For many people, clothing is more than what we put on in the morning — it’s a way of outwardly demonstrating one’s passion, personality and creativity. The female entrepreneurs running the following crowdfunding campaigns are designing and selling fun new ways for people to express themselves, from entire customized wardrobes to 3D-printed clothing from outer space.

Check out these 5 women-led crowdfunding campaigns:

1. Eye-Grabbing Silk Scarves (via Kickstarter)

Scarves
Credit: Kickstarter

The Business: Maria Sole Cortese is the creative force behind Volpine, a London-based designer of silk scarves that are both visually intriguing and soft to the touch. The designs are hand-drawn by Cortese and inspired by Victorian tiles and her love for quirky animals. “Each illustration has a story, each animal has a meaning, inspired by history, folklore and a little bit of my own imagination,” she says in her campaign pitch. Her dream is to produce more scarves and sell them online.
The Money: The deadline is closing in for Cortese’s campaign — by this Friday, she hopes to hit a fundraising goal of $13,110. With that money, she will manufacture a first batch of her scarves.

2. Edgy Fashion from Down South (via Indiegogo)

Designer
Credit: Indiegogo

The Business: JLINSNIDER offers bohemian clothing with visual and textile influences from around the globe. Designed by Charleston, S.C., resident Jamie Snider, the award-winning line has been featured in publications like New York Magazine, New York Times Style and Los Angeles Magazine. Snider is now piecing together ideas for her spring and summer 2016 collections — but needs a boost to bring those ideas to life.
The Money: With the money raised from this campaign, Snider hopes to produce more clothing to show on more runways. She has 14 more days to raise the $10,000 she needs (though she will receive some funds regardless of whether or not she meets that goal, thanks to Indiegogo’s Flexible Funding option).

3. Space-Inspired 3D Dresses (via Kickstarter)

3D Dress
Credit: Kickstarter

The Business: Who says tech and clothing can’t mix? Futuristic fashionista Laura Thapthimkuna is designing a 3D-printed frock inspired “by space and black holes,” which she calls the Vortex Dress. “While I was forming the dress in my head and putting it down on paper, I knew I wanted to ultimately execute it through 3D-printing technology,” Chicago-based Thapthimkuna says in her campaign. “My hope is that with your help, my first entirely 3D-printed dress will become a reality!”
The Money: Thapthimkuna needs to raise $9,000 (or more) by Oct. 22. Most of that money will go toward creating the dress itself, though some of the funds will also help with shipping, engineering and other costs.

4. Custom Clothing for Career Women (via Plum Alley)

The Business: Sometimes, it’s tough to figure out what to wear to work. Wouldn’t life be easier with a personal stylist on-hand to help? That’s the idea behind entreDonovan, a tech-based business that features customized clothing for its clientele. Owned and run by Linda Farquhar of Wilmington, Del., entreDonovan uses body-scanning techniques and personal consultations to design a wardrobe that’s just right for each individual client.
The Money: Within the next 20 days, Farquhar must raise $25,000. Funds will largely go toward improving entreDonovan’s technology — both front-end software and purchasing-related hardware.

5. Businesswear with Your Name on It (via Indiegogo)

Monogram
Credit: Indiegogo

The Business: Through M5 Art, Slovakian designer and founder Petra Benkova is carefully adding hand-painted monograms and company logos to tailored shirts and blouses, creating a unique branding opportunity for both male and female clients. “The clothing with your hand-painted monogram or logo of your company may be a little detail for someone, however, it offers you a great feeling and the courage to be yourself and to feel extraordinary,” the campaign explains.
The Money: Benkova has almost 60 days before time runs out on her campaign. Before then, she hopes to raise at least $5,000, in order to pay for textiles and recyclable packaging, as well as fund a photo shoot to showcase her products.

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Want to be featured in The Story Exchange’s Crowdfunding column? Drop us a line and tell us about your campaign at [email protected]
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