A UF alumnus has taken an unusual career path with his law degree — running an online style site aimed at empowering women.
Brandon Esposito bought Urban Darling Inc., a California-based professional wardrobe styling website, in January and plans to push the message “We style real people” to a new level.
A graduate of the UF Levin College of Law, Esposito, 26, practiced law at the Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Clinic at the college, an experience he said left him with a lot of “anger and frustration” at what he saw.
“I really just wanted to help women push back against negative messages they’re getting,” he said.
Esposito and Luisa Lucia, the chief creative officer of Urban Darling Inc., revamped the site and pushed for a more diverse crowd of stylists to better accommodate the women they dress.
Robin McGee, a UF visiting professor and an independent costume designer, said the trends in media are shifting from an ideal to a reality.
“I think now we’re more interested in the real women behind the clothes,” she said.
McGee said designers and clothing departments are designing clothes for sizes zero to eight, but the average American woman is between a size 12 and 14.
Gaby Larios, an 18-year-old UF women’s studies freshman, said now that women have more control of the fashion industry, the male influence has lessened.
Urban Darling Inc. has received mostly positive responses following the launch of the new website, although there were mixed reviews on the new male leadership.
[A version of this story ran on page 4 on 3/12/2014 under the headline "UF alum takes over fashion site to empower women"]
