In this episode, Rachel chats with her friend and client, Raquel Vélez, a Puerto Rican woman from New Jersey, who discovered a passion for skiing only to be hindered by the lack of plus-size outdoor apparel. Raquel took matters into her own hands, launching a successful Kickstarter for her flagship product: The Ponderosa Pants.

Raquel Vélez is now the founder of Alpine Parrot, an outdoor apparel company making clothes for bigger bodies. She is a mechanical engineer and roboticist turned software engineer turned CEO, who loves hiking and created Alpine Parrot to make the outdoors more inclusive and accessible to the plus-sized community.

In part 1 of this interview with Raquel, you'll hear:

-The ancestral stigma and stereotypes around outdoor sports that she broke through

-The surprising percentage of apparel that is made in plus sizes (leaving massive opportunity in serving this market)

-How she went from engineering to starting a company making outdoor apparel for plus-sized clientele practically overnight

-An insider's peek into making a successful Kickstarter project that helps your brand grow

We can't wait to hear what you think of this episode!

From: https://www.thebusinessofapparel.com Powered By: https://www.unmarkedstreet.com

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To connect with Raquel, you can go to her website: Alpine Parrot

Or Connect with her on Social Media:

https://www.instagram.com/alpineparrot/

https://twitter.com/alpineparrot