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Amira Rasool is an American entrepreneur and former fashion journalist. She is the founder of The Folklore, a company that distributes fashion and lifestyle products from Africa and the diaspora.
Early life and education
Rasool was born and raised in South Orange, New Jersey. Rasool developed an early interest in fashion and started a fashion blog during high school. While attending Rutgers University, she interned at various magazines, including Women's Wear Daily and Marie Claire. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in African American and African Studies from Rutgers and later earned a Master of Philosophy in African Studies from the University of Cape Town.
Career
Rasool worked as a fashion assistant at V Magazine and has contributed to Marie Claire, Glamour, Teen Vogue, and others. Her work primarily focused on Black culture in relation to fashion, travel, music, visual arts, and social justice.
In 2018, Rasool founded The Folklore, an e-commerce platform offering fashion and lifestyle products from Africa and the diaspora. The company initially began with a $30,000 investment. It later expanded to include The Folklore Shop, an e-commerce platform offering a curated selection of sustainable and diverse global brands.
In 2022, Rasool raised $1.7 million for The Folklore, making her one of the youngest Black women to raise over $1 million in pre-seed funding. In 2024, she raised an additional $3.4m in funding for The Folklore, led by the venture capital fund Benchstrength.
In 2024, Rasool was included on Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
References
- Sessoms, Janelle (2024-06-19). "How Amira Rasool Went From Fashion Journalist to Entrepreneur". Fashionista. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
- ^ Malinsky, Gili (2023-02-26). "27-year-old who raised over $1 million to build a platform for diverse designers: 'Create solutions'". CNBC. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
- Deczynski, Rebecca (April 7, 2022). "Starting With 30 Designers and 15 Retail Partners, This 26-Year-Old Founder Wants to Build the LVMH of Africa". Inc.com. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
- Cliche (2020-07-20). "Q&A: A Conversation with The Folklore's Founder and CEO Amira Rasool - Cliché Magazine". Digital Online Fashion Magazine | Free Fashion Magazine | Best Lifestyle Blog. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
- "Africa's coolest fashion designers will soon have their clothes in a store near you". Fast Company. 2022-08-16. Archived from the original on 2022-09-25. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
- "Why The Folklore Founder Amira Rasool Says Aspiring Entrepreneurs Should "Fail Fast"". Bustle. 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
- McDonald, Samantha (2020-08-31). "Black Business Spotlight: Amira Rasool Wants to Build the 'LVMH of Africa' — Here's How". Footwear News. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
- "How a 27-year-old raised over $1 million to build a platform for African designers: 'We know our problems better than anybody else'". www.cnbcafrica.com. 2023-02-27. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
- Hahn, Rachel (2018-09-11). "This New Online Concept Store Is Bringing Africa's Coolest Designers to the U.S." Vogue. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
- Hasan, Zoya. "How This Under 30 Founder Is Bringing Africa And Asia's Boutique Retailers To Bergdorf's". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
- Huber, Eliza (2020-02-12). "Amira Rasool Wants The Folklore To Be The LVMH Of Africa". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
- Boyd-Griffith, Shelton (2024-09-12). "The Folklore Shop Relaunches Online, Expanding Support for Global, Independent Brands". Vogue. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
- Duncan-Smith, Nicole (2022-05-24). "How a 26-Year-Old Entrepreneur Became One of the Youngest Black Women to Raise Over $1M In Pre-Seed Funding". Finurah. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
- Njanja, Annie (2024-04-17). "B2B marketplace The Folklore bags $3.4M seed to get brands into global stores". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
- "Amira Rasool". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-12-29.