Spicy Minimalist Anayka Pomare Will Sell You the Sexiest T-Shirt
The Doyenne — “a woman who is the most respected or prominent person in a particular field.”
Anayka Pomare embodies the modern-day doyenne, a woman who is here for women — well, more like #bossbabes. Some time ago, she started her company The Doyenne based her passion to uplift women, nurture her creativity for fashion, and break free from working for someone else. She promotes what she calls a “spicy minimalist” — simplicity with an eccentric flare.
Get to know a little bit more about the CEO herself below.
Who is the boss lady behind The Doyenne?
She’s a fearless, hard-working feminist that never takes no for an answer – she’s me.
How did the name of your line/store come about?
I knew I wanted the store name to speak to the movement (#bossbabes) I planned to create and I also wanted something that would make other women feel bold and unstoppable. Google is really my friend; I googled boss in French and doyenne popped up – which actually is the feminine version of a badass leader who is held to a high regard. It was sort of meant to be lol.
What made you want to create your own line in the first place?
Everyone in my immediate family is an entrepreneur of some sort even my 14-year-old brother. And here I am working for someone else, my dad would always tease me and say “You’re gonna break your back working for someone you’ll never meet. Interesting.” After hearing that over a million times a day I was just like f*** it. I look amazing everyday, I’m always dressing other people, I have all these ideas in my head, I can really make this happen. So I stopped talking about it and I did it.
How would you describe The Doyenne in 3 words?
Spicy-minimalism, authentic, empowering.
What is a “spicy minimalist”?
Ha ha, I came up with the term “spicy minimalist” because I’m a minimalist in a lot of ways but I also enjoy simple things with a twist and I’m sure there’s a lot of fashionistas out there that are the same. A spicy minimalist is someone who enjoys pared-down designs elements with a slightly eccentric flair.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
EVERYTHING. Mainly events that have happened in my life good and bad. My first collection, not from Macy’s, stems from a horrific turned hilarious event. I get so inspired by the smallest things. I was at a restaurant in Paris a month ago and the owner sent me a beautiful white cake with layers and ruffles, it was so pretty I didn’t want to eat it. I wrote in my journal about it and designed a white button down with over-bearing ruffled sleeves for my next collection. It’s coming soon!
Who’s the one person you’re absolutely dying to see wear your clothes?
My mother, Naomi Campbell. She embodies everything my brand is about and I’m obsessed with her so there’s that.
After reading your store’s online bio something caught my eye — “pussy popping tee.” What exactly is a “pussy popping tee”?
Hahahahahahaha! A pussy popping tee is basically a sexy t-shirt. I literally have my own dictionary. I make up phrases and words all the time.
I saw behind the scenes action of your line on your Instagram and noticed that you were handling the camera as well. So, I want to know, are you a woman that does it all when it comes to getting things done in your business?
Absolutely. If I depend on other people it won’t get done or it would be too expensive, or not done correctly. Like Maya Angelou said, “I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass.” And I live by that every day. I’m a woman, we birthed humanity. We can literally do any and everything.
Being that there’s a lot of competition out there. What do you think sets your store and clothing apart from the rest?
Interesting. I don’t think I have competition; I look at it as we’re all in this together. We’re stronger together than apart – I’m not competing with anyone but I will say a doyenne can stand on her own because she’s authentic.
What advice would you give to an up and comer trying to build their following on social media?
Post consistently and don’t buy followers, that’s whack. Do the hard work yourself. It will not only feel good, but it would mean more later.
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Kayla Brianna During Coachella in Vivian Ward Little Black Dress and Serena Snake Skin Boots
Click here to shop The Doyenne.