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Wildfang employs Kate Moennig, Megan Rapinoe and Hannah Blilie to bring you tomboy fashion

In 2013, it’s hard to believe there isn’t one place women can go to find clothing that is decidedly androgynous, and I don’t mean “boyfriend jeans.” The rules of fashion have changed in that there are no rules. Slacks, ties, suspenders – they don’t belong to men anymore, but women still have to go from store-to-store to find bits and pieces for their wardrobes.

Until now.

Today is the launch of Wildfang (“Tomboy” in German), a fashion and lifestyle company aimed at women who want to find that masculine-inspired wear made for them all in one place. Co-founders Julia Parsley and Emma McIlroy met at Nike where they worked in the foundation and brand marketing, respectively, and learned the basics in business.

“It gave us a great platform to jump off of and plunge head-first into entrepreneurship,” Emma said. “We both had great jobs at a killer company, but the time came when we knew we had to leave. We had to take a leap of faith and follow our dreams of building something special for tomboys like us.”

Two years in the making, Julia and Emma were tired of “stalking items in the men’s department, trying them all on only to leave empty-handed because they didn’t fit us.” But in talking to friends, it was clear this was a shared issue.

“We created Wildfang for our friends and for their friends,” Emma said, “and for all the badass women we haven’t had the chance to meet yet. We think being a tomboy is just as much about attitude as it is about fashion, so in that sense we hope Wildfang will become the home for tomboys.”

With that in mind, Wildfang will be home to a launch collection that includes “pieces from over 25 amazing brands — some you’ll know and some you won’t,” Emma said. “We’ve searched far and wide to find a really compelling collection of tomboy styles. Most of our brands are based in LA, which is something we’re really proud of, but there’s also some very cool stuff coming out of Australia and the UK that we’re excited to feature. Every item we bought, we tried on ourselves and made sure it fit well and felt great. So, you’ll see Wildfang present a collection with a range of price-points, but with quality, fit, and feel at the center of every purchase.”

To help usher in that message, Wildfang has employed some familiar faces as ambassadors in their new launch video. Actress Kate Moennig, musician Hannah Blilie and soccer pro Megan Rapinoe are all part of the brand.

“There are certain qualities that play a big role in the Wildfang brand: cheeky, fun, confident, and inspirational. We wanted to work with women who really embodied those same qualities,” Emma said of the women. “Each of these girls is a tomboy. Each of these girls is also a talented, interesting, fun, authentic role model for the Wildfang community. It was an absolute privilege to work with them and we had a blast during the shoot in Portland.”

“I’ve always identified as a tomboy, and I loved the idea of a clothing marketplace that catered to me and my gender expression,” Gossip drummer Hannah Blilie said. “I met with the co-founders of Wildfang and really liked them personally. I thought they had great ideas about how to reach fashionable androgynous folks in an accessible and inspiring way.”

Hannah describes her style as “casual and streetwear inspired,” with lots of black. She prefers oversized T-shirts and tank tops with skinny jeans and dropcrotch sweats, paired with modern sneakers and vintage pieces like her favorite ’90s Raiders Starter jacket.

” I’m very simple in my style but I love clothes and definitely care about how I present myself out in the world,” Hannah said.

But it’s an issue for her to find the right sizes in men’s styles. “Especially in shoes,” Hannah said. “I find that European brands tend to cater to my size and shape a bit better.”

USWNT soccer player Megan Rapinoe said she has the same problems while shopping. “I am too small for the menswear styles that I would love to wear. I like bigger loose fitting shirts, but not baggy and slouchy, they still need to be designed well to fit my body – thats hard to find,” she said. “It just seems like something is always a bit off.”

Megan describes her personal style as “Eclectic! I go from wearing a dress shirt buttoned right to the top to a cool muscle tank with a cool graphic. I would say I am casual and comfy but classy. I like to be different.”

When she’s off the field in France, where she plays currently, her go-to outfit is skinny jeans, black leather ankle boots, an oversized sweater, a black wool jacket, black leather gloves and “always a scarf.”

Both Hannah and Megan said they had a blast at the shoot with photographer Lindsey Byrnes.

“For me the WF shoot was something totally different to my normal day job,” Megan said. “I really loved having fashion and style be the focus of it all, it’s like this whole other side to me that people don’t often get to see. Style is just as big a part of me as football is.”

“It was fun and natural,” Hannah said, “and I got along well with the other models.”

What’s evident from the initial campaign is the different kinds of tomboy styles there are, all of which Wildfang is catering to. Megan Rapinoe’s look has a hint of the feminine and sporty, while Hannah Blilie’s look has a bit of a dandy edge. Kate Moennig’s signature leather cool is both simple and neutral. The other two models, fashion blogger Nadia Sarwar and Glamour assistant shopping editor Laurel Pantin, bring their own tomboy to the group with slouchy overalls, oversized coats and hats generally reserved for the heads of men.

If you visit wearewildfang.com today, you can sign up to be among the first to see the collection on the official launch March 2013. What Emma and Julia want most is for you to feel the collaborative spirit of Wildfang.

“We are here to serve tomboys and we are here to listen,” Emma said. “If you love our looks and we don’t have your sizes,then let us know. Or if you love a particular brand that we don’t currently carry, then let us know. As our business grows, we will have the finances to serve more and more tomboys, in more and more sizes and styles.”

Before March, you can follow Wildfang on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for updates, or even for some style inspiration. They hope to fill a niche that has been long ignored in the fashion industry, and they are ready to meet your needs.

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