Cybelle Gear aims to support female artists and raise the public’s awareness
of issues affect women globally. You may not have heard about Cybelle Gear
clothing line, and the names Gabriella Davi and Emily Goodwin may not ring
a bell, but to some, Cybelle, Davi and Goodwin are names of heroes.
Cybelle is the collaboration of Gabriella Davi, an attorney and accessories
designer and Emily Goodwin, a graphic designer. The two met as students at
University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. The two got the idea to start
the clothing line in 1999 when Davi designed a shirt and Goodwin designed
a bag for friends after the annual Burning Man Festival. Graduation and time
moved Davi back to her New York home, then to San Francisco. The distance
makes working together difficult, yet they still manage to come out with amazing
designs. Emily says it1s all due to their ability to make the two cultures
blend, "Fashion-wise, I feel East Coast style much more, except when
it comes to color. I1m not in to the all-black thing at all, and love color‹
both vibrant and subtle. I prefer East Coast music too, but I am also really
digging some West Coast artists like Hieroglyphics, Zion I, and Mystic. I
don1t think we have a hard time mashing the two cultures ‹ on the contrary,
I think the combinations and compromises we make are the best ideas we come
up with."
Gabriella waxed philosophical on the topic, "I think, when it comes
down to it, hip hop is hip hop. North, South, East, West – beats are beats,
words are words and graf is graf. Sure there are some stylistic differences,
but it just makes it all more interesting. It gives us more influences to
choose from."
Cybelle gets its name from the mythological Roman goddess Cybelle, the mother
and earth goddess and protector of cities, personifying the company philosophy
that believes in celebrating the "urban goddess" within us all.
The Cybelle style reflects truth, love, creativity, rhythm and the power of
the feminine spirit.
"Cybelle was a mother goddess and protector of cities," states
Goodwin and Davi, "we wanted to make streetwear for women and we thought
it was a perfect fit. We think all women are goddesses and what better goddess
to represent streetwear than the protector of cities?"
The designs Gabriella and Emily use reflect childhood and the spirit of the
city. Past designs have featured illustrations of b-girls, little girls on
swings, and tagged subway trains, symbols of the urban spirit that moves us
all. Their inspiration-the neighborhoods they grew up in and the music they
love.
"I look at different elements of urban life and focus on what makes
cities unique places." Davi stated in a 2002 interview with Phillyhiphop.com.
Cybelle designs also reflect their love of hip-hop and electronic music.
This love is also reflected in their sponsorship of b-girls, b-girl crews,
female MCs and female DJs. Their touch reaches from the Syrenz b-girl crew
of NYC, DJ Cozmic Cat of Philadelphia, and DJ Tektrix of San Francisco. Cybelle
even uses female DJs as models on their website cybellegear.com. When I asked
the ladies why they decided to sponsor b-girls, MCs and DJs, Emily replied,
"We thought about who would have fun and enjoy wearing our clothes, while
also giving us exposure to the ladies we would like to reach. We give the
ladies publicity on our Web site and in press materials, have the DJs spin
at our events, and have had some of the girls model for us. The ladies we
have met are doing tremendous things, and have become the inspiration for
some of our designs."
With hip-hop being such an influence on their designs, the ladies of Cybelle
are very much concerned about the misogynistic turn that hip-hop has taken.
Emily is disappointed in the attitude that is being taken about it "S
It is not just the booty-shaking artists that bring this attitude. I was listening
to a well-respected musician on a radio hip-hop show, and he joked about being
"just as misogynistic as the next guy." Along with about 100 ladies,
I phoned in to call him on the comment, and guess he thought it was a joke.
But I don1t think misogyny is something to joke about any more than a racial
slur. On the flipside though, there is a lot of support for collaborative
performances like Black Lily, that truly celebrate and respect the talent
and heart of women."
Gabriella, though, sees the chance for a turn around in the near future,
"Lauren Hill where are you?? The ladies need more women like you! But
honestly, I struggle with that issue every time I listen to hip-hop. I just
try to listen to artists that respect women and don1t call them bitches and
hos. I think there is a hip-hop revolution brewing. I think people have had
enough of that over produced, over commercialized hip-hop and bling videos
with girls swinging on poles. I think that a more mature, socially conscious
strain of hip hop is out there. I1m just waiting for it to come on full force.
There are also an increasing number of ladies in the world of hip-hop and
I think that will definitely affect the amount of misogyny in hip-hop. And
there are male artists out there as well that respect women."
DJs and b-girls aren’t the only ones who have felt Cybelle’s philanthropic
touch. Cybelle has always been involved with community activities. After the
9/11 attack, Cybelle designed a line of "I love NY" t-shirts and
gave the profits to the International Association of Fire Fighters. Later
that year, at Fluid in Philadelphia they gave a show called "Lovely",
a fundraiser for Women Against Abuse consisting of music, fashion shows, and
free makeovers and manicures. That night raised $700 for WAA. In the spring
of 2002, they did a line of t-shirts called Body Beautiful as a fundraiser
for the Renfrew Center Foundation, an organization that deals in the treatment
of eating disorders. One design features women in all shapes and sizes with
the word "Beautiful" beneath it. Another features the silhouette
of a woman standing, in full attitude of one fed up with trying to be what
others dictate, hands on hips and hair blowing, outlined by the words "Binge
no more. Purge no more. Starve no more."
Both Goodwin and Davi are excited about their new project for this summer,
"We are planning an event called "Lovely" for this summer in
San Francisco. We had one "Lovely" event in Philly where we raised
money for Women Against Abuse. The event featured women djs who volunteered
for the cause. The upcoming "Lovely" in San Francisco will be more
comprehensive and will showcase more women in hip hop – from graf writers
to DJs, to emcees and b-girls."
With a new spring line for 2003 coming out this February and a keen focus
on philanthropy, I’m certain we can expect more wonderful, creative, and intelligent
designs from Cybelle. When it comes to the future of Cybelle, Emily sums it
up perfectly, "I’d like people to say that we utilize creativity and
style to bring awareness and change to women’s issues such as self-esteem,
body image, physical safety, independence, and family welfare."
Buy Cybelle online at www.cybellegear.com.
