Jess Osborn & Miami’s queer fashion celebration: GenderChill

[00:00:00] Rocio Sanchez: Welcome to Transition of Style, the podcast about fashion, identity, and how queer leaders are disrupting the fashion industry today. I’m your host, Rocio Sanchez, feel free to use any pronouns for me. I’m a digital marketer with a specialization in queer business and fashion, and I’ve made this podcast so that people know that the LGBT community is no longer a footnote in the fashion industry. And we never were.

Rocio Sanchez: So today’s guest is proof of that. I’m introducing Jess Osborne from Gender Chill fashion show. They’re here to explain everything that they do in their story. So thank you for being here, Jess.

[00:00:45] Jess Osborn: Thank you for having me. So happy to be here.

[00:00:48] Rocio Sanchez: So I would love for you to tell me more about how did you develop your personal style and how does that relate to your personal journey?

[00:00:55] Jess Osborn: I thought maybe I’d start in the present with that, to share that I’m currently in a type of transition process. And, I think every so often I wake up and realize like, am I transitioning? Like, what has my life been? I personally can’t even believe that I’m 39 today. Not, it’s not my birthday, but I’m currently 39.

[00:01:16] Jess Osborn: I’m about to be 40. can’t believe I made it. And I keep looking back at experiences and thinking like, oh wow, that makes sense. That’s why I am the way I am and like who I have become. And, I would say I’ve been queer and trans since day one.

[00:01:34] Jess Osborn: And, it definitely informs how I like to present myself, express myself to the world. I definitely have had a lot of difficulty with that from various sources, you know, external sources. That made it a little hard for me on the inside to like, declutter all that and figure out what I want to do. And thankfully with the community got some clarity with that over the years in college, especially.

[00:01:55] Jess Osborn: And then I ended up getting to grad school in about 2019. I decided I needed something for myself. I love drag shows. I love all things queer. But I’m also like, a masochist and I love being a project managerfor some reason. And I was like, I’m going to throw my own fashion show with my friends, my buddies.

[00:02:16] Jess Osborn: So that’s how my fashion show started in 2019, Gender Chill because we wanted a, a fun space to express ourselves fully. Drag is wonderful, but not everybody’s like a performer. And what I found was that we had people who are interested in modeling, some folks who are studying fashion design.

[00:02:32] Jess Osborn: We hired a couple of professional models and stuff, but we have this piece where it’s for the community. We call it a Community Walk. And it took like 20 minutes for everybody in the room to get their own walk going, you know, like the love and the confidence and the gender euphoria that was present was just so powerful and effervescent.

[00:02:52] Jess Osborn: And I thought I got to do this again. Like this, this is a winner. And so, Gender Chill is still going strong. And I would say yes, over the years discovering myself, my style has absolutely changed. If you want it, I’ll send it to you. I have a really old photo of me with super, super long hair.

[00:03:11] Jess Osborn: And there’s like this fun Halloween where I was doing cosplay and I was dressed up as Wonder Woman and no one would recognize me to this day, you know, like, boobs out all that, you know. It was fun. It was good for the time, but then, you know, I grew and I wanted to become more of myself.

[00:03:30] Jess Osborn: And so I chopped off the hair and, you know, wore more like clothes that felt more affirming to me, which are just more masculine. Not always though, even to this day. Because I like a some tight jeans, let me tell you. Over the years it has definitely evolved and now that I’ve become much more involved with putting on a fashion show.

[00:03:49] Jess Osborn: I just find myself, you know Having more interest in queer fashion and finding, fun, interesting stories talking to my friends, like, what’s this piece about? Where did this come from? How would that look on me? Regardless of like, if it’s for quote, unquote, “men or women” or if it’s non-binary, because now there’s lots of non-binary clothes out there.

[00:04:06] Jess Osborn: So, it’s ever-evolving for sure. and I love it. I love that I’m, now delving even deeper into, being more, how should I say, like intentional about what I’d be wearing daily. And also when I’m out and about and doing like, interviews or going to mixers for Gender Chill and stuff like that, I want to make sure that I make a point to what I’m wearing. And it, it just becomes this totally fun thing. Like, Oh, I like this piece, this accessory or those shoes. Where’d you get it? We all just like start giggling, you know, about it and just like, yeah, it’s so cool. Right.

[00:04:38] Rocio Sanchez: So could you please, for the audience, explain, what Gender Chill is and, who, what, when, when’s the next one.

Jess Osborn: Absolutely. My pleasure, my pleasure. So Gender Chill is a queer and transgender justice, social justice fashion show.

[00:05:07] Jess Osborn: Because I’ve been working with a lot of universities for the last 3. And it was just time to depart. Because I want a bigger audience. I want more participation. I’d love to raise more money for our beneficiaries, because every year we have a beneficiary. A smaller nonprofit that’s scrappy trying to come up.

[00:05:25] Jess Osborn: And so we try to help raise some money for them as well. This year, it’s going to be a little more out and about instead of just like, in a university. And we usually have keynote speakers, like, we had Alok one year and Pidgeon Pagonis last year, actually. So we’d like to have this, like, educational, social justice, empowerment piece and have this really cool speaker be at the show and model.

[00:05:45] Jess Osborn: And then just have, you know, obviously, like, all these wonderful different designers, local designers, student designers, a lot that have come from Atlanta with the Kia Barnes Group. She’s fantastic up there with the Andrew Fashion Show. So shout out to her. And just like have a really empowering night and make sure that wesay fthings like, Hey, we’re all affirmed and like, use all the pronouns and let’s have some fun, be yourself.

[00:06:08] Jess Osborn: And then especially that community walk that, that comes up, oh man, it’s just, it’s so magical and everyone feels so great. So yeah, the who, what, where, when. Right now we don’t know exactly where, but it is always here in Miami. We do it because. We’re queer and we’re fabulous, so that’s why we have Gender Chill.

[00:06:26] Rocio Sanchez: Thank you very much for sharing that. And your own personal story coming into it as well. That’s, that’s really, really cool. Now you have kind of bridged the gap. Y ou’ve had that inspiration into making it. But from my understanding, the business aspect of Gender Chill is something that you’re still kind of figuring out as you go along. Which is, the way the, the cookie crumbles.

[00:06:48] Rocio Sanchez: how has it been developing the business aspect of Gender Chill, whatever you feel comfortable sharing.

Jess Osborn: Oh, sure, sure. I do like to share, you know, quite a bit. I think it’s good to share information between one another, because I think it helps us all, you know, learn from one another. What I will say is I am a newbie. I just became the, first-time entrepreneur, first-time business owner as of January 1st, so I officially own Gender Chill, through all the wonderful paperwork to make it an LLC.

[00:07:18] Jess Osborn: It’s exciting. It’s scary. And it’s totally worth it. It’s this new adventure. Again like I said earlier, I’m a masochist. I’m a project manager. So let’s just go ahead and be a business owner too, you know, like, let’s have an adventure with that. But you know, I’m not alone. I have a new partners. So my partners before were these universities and I have new partners. They’re a nonprofit called, Trans Social. So Ashley and Morgan Mayfair, the Directors of Trans Social. They’ve agreed to partner up with me so that we can all tackle this together. And make sure that we reach out to people and give them some support and provide them a nice, you know, fun evening.

[00:07:54] Jess Osborn: And so I think that, as a, a new entrepreneur, it makes me feel like safer, more secure, because at least I have some type of partnership with some folks that I trust, because I know them and I actually, I work at Trans Social as well. It’s my other job. I would say, like, working together just definitely helps me feel like we had a team here of people now, and we’re reaching out to the community, asking for sponsorships, going to events, you know, mixers, finding all the grants that we can find. And actually, I’ve been listening to a lot of Transition of Style, and a lot of the folks that I’ve heard on there have suggested going to the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

[00:08:28] Jess Osborn: So I have hit up that website, and it happens that I know a friend there. I had no idea that I knew somebody from there, and there’s somebody that I know who works there. So that’s, just such a happy coincidence. So I reached out and it’s good. It’s just good to get like, basic info and basic support, you know, at the very least to know, like in what direction I might want to take Gender Chill.

[00:08:48] Jess Osborn: So, so far so good. But I’ve heard the stories, you know, like, like anything that’s super worth it, it’s, it’s going to be tough. It’s going to be hard work. It’s a big, beautiful project. But in the end, the whole point is that we have a, a wonderful journey with it and we try to do some good, you know, I’m here for world peace.

Rocio Sanchez: That’s really cool. There’s different aspects to it as you, just like, kind of went into, there’s the business aspect that, being a business owner is like kind of being a project manager in and of itself. So it kind of makes sense. And also like you have this project that in order for it to get bigger and for it to be sustainable, like it needs to have a business model because otherwise you’re just like working for free and everybody else is working for free. Which, you know, in a perfect world, like cool, like as long as we all get our, you know, basic needs met, but that’s just not the world that we live in unfortunately. Or for better, for worse, or whatever argument we want to make, but, yeah, I would love, if you could tell me more about the connection that people have with it, because it was, it’s your baby, right?

[00:09:44] Rocio Sanchez: But what about the audience, the people who actually come to the show and also like interact with it? Tell us more about that audience. Like, how do they turn out for you? Who are they?

Jess Osborn: Right. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. For making that distinction too. Cause there’s definitely what I intend to put out there, and then the feedback that I get from folks, which I always love. And, I would say that, the majority of the audience are, let’s say, well, certainly a lot of students and their supporters, a lot of my, my family members and friends, which is wonderful.

[00:10:14] Jess Osborn: But I would also say mostly like other leadership from the community. Other like, queer and trans, nonprofit, mostly, leadership that comes and visits the show. Because there is this intention of also working to include them and ask them if they’d like to be there or how they would like to participate.

[00:10:33] Jess Osborn: So, we did have one organization, the Unity Coalition, they already had this kind of like documentary video that they were working on. So in like one of the more like, the time that we have before we opened the doors and all that, we would play that with some music and like have people mingle in the lobby, check out all the local organizations, like this little tabling fair we had, while they’re waiting for like the doors to open for the show to start and stuff like that.We have a lot of those folks that come by as well and then all of their followers, right? Like and then folks who just want to see a fashion show. So I would say it’s successfully quite diverse, still very, very queer and it’s open to everyone. I’d love to have all folks, you know, straight folks come and enjoy the show. Just basically a lot of local community members, which is absolutely fabulous.

[00:11:15] Rocio Sanchez: That’s really important for anybody who might be listening, who has their own kind of idea. Sometimes it just, it really comes from a tiny, tiny idea and then you just tell the right people and then they’re like, ‘Oh yeah, sure. I’ll help you out or we’ll help each other out and we’ll make it happen.’ Like, that’s really what it is. So like, to go back to the origin story of Gender Chill, right. Academia was a big part of the origin story. You’re at the university. Tell us more about when you started, the logistics of just like getting in contact, because anybody who might be listening, who is wondering, I don’t know who to talk to.

[00:11:47] Rocio Sanchez: It’s like, well, you know, maybe you’re already graduated, but you can still always go back to the university. Talk to some person in some department and they’ll be like, Oh, here’s the right person to talk to. So tell us more about how it got kicked off and now it’s developed into this whole thing where, you know, hopefully it’s like self sustaining.

[00:12:04] Jess Osborn: I guess just based off of my like, skill set, what I just understood. And I think also just, this is why I like project management in the way that I’m framing it. I love reaching out to folks that I would imagine would want to be a part of this.

[00:12:17] Jess Osborn: So I’ve definitely reached out to when I was in grad school and I was putting it together the first time, I reached out to the LGBTQ student center. I reached out to all the student organizations, the queer organizations first and and others. Definitely like women’s studies department, english department like advisors, professors, other student groups, stuff like that, and just got started there. And then, of course, would reach out into the larger community and let them know, like, hey, we’re a bunch of, like, young adults, young leaders who are looking for support, you know, do you have any tape?

[00:12:47] Jess Osborn: Do you have any wigs? Do you have any, whatever, some mirrors in the back, or would you like to donate financially, fiscally. We could, put this to the lights that we plan on having for the stage, you know, stuff like that. It really is just like starting off with, you know, whoever, you know, first. And then asking them like, hey, who else can I ask, to give me some more tips, some more insight on, who else I should be asking, you know, who might be interested in doing this kind of work.

[00:13:12] Jess Osborn: So actually, The first Gender Chill was in 2019. And then COVID happened in March of 2020, I believe. So actually Gender Chill was kind of dead for the duration of COVID. And I was pursuing other interests. And I wasn’t really thinking about Gender Chill, I kind of just thought it might be dead. [00:13:31] It was in the back of my mind because it was so fabulous. But at that point, I wasn’t really with, where I’m working now. I wasn’t, it wasn’t at the top of my mind. We’re still in the middle of COVID. So I believe it was 2021 where some other folks that the LGBTQ Center at FIU, a different university here in Miami, they reached out and they said, Hey, we heard about your show and we want to put it on with you.

[00:13:55] Jess Osborn: You know, if you’d be down for that. And I was like, yeah, let’s go. Like, this is amazing. Like what a beautiful, you know, miracle. Thank you for asking, you know, like that’s. That’s so wonderful because, you know, they have their budget. So they had all the money that they needed. We definitely fundraised as well, for sure. [00:14:10] But, they had enough where at least we can have some like bare minimum, bare bones. And, they’re also a much larger university. It’s a public university. I think it might be one of the largest, maybe in the state or the country in terms of student population. So we had a lot of interest with just more people, right?

[00:14:25] Jess Osborn: The second Gender Chill was in 2022 and yes, of course, the third one was last year in 2023. So, you put it out there and for sure, I don’t know that this happens often enough. But like it was out there enough, you know, I had created the website, there’s an Instagram, you know, like, with lots of other projects, I’m a mover and shaker around town. [00:14:44] People just remembered me. People just remembered Gender Chill. They had a great time. and then, these folks came up to me and said, Hey, we’d like to, like, continue this legacy. And I was like, Y es, please. Let’s go. So, very, very grateful for them. Otherwise, I certainly would not be here today talking to you. 100% I would not be the entrepreneur, the new business owner that I am currently that I’m really excited to be. So a million thousand, thousand million thanks to them.

[00:15:09] Rocio Sanchez: You’re the first person I talked to who’s running fashion show. Everybody else that I’ve talked to so far in, this process has been, you know, a CEO of a fashion, like clothing brand or model and whatnot. So this, the nature of what you’re doing is just. [00:15:27] Intrinsically different. And so my next question to you is related to the trends that you see developing in your industry and your industry is like very particular. It’s like event organizing and things like that. So you could talk about that or whatever trends you see just from your position right now as now project manager, now business owner, fashion, whatever, like what, what do you think is worth sharing?

[00:15:54] Jess Osborn: I would also say like, I’m an artist. I don’t, you know, focus on like, say that so much, like as the producer, but I also create art, right? all kinds of art actually. I try to come at it more with, with that lens. and what I’m experienced also as not. I want to say consumer, but it’s more than that. [00:16:12] It’s just like as a person who wants to experience things. As a queer person who wants to experience more queer events, more queer, unique events. Fun experiences to like, sing and laugh and dance at, you know, or have some good food and drinks at, I’m observing all of that right now as if like, would this fit into Gender Chill?

[00:16:30] Jess Osborn: Like, does this fit, or how do I feel about this? That’s certainly, at the top of my mind for the last few months. And I would say, like, putting myself in those shoes and then also listening to a lot of my friends who are making suggestions, people want to feel an experience. [00:16:46] And I think I feel that as well. And it could also be that I’m getting a little older. So I’ve done like a lot of the club scene and the bar scene, and I think I’m good. I’ve enjoyed it. Like I will enjoy it again in the future, but just not as like hitting it every weekend, like I used to, like when I was in my twenties. I think folks though, regardless of the age, they want to have some good feelings wherever they go. They want to feel affirmed, especially because the target audience is queer and trans. They want to know that they’re safe where they’re going and that they can go all out and be themselves wherever they’re going without having to like, explain to people oh, I’m this or I dress like this, like, instead, maybe just share

[00:17:25] Jess Osborn: Like, I got this really cool piece of the thrift store, just being oneself and then being entertained. And I think I’m learning how to, like, make sure to juggle that because that’s also going to create a challenge when I’m still figuring out where I’m going to have my funding from, but I think that’s the fun challenge.

[00:17:42] Jess Osborn: How do I create a nice experience that — I love this word —, that creates this gender euphoria without thinking about having gender euphoria. Y ou might be in that present moment in the show and then think after when you’re walking out the door in your car or you’re laying at home in bed and you’re still thinking about Gender Chill like, oh man, I experienced gender euphoria so much.

[00:18:04] Jess Osborn: I had such a good time. I didn’t even realize that that’s what I was going through. Y ou know, I had such a great experience from top to bottom. Like when I walked in the door and I could smell the flowers and I could hear this great music and all the colors on the stage and that performer just really touched my heart with their message and whatever it was that the speaker said, this fact over here, I met this person at a table over here that I really needed that resource. [00:18:29] How do I keep up with that and stay with that more often? since we, unfortunately, like we said at the top of the show, like we kind of live in this world that’s not exactly suited for queer and trans folks all the time. Right? We’re just kind of living in this drift in between these pockets of places, safe spaces, where we can exist. So I hope to provide that for folks.

Rocio Sanchez: Yeah, yeah, and I feel like I’ll mention that I have had experience more closely with like when I think of fashion shows, my personal experiences and also my professional experiences has been in New York Fashion Week because I grew up in New Y ork City. And when I was around 19 years old, was already in a marketing program at FIT, the Fashion Institute of Technology. [00:19:09] And, I knew at that point, like I knew how to get into those PR lists. I had nothing. I had like, that was like the beginning of the blogging boom, you know? I had like a thousand followers on Tumblr. What did they know about that? Y ou know? So I just went in and I said, I have a thousand, you know, let me in. I’m a blogger.

[00:19:24] Rocio Sanchez: And they did for a few things. I ended up going to some, shows. Like several shows, a lot of them, I forgot their names, but like one that still stands out to me is Chromat. and I don’t know if you know Chromat, but Chromat is a swimwear company that like from at that point, that was like, what, 2014, 2013 or something like that.[00:19:41] And, I remember like, when you say that about having that gender euphoria without thinking about it, it’s like, I remember leaving that. And 10 years later, it still sticks with me because that show, it’s a swim wear company and they had different bodies, like genuinely different bodies. It wasn’t like a one plus size person, but they were just like a little bit curvy.

[00:20:01] Rocio Sanchez: Like they had fat people. They had people who, you know, who had like three limbs instead of four. They had people who, who had mastectomies, you know, wearing swimwear and, I didn’t even think about what gender are these people because like their bodies were just so different and like. When we walk this earth, right, we are socialized to think long hair, curves, da da da da da, woman equals woman, and even people who are kind of post-colonial in that way and, and, and really try to challenge that we still, I still struggle with, you know, in my head, the first thought I’ll be like, I think that’s a she or whatever, but, you know, it’s not, it’s not the, the end of the world. But I just remember going to that show and 10 years later, still coming back and going, like, I just remember feeling like, wow, this is great.

[00:20:44] Rocio Sanchez: I didn’t necessarily, it’s not always about representation because I mean, I, I saw maybe one or two people on that show and lineup that looked like me, but it felt like good. It felt actually representative of our world instead of, ‘Oh, it represents me.’ And I think that is the next stage that we’re going to get into.

Jess Osborn: Mmmm Thats beautiful.

[00:21:02] Rocio Sanchez: That’s next stage we’re getting into and that was like just distinctly like that. And also Paris fashion week, which is its own like archaic kind of, this fantasy world. And, you know, I did my master’s over there in Paris, on fashion studies and I went to several shows and, and it’s just the same kind of traditional ways of thinking of what fashion is. [00:21:23] It’s also high end designers and things like that. So these are, these are big people and big designers, big names that we know. And we have this idea that fashion is the unattainable. And a lot of these brands that keep that up, they’re proud of that. They’re proud to be like we are unattainable. That’s part of the brand. And I just, over that. Honestly, I’m over that. I feel like for some people that works, but I am quite over that. And I feel like that is in the fashion show space, fashion event space, what about making people feel good? Y ou know what I mean? What about that? Just at baseline, what about making people feel good?[00:22:00]

Jess Osborn: Yeah. But also like they feel good number one because they’re affirmed, right? They’re seen as queer, as they identify and most likely queer because this is what the show is for. But also that they’re wearing clothes that affirm them. That’s the whole idea. So we’ve had, what you said, like reminded me, I want to make sure to say, we’ve had folks who were brave enough, that had top surgery scars on our stage.

[00:22:21] Jess Osborn: We had folks that were in wheelchairs. That, had other disabilities and we’re using, you know, certain support systems. We’ve had people of all genders, all colors, like. We intentionally tried to cover, you know, cover the rainbow, cover it all. Native American because down here in, in South Florida, Miami, we still have a lot of Native American representation.

[00:22:41] Jess Osborn: So we want to make sure to have that here. We have a lot of Latins here. We have a lot of Black folks here. So we want to make sure to have that be a part of the show. And we certainly had a lot of fat positivity as well. We had certain designers that made clothes specifically for larger bodies, regardless of the gender.

[00:22:57] Jess Osborn: So that’s super important. That is what makes people happy. I think that also creates a fun and nice fantasy that is more attainable. Instead of like, you know, all these high-end, the typical that we know, like, throwing out like, you know, the Gucci’s of the world, right? Like that’s all well and good. [00:23:14] That’s wonderful. Why don’t they make something for everybody? I don’t know, whatever. That’s what they want to do, but we can do that for ourselves. Right? We can make ourselves happy. That’s part of the self-love and self-care that I’m assigning myself and that I hope that other people, and I’m sure other people want to do for themselves as well. So that’s what this show is about for sure.

[00:23:33] Rocio Sanchez: My next question was going to be on its face, you know, what is the biggest struggle you find as a queer leader in fashion or queer entrepreneur?

[00:23:40] Jess Osborn: Creating our own gender euphoria and fantasy in a healthy way.

[00:23:44] Rocio Sanchez: Yeah, yeah because fantasy is great. And I really, if you feel comfortable sharing that, like, what is it like having this initiative in Florida, where we know that like, on the national stage, the anti, like LGBT rhetoric is just the most prominent, at least in Florida, in terms of, media coverage and all that stuff, like, cause it definitely exists a lot of other places.

[00:24:16] But, mean, I am American, I am US American, but I live here in Europe and I do intentionally pay attention to what’s going on in the US and it just seems that Florida is always just kind of like, when it comes to these topics, it’s always there saying like, we’re going to make it as inhospitable or we’re going to make it seem like it’s as inhospitable as possible. So what’s your experience as a business owner? Like, what, what would you say to that?

[00:24:40] Jess Osborn: I think this is a super important question. And, I think that it, you know, defines like how we experience our life as queer folks around the world. But yes, and especially in Florida, especially in South Florida, our governor’s not friendly at all. I believe it was like about a dozen laws that were passed recently that were fully, anti-LGBTQ, one or the other. You can’t say gay, they were banning drag shows. Things as ridiculous as it was just this one county that’s kind of like middle Florida, more rural, I believe. They banned the dictionary. You know why? Because it has the word homosexual in it.

[00:25:16] Jess Osborn: That’s just absolutely ridiculous. That is like a form of hate that’s just, the even, I didn’t think I could be more surprised, and then I heard that a couple weeks ago. And I was like, geez Louise, like, They’re blind. Unfortunately, they’re completely blind to their own hate, and it’s causing, it’s wreaking havoc. There are several trans folks who unfortunately get murdered often here in Florida, and around the country. But I do believe that Florida is one of the more extreme for sure. So I would say that is always on the back of my mind, because I’m already more of a background of social justice. Like, that’s been my previous career. I used to work for Equality Florida, Human Rights Campaign, stuff like that. But I am an artist, so I came back to my art. I would also say, like, as a queer and trans person still figuring it out, especially at my age, there’s no rush. You know, we learn when we learn, but I certainly have a lot of gender dysphoria.

[00:26:08] Jess Osborn: I have a lot of body issues as in like, I love my body, but also, I’ll have a great day or a great workout. And then I get to the mirror to take a shower and I’m like, that’s not me, you know, like, that’s just not what I imagined in my mind. and so I, certainly, manage that. [00:26:24] And some days it’s a battle, but I manage that on a daily basis, as I’m sure a lot of folks do, even if they’re cis. There are women and men, cis folks who also want to alter their bodies for whatever reason. They go to the gym or they have, certain types of surgeries. Folks just want to feel good about themselves.

[00:26:41] Jess Osborn: They want to play with their avatar and make it their own. And I think that’s good. Stay healthy, stay safe, don’t harm people. Do what you want to do with your own avatar. I think the problem is that people keep attacking folks for what they want to do with that. So that’s most of the piece that I can bring to you at this point because again, I’m like a new entrepreneur, but what I’m enjoying is I’m working with other queer and trans business folks, you know, fashion industry folks and the like, artists and stuff. So I’m in that community I feel safe and I learn from them. But I’m happy to branch out like I’d love to go to the local chamber in general and be like hey I’m here now let’s take the temperature, you know, like are you cool?

[00:27:22] Jess Osborn: Who’s cool in this group and who’s not? I will work with who will work with me. Y ou know, cause it’s ultimately, it’s about love. It’s about world peace. It’s about having fun. That’s what I think I should be doing with my life. And I think other folks might want to have some fun too. So let’s, let’s do it in like a happy way, you know, have some fun and looking fabulous while we do it.

Rocio Sanchez: Thank you so much for sharing all of that. The enthusiasm is very palpable, and I hope that anybody who’s listening to this who might think like, I don’t have the support because of the location that I’m in, just know that it’s less about like, pull yourself up by the bootstraps that BS like we’re over that. But the truth is that there are people out there who will support you, and you don’t have to, you know, get a megaphone and say, ‘Hey, who’s cool here,’ but, you know, just talk to one person.

[00:28:11] Rocio Sanchez: And then that person might lead you to other person. And sometimes great ideas take several years to come to fruition. And that’s just sometimes how long it takes. And sometimes there’s ebbs and flows, just like, you know, what you said with, Corona and all that stuff. So I am really happy to hear about your story. Do you have any final thoughts before we wrap up?

[00:28:33] Jess Osborn: I am so excited y’all. Like, I have been, throwing myself into the queer fashion industry and like I said, I’ve been listening more to Transition of Style and other really cool podcasts and following everybody that you’ve interviewed, Rocio. And it’s been a really fun journey. Like, I’m so glad that all of us are out there.[00:28:49] I’d love to collaborate with every single person in the queer fashion industry and see what we can create like I’m ready to like have us all like level up. Like I believe in so much, in the power of community. That’s been my whole life. And so, I want to have fun doing it. I want to see what kind of great art and and great love in general we can make from all of that. So, so i’m here whoever’s ready hit me up and i’ll hit you up.

[00:29:11] Rocio Sanchez: Yeah. So, in order for people to hit you up, where can they find you? Websites, socials, like where do you want people to, to get to?

[00:29:19] Jess Osborn: Okay, let’s start with Instagram. It’s just @genderchill, which is spelled G E N D E R C H I L L. Also, you can follow me, that would be really helpful. My name again is Jess Osborne, J E S S O S B O R N. And we do have a website. It’s a little under construction, but you can still see some stuff on there. It’s just genderchill.com. So, please, hit us up.

[00:29:43] Rocio Sanchez: Great. Thank you so much for joining. There were so many great bits of insight here. And everybody stay tuned. Follow Jess and Gender Chill, and of course, follow Transition of Style so that you can know more about the next episodes. All right. Thanks for coming.

[00:30:01] Jess Osborn: This was great. Thank you.

Rocio Sanchez: Transition of Style is brought to you by FC Podcasts, a division of Fashion Consort. Learn more about how FC Podcasts can help you with podcasting, from strategy and creation to production and marketing at fcpodcasts.com. That’s fcpodcasts.com. Thank you FC Podcasts, for making Transition of Style possible. Now, back to the show.

Rocio Sanchez: Welcome back to Transition of Style. It’s time for the case study portion of our episode. This is where I, Rocio Sanchez, give you 3 key takeaways from our guest’s business strategies that you apply to your own entrepreneurial journey. Today, let’s dive into the inspiring story of Gender Chill fashion show and its founder, Jess Osborn.

[00:30:52] Rocio Sanchez: The first thing we could learn is to leverage your institution’s network. Jess Osborn’s journey with Gender Chill began by utilizing the network available through their academic institutions. By reaching out to LGBTQ student centers, professors, and various student organizations, Jess was able to gather initial support and resources.[00:31:12] This network provided a solid foundation for launching and sustaining the fashion show. Even if you don’t have a university network, reach out to other local institutions like public libraries, LGBTQ+ centers, or community organizations. These institutions often have resources and connections that can help you kickstart your project.

Rocio Sanchez: The second thing we can learn is building trust with partnerships. A significant aspect of Gender Chill’s growth has been the strategic partnerships just formed by partnering with organizations like Trans Tech social, Jess was able to secure support, share resources and create a more robust event. [00:31:52] These partnerships not only provided logistical and financial backing, but also helped build trust within the community. Identify potential partners who share your vision and values. Building strong, trust-based partnerships can amplify your reach and impact. Whether it’s other businesses, nonprofits, or community groups, collaboration can significantly enhance your project’s success.

[00:32:14] Rocio Sanchez: Lastly, is a little bit more abstract. This is about attainable fantasy in branding. In the world of fashion, branding often leans towards creating an unattainable fantasy. However, Jess Osborn’s approach with Gender Chill is to make this fantasy accessible and relatable.

[00:32:31] Rocio Sanchez: By focusing on inclusivity and representation, Gender Chill creates a space where attendees can see themselves reflected in the event, fostering a sense of belonging and euphoria. So if you’re a queer-owned business, to make your brand’s fantasy attainable, ensure that your branding and events feel inclusive, allowing everyone to feel represented and valued. This approach not only builds a loyal audience but also enhances the overall impact of your brand. Jess Osborn’s leadership highlights the importance of leveraging networks, building strategic partnerships, and creating an inclusive brand. These strategies have not only sustained Gender Chill, but also made it a beacon of community and inclusivity in the fashion industry.

[00:33:13] Rocio Sanchez: Whether you’re launching a new project or looking to grow an existing one, these takeaways provide valuable insights for creating a successful and impactful venture. Thank you for listening to today’s episode of Transition of Style. Please feel free to follow us on Instagram @TransitionofStyle and subscribe to our newsletter, which you can sign up to on TransitionofStyle.com. I’m going to see you next time. And thank you.