Be the Change
I chose the name Tribe before I even had a CONCEPT for my business- at the time, all I knew was I wanted to build a community of women to lift each other up, support & empower women.
Given recent events, I think many of us have stopped to reevaluate our values regarding equality, and how our words or actions can be perceived, or make others feel. Like I said, when I started this business I wanted to really build a business that could help support & empower women. Unfortunately, I have realized that for select groups of women, I did the opposite when I chose my name. How can I publicly back and support the Black Lives Matter movements, women equality movements and overall inclusivity yet use oppressive language for another group?! For this I am truly sorry, please know this was never the intention.
After doing some research into the oppression the Native Americans have experienced for hundreds of years, the #notyourtribe movement and reaching out to a few Native American women, I have chosen to undergo a complete & total rebrand.
In July, when I first announced this change, I promised to share some of the reasons I have chosen to make this change because continued education & these uncomfortable conversations are the only things that will move us forward. Now is that time.
When I began to consider changing the name, I interviewed a few native women about their perception, feelings & experiences with the normalization of the word "Tribe" outside the tribal communities. One woman told me, "the only thing the white man ever gave us was the name Tribe... then the white women took it back" It was in that moment that I knew I needed to make this change.
Please be patient, & give me a little grace as we work through this name & domain change. This is no small task, but I know that it is going to be well worth it in the end.
Don’t worry, we are still be here as the authority in the most unique accessories! The only thing changing will be our name/logo! I’m so thankful you are here & hope that you’ll stick around. If it feels right, please share this post so that others in your community can be educated on how hurtful our use of terms like “Tribe” “Navajo beading” or “Aztec print” can be. These are just some examples of how the fashion community uses language oppressive to the Native American community.
The name "The Babe Standard" felt so right. Working with a branding expert, we were able to put together a brand with so much meaning to me and my beliefs. You will notice a few cool design elements I want to share. Our new colors are now tones of neutrality, representing women of different skintones. Our new design elements include organic shapes, to represent a woman's curves - all different shapes & sizes, linear and dotted features, to represent markings on our bodies - freckles, scars, acne, stretch marks, moles.. - the things that truly make us each uniquely beautiful. My goal for The Babe Standard is to build a truly all inclusive community, & to build each of you to feel uniquely beautiful.
As I close the door on this chapter of my business, I think it is important to focus on being better than we were yesterday. Be the change.