Crime Doesn’t Pay, But Streetwear Does
Issue #20
Cybelle Works the Street for Women and Kids
By Stephanie Levi
Published: June 1st, 2004 | 12:00am
“I’m often inspired by the women I see on the streets — modern, urban women who have their own style, who dress feminine and girly some days, and funky and edgy another,” says Emily Goodwin of Cybelle (cybellegear.com), the streetwear line she created in 2000 with business partner Gabriella Davi-Khorasanee.
That street-meets-femme influence is apparent in Cybelle’s easy-to-wear, ready-to-wear styles. Slim-fitting T-shirts and roomy hoodies feature screenprints of girls playing double-dutch, flowers spilling off a fire escape, and a pair of old-school roller skates.
Along with making clothing for women, Cybelle aims to support b-girls, female DJs, artists, and other creative types. The company's pro-lady philosophy is espoused by its name, which is linked to the goddess Cybele. “As the protector of cities, she inspires us to give back to the community,” explains Davi-Khorasanee.
Goodwin and Davi-Khorasanee have used Cybelle to benefit women on a larger scale by hosting Lovely, a series of art-show benefits. In 2001, Lovely raised money for Philadelphia-based Women Against Abuse, which assists victims of domestic violence. Last year, proceeds went to Youth Speaks, the country’s premier spoken-word poetry and creative-writing program for youths.
Goodwin and Davi-Khorasanee also have collaborated with the Renfrew Center Foundation, an organization that treats eating disorders, to issue limited-edition shirts promoting healthy body image. A portion of the proceeds went to the foundation’s scholarship fund for treatment. “The plan to promote and support women’s and youth issues in the community was not so much intentional as a natural outgrowth of our positive vision,” the pair explains. “We would like to make Lovely an annual event to support different organizations, and we continue to design shirts for various non-profit organizations."
Cybelle is a bi-coastal operation based in San Francisco and Philadelphia, but Goodwin and Davi-Khorasanee still manage to collaborate on creative, cutting-edge designs. “It is tough. It requires a lot of organization and commitment to things like phone meetings with a three-hour time difference and making the deadlines we’ve set," admits Goodwin. "But we both love what we are doing, so you make it work.”
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