By Vanessa Lynn Campbell’s African culture contributed to her love of clothes, with inspiration coming from exotic fabrics, bold colors, and an emphasis on accessories. Clothes were a festive way to celebrate her Sierra Leonean roots. It was this plus her love of dressy pieces like jumpsuits, skirts, and off-the-shoulder tops — combined with her fashion merchandising degree — that gave Vanessa the inspiration to launch the online women’s clothing boutique, All Things Dressy.
About the Business: All Things Dressy
All Things Dressy, or ATD, is an online women’s clothing boutique and female fashion brand geared towards stylish women who are drawn to classic and sassy statement pieces. ATD offers the latest in stylish and trendy fashions. But, most importantly, they take pride in creating a memorable shopping experience for each customer. Additional services include outfit building, style guidance, and fashion blogging.
Becoming An Entrepreneur
Vanessa always loved fashion, so she majored in Fashion Merchandising. It helped her understand the business side of the industry. However, she doesn’t just rely on her formal education. Vanessa constantly challenges herself to continue learning while staying up to date on the latest trends. “I could say that I started my business because of my obsession and love of fashion, but it’s so much more than that! I started All Things Dressy to create a legacy in the fashion industry as a minority. As well as to gain financial freedom and have more control over my own future.”
Making An Impact
All Things Dressy uses fashion as a means to make an impact in our community. They stand out because of their unique pieces, selection in creative colors, and personal styling services. This online women’s clothing boutique is also very inclusive for all types of women — their lifestyles, shapes, ages, sizes, and ethnicity. Their goal is to help break aesthetic stigmas in the fashion industry.
ATD also gives back to the community. They partner with HardtHaven, an non-profit in Kpandu, Ghana for women and children that are infected with HIV. A percentage of online sales is donated to the charitable organization.
Keeping a Work Life Balance
Vanessa continues to maintain a full-time career while building her online women’s clothing boutique business. A typical day consists of balancing her personal life, current career, and life as a rising entrepreneur. “I need to maintain my personal life so that the people close to me can keep me in check and give me faith to continue with my dreams. I also need to make sure I excel with my daytime career and establish good work habits so that I can easily apply them to my own business.” Whenever she has downtime, she’s brainstorming for the ATD brand, responding to emails, and posting on social media. Everything is integrated.
When Vanessa is not running All Things Dressy, she still indulges in activities related to beauty, health, fashion, and fitness. But, she also knows how important it is to prioritize self care, and is sure to carve out time for rest from her hectic schedule. During weekends, she recharges by snuggling up in blankets with her laptop and a good show running the entire time. “That’s heaven for me!”
This article was originally published in our Spring 2021 issue.
Kim is the owner and publisher of Sass Magazine, as well as the owner of Sass Studios, a boutique graphic design studio in Frederick, MD. When not in the office, Kim can be found doing some of her favorite hobbies—reading a book, dancing, traveling, or playing with her rescued pitbull.
What do you think?