When we created VapuerNoir, we knew we weren't choosing the easiest corner of the fashion industry.

We wanted to build an alternative fashion business for women who aren't always centered in alternative fashion: mature, curvy women of color who still want clothing that reflects their individuality.

Goth. Afropunk. Steampunk. Whimsigoth. Bohemian. Victorian-inspired. Cosplay-influenced. Punk. Dark romantic. Or some combination that doesn't fit neatly into any category.

We knew these women existed because we're among them.

What we didn't fully appreciate was just how challenging it would be to find the clothing, reach the women looking for it, and build a business in a space the larger fashion industry often overlooks.

When You Don't Look Like the "Typical" Alternative Fashion Customer

Look at alternative fashion advertising and you'll often see a familiar image.

The models tend to be young. Many are thin. And although alternative fashion has become increasingly diverse, women of color—particularly mature and curvy women of color—still don't always see themselves reflected in the imagery surrounding these styles.

That can unintentionally send a message:

Maybe this isn't for me anymore.

We disagree.

Alternative fashion isn't a youth culture that women are required to graduate from.

And creativity certainly doesn't have a size, color or expiration date.

We Don't Want to Be Told to "Dress Our Age"

There comes a point when women begin hearing those three little words:

Dress your age.

But what is that supposed to look like?

Does turning 40 mean giving up combat boots?

Does turning 50 mean skulls are suddenly inappropriate?

Do dramatic prints disappear at 60?

Are we required to exchange our lace, corset details, dramatic sleeves, unusual jewelry and fabulous hats for a wardrobe somebody else has decided is sufficiently "mature"?

We don't think so.

At the same time, many of us aren't necessarily trying to dress exactly as we did at 22.

Our style can evolve without disappearing.

Maybe we want the Victorian-inspired jacket—but we're wearing it with jeans.

Maybe we want the dramatic gothic blouse—but we also want enough room through the bust and hips.

Maybe we love Afropunk style but want pieces that work with the wardrobe we've built as adults.

Maybe we want something unconventional enough to make people look twice without feeling like we're wearing a costume.

We're not trying to look younger.

We're trying to continue looking like ourselves.

Being Curvy Makes the Search Even Harder

This may be one of the biggest frustrations.

You find an amazing jacket.

You click.

Small. Medium. Large.

That's it.

Or the brand technically offers plus sizes, but the most interesting designs mysteriously stop before those sizes begin.

For curvy women who love alternative fashion, this happens far too often.

And as a retailer, it creates a difficult situation for us as well.

We can find something that perfectly captures the VapuerNoir aesthetic—and then discover that the available size range simply doesn't represent the women we're trying to serve.

Sometimes that means walking away from a piece we love.

Because inclusivity can't simply mean putting the word inclusive in our marketing.

It has to influence what we're willing to put on our racks.

Women of Color Have Always Been Part of Alternative Culture

There is another misconception we want to challenge.

Alternative culture is not something women of color recently discovered.

We've been here.

Black and brown women have participated in punk, rock, goth, metal, cosplay, anime, science fiction, fantasy, bohemian, Afrofuturist and other alternative communities for generations.

Yet our presence isn't always reflected in the way alternative fashion is marketed.

That matters.

Representation isn't about saying every woman of color dresses the same way. Quite the opposite.

We want the freedom to be as eclectic as everyone else.

One woman may love romantic goth.

Another may mix African-inspired accessories with steampunk clothing.

Another might wear an elegant black dress with locs, silver jewelry and combat boots.

Someone else may combine vintage pieces, graphic tees, dramatic eyewear and handmade accessories into a style that doesn't have a name at all.

That's the beauty of alternative fashion.

It gives us permission not to fit neatly into a box.

The Business Challenge: Where Do We Find the Clothes?

This is where the dream meets the reality of running a small fashion business.

Finding alternative clothing is easy.

Finding alternative clothing that fits the VapuerNoir vision is much harder.

We have to ask:

Is it distinctive?

Is it well made?

Is it wearable?

Does it offer an appropriate size range?

Will it work on different body shapes?

Is the price reasonable?

Can we purchase enough sizes without overextending our inventory budget?

Does it feel like something our customer would actually wear rather than something we're simply trying to convince her to buy?

And sometimes, after answering all those questions, the answer is still:

No. Keep looking.

Then We Have to Find Each Other

This might be the most surprising challenge of all.

How do you market to a customer who doesn't fit neatly into the categories used by the fashion industry?

Our customer may be 38.

She may be 48.

She may be 58 or 68.

She might attend comic conventions with her children—or grandchildren.

She might be a professional who wears conservative clothing Monday through Friday and transforms her wardrobe on Saturday.

She may have loved alternative fashion her entire life.

Or she may finally be at a stage where she has the confidence to wear what she always wanted to wear.

She may call herself goth, alternative, Afropunk, bohemian, geeky, eccentric—or nothing at all.

That's what makes finding our community challenging.

But it's also what makes finding each other exciting.

We're Learning Along With Our Customers

VapuerNoir is still growing.

And we're not going to pretend we already have every answer.

We're learning what women want. We're learning which styles work. We're learning what sizes we need more of. We're learning which pieces look fantastic online but don't necessarily translate well to real bodies.

That's part of building a small fashion business.

But we don't want to learn only from sales numbers.

We want to learn from you.

What alternative clothing do you struggle to find?

What do you wish came in your size?

What styles have you stopped wearing—not because you stopped loving them, but because you couldn't find versions that worked for you?

What would you wear if you weren't worried about someone telling you that you're "too old," "too big" or somehow not the person alternative fashion was designed for?

Those are the conversations we're interested in having.

Maybe the Challenge Is Exactly Why VapuerNoir Needs to Exist

Building a fashion business for mature, curvy women of color isn't easy.

We're serving a customer who sits at the intersection of several markets that don't always speak to her.

Too mature for the way some alternative fashion is marketed.

Too curvy for the sizing offered by some alternative brands.

Too alternative for much of the fashion marketed toward mature women.

And too individual to be reduced to a stereotype of what a woman of color is "supposed" to wear.

Maybe that's not a marketing problem.

Maybe that's the point.

We don't need another fashion company telling mature women how they're supposed to look.

We need more spaces where women can decide that for themselves.

That's the community we hope to build with VapuerNoir.

Because getting older doesn't mean becoming invisible.

Having curves doesn't mean settling for whatever happens to come in your size.

And being a woman of color doesn't mean your style has to fit anyone else's expectations.

Don't just age gracefully. Mature on your own terms.