This recent Penn alum runs her own international fashion line

Some Penn students dream about someday being the founder and CEO of their own company. But for some, like 2015 College graduate Breanna Moore, this dream is a reality.

Moore, who received a B.A. in African Studies and International Relations, is the founder and CEO of LaBré, a fashion line.

Moore launched LaBré in July 2016 after successfully raising just under $11,000 through a fundraising campaign. Just months later, the company has taken off and has even been featured in Teen Vogue.

LaBré is no ordinary fashion line. It's authentic, stylish African clothing that is all handmade by seamstresses and tailors in Ghana. The clothing is made from special Ghanaian materials, specifically wax-cloth.

Moore was inspired by the culture of Ghana when she studied abroad there while at Penn. As someone already interested in fashion, she couldn’t help falling in love with the attire worn by Ghanaian women.

“That’s the first time I was exposed to the fashion there and the beautiful fabric,” she said. “It was really bright and vibrant and I thought wow, this fashion should be everywhere.”

Moore also recognized that women in Ghana do not have as many occupational opportunities as women in the United States. By basing her company’s production space in Ghana, she could provide jobs for many Ghanaian citizens.

“Besides just wanting to make beautiful clothes, I knew I wanted to give back to the economy in some way,” she added.

Moore plans on expanding her market to other countries, specifically in Africa, in the years to come. While she resides in Philadelphia, she already works with people in Nigeria and has even more plans to expand in the future.

“We want to expand into west African countries,” she said. “And then eventually South Africa [and] east Africa.”

Her eventual goal is to get these west African designs sold in larger commercial stores so that more Americans become aware of this fashion and develop an interest in wearing it.

College freshman Gabrielle Fink, a layout team editor for Penn’s fashion magazine The Walk, thinks that the authenticity of Moore’s fashion line is admirable.

“Nowadays everything is manufactured,” Fink said. “It’s a good concept how LaBré is authentic and made by people who know the materials and style firsthand.”

While Moore’s labor is paying off, she has had her fair share of struggles running an international company.

“During the springtime and the summertime, they have a lot of power shortages,” she said. “That cuts the work day in half, so that can make the production time longer.”

Power shortages in Ghana can also make it difficult for Moore to communicate with the designers, especially if their phones die and they don’t have electricity to charge them for several hours.

Nevertheless, Moore and her employees recognize the importance of their work, and the challenges have not prevented Moore from sharing Ghanaian fashion with others.

Engineering freshman Nana Attakora, who attended high school in Ghana, appreciates Moore’s efforts to share west African fashion.

“I think it’s really cool that she tapped into that” she said. “Not many people try to give credit to where the material came from.”