ADHDAF Emporium is LIVE! Welcome to the launch of an exciting and very unique online marketplace. Well, the soft launch… this is only the very beginning!
Stage one showcases collaborations with British jewellery brands Working Clasp and Topple and Burn, alongside Steph’s All the Discos handmade jewellery for a range of merchandise inspired by ADHDAF Podcast. And guess what, each of these designers are neurodivergent.
The full Online Marketplace will be live after our first in-person marketplace which is at Flackstock on Monday 22nd July, at Englefield House in Reading. We are hosting our very own tent at this very special festival, which will be bursting with all of the aforementioned designers creations, alongside festival fashion from the other ADHDAF Emporium Co-founder - moi.
If you’ve had a squiz at our About page you’ll already know the back story. Two tweens bonding in a church hall over nerdy enthusiasm for fashion, music and pop culture. Torn apart twenty years later due to unidentified ADHD and the chaos that can cause. Rekindling their friendship once a diagnosis explained the confusion and hurt caused. You can hear the full story on this episode of ADHD AF Podcast from way back in Dec '22.
Steph was diagnosed with OCD in her twenties but it was another eighteen years until I received my ADHD diagnosis. The identification and treatment of which not only changed but actually saved my life; which I’ve dedicated the last two years of to raising awareness about the neurodevelopmental condition. The system and society's view of ADHD needs to change, lives literally depend on it. Which is why 10% of ADHDAF profits go to ADHDAF+ Charity to connect and empower ADHD adults of marginalised genders.
But let’s throw it back to 2010, when I was struggling very hard in the world of work. I couldn’t manage finances leading to a lack of funds due to dyscalculia, impulsivity and the aforementioned employment issues. All of the above made it very difficult to indulge my passion for fashion and raving. I didn’t have the money to attend events and get new outfits so I had to make do with what I had. This led to upcycling, wearing the same old things in different ways, and embellishing vintage headwear and sunglasses. Not only did I enjoy crafting these creations but they got a lot of compliments. Suddenly, I had people asking me to create festival style fashion accessories for them. And just like that… Hathor was born.
Check out the very first Hathor shoot in 2010 with the pair of us lying on the living room floor! LOLS!
Off to a flying start, backed by the Princes Trust, but those unknown ADHD traits paired with dented self esteem for not knowing why I struggled kept knocking me down.
I traded and curated events in Ibiza and traded at festivals like Secret Garden Party and Wilderness festival over the years, but I struggled to maintain consistency and keep pushing forward. My late ADHD discovery not only told me why I struggled in these ways but In creating ADHDAF PodcastI found out I was not alone in such struggles and that many ADHD creatives also find it hard to run their small businesses. I have always used ADHDAF to try and empower others like me, and this is another way to do just that.
With over a decade working as a manager for luxury beauty and accessories brands Steph has a wealth of experience in retail. She has spent the last 6 years running a successful handmade accessories brand inspired by her love of all things 80s. All the Discos focusses on jewellery and festival wear.
Our creations have been featured in print, on stage and adorned by many a celebrity, including Fatboy Slim, Cara Delevigne, Adwoah Aboa and Margot Robbie to name-drop a few. Combining our talents and that same nerdy enthusiasm of our youth we are so excited to join forces, following our passions with purpose.
Anyone who listens to ADHDAF Podcast will know my tendency to ramble and spiral in to side quests so I’ll wrap it up with a reminder that this is only the very tip of the iceberg for our emporium of neurodivergent makers and small businesses. There is so much more to come which we cannot wait to share post Flackstock. If you happen to be attending the festival, pop in and see us for incredible festival fashion, accessories and a full day of ADHDAF Podcast speakers raising ADHD awareness, performers, DJs and of course Steph’s favourite… karaoke!
If you are a maker or have an small business and would like to be part of ADHDAF Emporium, apply to be part of this very special community HERE!
We are so excited to share the online marketplace very soon!
Follow us on socials at @adhafemporium and subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to hear about all Emporium ongoings HERE!
Big love
Laura & Steph
xx
Main photo credit: https://www.instagram.com/sophiefewtrellphotography/ from The TOO MUCH Tour - at The Flint Room, Norwich