“Why is it so weird to talk about myself?” Sophia asks me after coming off a multi-month spell of speaking 30+ collaborators’ success into existence.

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Even weirder yet is talking about the social landscape of Los Angeles over this last year and change: “It's just all the same.” And there’s an abundance of the same. Even the IRL vintage scene has lost its allure as a result of an oversaturation of digital sellers and trend bombing: “Vintage is amazing because you can [find] something rare... but then you're at a flea market and everyone has the same Harley Davidson tees... how different are they really?” 

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When Sophia puts together a roster of vendors, she looks into the soul of each operation. “I want to know what is special about your collection, you know, the biggest selling proposition [is] the coolest story.” Sophia is surely the only curator I know who is concerned with whether everyone “met their bottom line” when the day wraps. "I'm like Mama Bear to the vendors...I know the struggle. It's their art, and their livelihood, at the end of the day, and I would hate for someone to come in and haggle them for five bucks.”

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I was introduced to Sophia Sorrentino through my dear friend, Nicole Tiedemann, who runs our longtime collaborator: The Laughing Geisha. We all have those friends who, when they hand us an intro, we trust. Nicole is one of them. I hopped on a call with Sophia a few weeks before her biggest event to date, FEMMEPOWERED, that took place at Los Angeles’ new culture hub, The Hill, on March 30th. From the jump, her energy and ethos made sense. Controlled chaos and kindness pour out of her. “I want to create that space[s]... where you're going to value the work and can charge what you're worth.”

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In our interview, Sorrentino repeats: “Do you know what I’m getting at?” 

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Yes, I understand how peculiar it is making it your business showcasing the potential, product, and power of your contemporaries. Not everyone enjoys putting people on. Most of those who do fall short. Sophia is different.

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She confesses of her hometown, “LA can be such a dark place. You know what I mean?” Yes, it moved me out of the city a little over two years ago. “I just saw that there was a lack of intentional experiences.” Nightlife, fashion, and music are problematic industries on both coasts: “[With] lots of egos running wild... I have always tried to remain grounded while also working in industries that promote superficialism and celebrities... the people who know me well, I think they would say that...”

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I think they would say that Sophia’s attention to detail is spectacular. Be it in her keen manners, the cohesive color palette that popped in all details of the event, or her ability to capture someone’s essence in a couple of descriptors - she is meticulous. And meticulous you must be in the game of standing out. “There's tons of marketplaces, lineups, nights out with DJs, but FEMMEPOWERED brought all these elements together [with a purpose]... that's why I did it.”

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“Simply put, with 44 inspiring women participating, we represented almost every creative industry across our marketplace with 20+ women-led brands, 2 interactive workshops, live music experience featuring 6 female DJs, and panel conversation with 8 women from diverse backgrounds... Honey represents music. Rachael represents fashion. Lisa represents design. Tyra represents beauty. We all experienc[e] similar things and [are] able to have very honest conversations [with one another and the community at large]. I really [hope to] inspire people to open up, discover new things, and learn from each other.”

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“With FEMMEPOWERED we saw there truly is a power in uniting women... the amount of people who came up to me and the women on the panel or their new favorite brand... all those little moments were so beautiful and a testament to that power of leaving room for more intentional space and conversation. I think it's so important and tends to fall to the wayside when we get caught up in our own worlds. This event was a reminder. Let's think about each other, bring people together, and figure out ways we can collaborate.That's how I'm approaching it. We don't need to be scared.”

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With a force like Sophia by their side, I’m confident that nobody was scared going into the momentous event. Congrats and kudos.

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