Everything we learned at Tiffany Calver’s secret women-led…

London’s Trading Desk was the place to be on Wednesday 6^th November. There, inside an emporium of vintage garms and kicks (think pre-loved Stüssy, noughties Bape and Corteiz 110s), an unforgettable soirée took place. The latest instalment in eBay’s “In Session With” series, the party-cum-panel saw headliner Tiffany Calver take to the decks, following on from guest of honour, Kemi, a budding DJ hand-picked by Tiffany as part of eBay’s spotlight on rising female stars. Throughout, attendees enjoyed a few cold ones care of Jubel, meanwhile, Mixmag powered the party.

The evening began with an open discussion led by Tiffany as she quizzed her speakers on making it in the women’s sneakers and music scenes. On the panel? Sneaker Sisterhood co-founder, Giulia Zed, plus DJs ELLADHC and Laelo Black – no less.

Sat before a crowd of budding sneakerheads, musicians and creatives, the girls shared breakthrough stories, touching on key topics including solidarity, womanhood, style, and, of course, their love for second-hand creps. Authenticity – both in one’s artistic journey and footwear – was a fil rouge, manifested in the honest and enlightening chatter, as well as the Authenticity Guarantee-tagged sneakers on display courtesy of eBay. Together, the panel helped encourage a new generation keen to carve out their own path, ensuring the audience was as much a part of the conversation as the speakers.

After all, passing on knowledge is about cultivating a community – one that involves leaders, learners and lessons. As such, this intimate event, hosted by THE FACE and eBay, served as a reminder that not only does surviving the culture industries require authenticity and grit, but also a process of paying it forward. In this vein, we’ve shared some nuggets of wisdom from the conversation below.

“I always think it’s beneficial to have a woman’s opinion on anything. It will make things better”

ELLADHC

Community is key

To kick off, Tiffany Calver got straight to the point, posing the question, “What does it take to make a change?” Indeed, you can have ambition and resources, but without a network, it’s hard to make your mark. In response, our panellists gave us their go-to tips on how to uplift others while blazing your own trail.

Tiffany Calver on taking up space:

“I think there’s strength in numbers, and there is space for everyone. There’s a strange narrative that we have to compete, and that’s not the case. We want more women in these places. It’s not a perfect situation right now, but you can hold places accountable.”

Giulia Zed on finding people to uplift you:

“My driving force was finding a community through my best friends, who then became co-founders of Sneaker Sisterhood. Everyone has different interests and passion points. We need to push for diversity and representation.”

ELLADHC on having women on your team:

“Women-led collectives create safe spaces. I always think it’s beneficial to have a woman’s opinion on anything. We want the best for everything. It will make things better.”

Laelo Black on standing up for women in the DJ scene:

“There’s power in sisterhood, community and knowing, ‘I have you in my corner.’ Sometimes, it’s hard to even get on a line-up, or to share a contact and do an introduction. Gender aside, your network is your net worth. Work with what you’ve got around you.”

Express yourself

Sneakers are unquestionably a form of self-expression. Whether a DJ or a crep collector, your kicks say a lot about you. In fact, our panellists each showed up repping their faves. Between Tiffany’s Nike x Off-White Jordan 1s – sealed with eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee – and ELLADHC’s black and blue Prada Cloudbusts, style and authenticity were front and centre. True to form, the girls dropped these insights.

Laelo Black on just doing you:

“You can be yourself and do your own thing. You don’t know how inspiring you can be when you’re doing that.”

Giulia Zed on persistence:

“Sometimes, you have to push through and be the really annoying person. I’ve been told I knock on too many doors and ask too many questions, but now I have influence and can bring other women up. If you don’t knock, no doors open.”

Tiffany Calver on putting yourself first:

“I’ve learned to not have so many fears about what other people are going to think. I used to put everybody’s advice before my own internal voice. I’ve spent the past two years pissing everyone off and putting myself first – and that’s okay.”

ELLADHC on where she gets inspired:

“I take inspiration from DJs like Jordss, women’s collectives or women in fashion. It comes from all women around [me], whether consciously or subconsciously.”

Keep on keeping on

No matter our level of experience, we all have to learn from somewhere. There’s no embarrassment in asking for help, connecting with colleagues or taking a gamble on yourself. Perhaps, it could lead to your next gig. To close up the talk, our speakers shared advice on how they find inspiration to keep them going.

ELLADHC on backing yourself:

“You have to nurture yourself. I forget a lot of the stuff that I do. I have to write down lists. We need to take a second and give ourselves a round of applause and the room to grow.”

Laelo Black on breakthroughs:

“I have a eureka moment every two weeks, and I ask, ‘Why did I start this?’ It’s about being honest with yourself and having that conversation with other people around you.”

Tiffany Calver on following your instinct:

“It doesn’t matter where you’re at – it’s always important to follow your path and gut. I’m now happier because I feel challenged and authentically [myself].”

Giulia Zed on learning from those around her:

“My two co-founders inspire me every day, as well as you guys [the audience]. The more information you can absorb, the bigger the conversation.”