazer 

At the age of eight, Isabella Rose Taylor learned how to sew. She began designing and making clothes at nine years old. Then at the age of 11, Taylor did what many girls dream of– she launched her first fashion collection for teenage girls. Two years later, in 2014, Taylor’s clothing line was shown during New York Fashion week.

Named one of 2015’s most creative people in business and given membership in Dell’s Women Entrepreneur Network, Isabella Rose Taylor has made quite a name for herself in both fashion and business. All of it before her sweet sixteen. “Art and fashion have always been an outlet for me- I’ve always loved creating,”  says the young fashionista, “and now I’ve gotten to create a business of my dreams.”

Fashion For A Generation

Taylor is an inspiration for all,  for younger girls too afraid to make the leap into the business world. We asked her what it was like to be a young leader in a field dominated by older business people. Her response was encouraging, asserting she felt the ageism pervasive in the industry is changing. “I feel our generation is wanting to take control of our destiny and is doing that by starting businesses and hustling to make our dreams come true,” she proudly exclaimed. “There’s a change because girls in my generation have been exposed to so many great female leaders in a variety of fields.”

Even though opportunities for women, especially young women, have increased, there’s still more work to do. Taylor adds, ” I think it can be harder for females to become leaders because society doesn’t allow it or accept it. […]And for whatever reason,” she continues, “we also don’t allow ourselves to become the natural leaders we are.”

Though Taylor enjoys being a younger name in the industry, that isn’t to say veterans in her field aren’t important to her. When asked about her business role model, Taylor responded, “It’s hard for me to think of just one person, because I’ve had so many amazing women influence and support me. I was really lucky to be embraced by Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network a few years ago. And there, I got to meet so many amazing, successful businesswomen who’ve offered advice and even funding.”

Yael Aflalo, the founder of an eco-friendly clothing line, Reformation, and womenswear designer Norma Kamali are Isabella’s fashion icons. Both women struck Isabella with the way they incorporate their values about the environment and wellness into fashion and beauty.

 Female Empowerment

Female empowerment and strong morale encouraged Taylor to follow her dreams. When asked about her unconventional path to success, Taylor laughed and replied, “I don’t think a formal training is necessary when you’re first starting to follow your dreams.” Isabella Rose Taylor launched her first line well before attending Parsons School of Design in New York City. “I’m not saying to break all the rules,” she chuckles, “The key is to know which rules to break. ” She goes on to encourage young women to allow themselves to have big, unconventional goals. “It’s about allowing yourself to reach your full potential.”

From the very beginning, fashion for Taylor was about expressing her true self and reaching full potential. “My company’s vision is to find your truth in fashion. That really means fashion shouldn’t cover up or hide who you are. It should empower you to experiment and showcase your true self.” Taylor is proud of her work as well as the work of all young individuals such as herself.  “I think my customers, and my generation, are extremely smart, savvy, creators, dreamers, and hustlers. I can’t think of anything better than helping to bring that out. My way of doing it is through fashion.”

Her Advice To You

We asked Taylor how it felt to be a young rising star. She gushed how wonderful it felt to have young girls contact her and tell her how they’ve been inspired to chase their own dreams. “I feel extremely grateful I’ve been blessed with a lot of recognition. […]It tells me I’m going in the right direction.”

So what specific advice does Isabella Rose Taylor have for young women? “My first advice is to just start. The first move will get things rolling and from that point, the learning never stops.”  Her next piece of advice is to know how to balance your life with your work. “It’s important to not do it all in business. My role is ever evolving. I found importance in surrounding yourself with people who are better than you at something, so you can learn from how to do things.[…]If your company is going to succeed, you have to expand your skills and knowledge.” She laughs,”The bigger the team, the bigger the dream.”

Taylor’s final piece of advice is the most uplifting. She encourages everyone to “find your truth. Society tries to impose its version of the truth on us, especially [on] young women. At our age, it’s just important to discover who we are. We are all smart creators. We are dreamers, we are hustlers, and I think it’s important to realize that and pursue [our] passions.”

Be sure to listen to our interview with Isabella Rose Taylor on our Enterprising Young Females iTunes channel (Episode 8). Let us know what you think. Isabella can be contacted through Instagram @irtthebrand or on Twitter @isabellataylor.