Who's that girl.?

Who’s that girl. you ask? Well only the hottest new clothing shop around! Founded by Jillian (Jill) & Ryan (Ry) Nesbitt, girl. is all about providing a thoughtfully curated collection of clothes ‘that make you feel the most like you’. This mission is one that I just absolutely love, fashion and style is a true expression of one’s authentic self and feeling like ‘you’ in what you wear is exactly that.

I was able to do a Q&A with Jill and Ry and here’s what they had to say!

Q&A with the founders of girl.

TTF: As the founders of girl., tell us a bit about yourselves?

J&RN: My name is Ryan Nesbitt, in addition to girl. I own Nesbitt Publishing Ltd., which publishes two (soon to be three) community newspapers and does custom printing. I’ve been there for nearly 18 years - which is wild. I grew up in Shoal Lake, MB and graduated Deloraine, MB so I’ve always had roots in the Brandon area. Away from work, I like to make videos, watch the Maple Leafs, and spend time with my cats. 

… and your family Ry? LOL ….A little about me (Jill) Im an open book. I believe there is strength in being vulnerable and it provides an opportunity for connection. I’m from Winnipeg and proud of it! I have a background in social work, personal styling, and social media branding. The launch of girl. seemed to happen organically bringing together my two passions in life, people and styling. Since I can remember I've always felt strongly connected to people's stories – I was intrigued by who people were, not just what they chose to show. I believe that everyone has a story and there is power in sharing it. How you style yourself shares a part of your story, and when you share your story, you empower others to do the same.

TTF: Why did you decide to open up the shop?

J&RN: . Initially the goal for girl. was to bring a carefully curated selection of quality, affordable, inclusive clothing to the women in our community. However, shortly after moving to Brandon from Winnipeg, Jillian became a fashion consultant for a local magazine in town and began doing personal styling and fashion events in our community. It became quite clear after hearing time and time again, “I wish I could wear that” or “people will judge me”, that the women in our community needed a safe space to find their own style and to feel empowered to wear whatever makes them feel the most like them. 

I think for me (Ryan) girl. is really an opportunity to tie together a lot of my passions and things I love to do just for fun - graphic design, photography, creating videos; which all tie together perfectly with my love of fashion. Jill and I have always loved shopping together and picking out clothes for each other so this feels like a natural step for us. I think our two skill sets compliment one another’s quite well and balance out the vision for the company. you can find jill leading the creative direction of photoshoots, working on branding, and of course, curating pieces and fashion styling. We both bring creativity and ideas to the table, she obviously brings more of the women’s voice along with her social media savvy, and I bring more of a business background.

TTF: What inspired the name?

J&RN: girl. felt empowering to us. We liked how bold just the one word was, yet it still felt playful. “Hey/dang/get it girl” are common sayings in my vocabulary (jill) These last few years have taught us how important it is to have fun and express ourselves without a worry of what anyone else thinks. You’re dressing for you girl. We hope this brand embodies confidence and joy for every woman, and everyone who is a part of this girl. community.

TTF: Can you tell us a bit more about how you choose the clothing?

J&RN: When choosing pieces we think about the women in our community, who we believe  would wear each piece + whose style we feel inspired by. We want all women to have the opportunity + confidence to shop for clothing that makes them feel most like themselves. As a stylist and personal shopper previously (jill) i like to have some on trend options  but also often look for capsule wardrobe pieces. Pieces that have multifunctions and a timeless design that can be styled differently with the change in seasons and fashion trends. I research brands that align with our values (I’m very much still learning) and sift through the styles I feel best suit our brand then Ry and I sit down together to make the final choices. 

TTF: What's next in store for girl.?

J&RN: We have so many things planned I don’t know how much we want to give away! … I think we will definitely plan to bring in more of each piece moving forward judging by the interest thus far. I think you’ll maybe see some future collaborations with local makers, other local companies, etc. We also plan to expand into accessories, and possibly select home goods down the line. There really are a lot of big ideas but we also know we need to walk before we run. (Ry) 

…And pop ups! I (Jill) hosted a few pop up shopping events prior to covid and they were a hit here in town. I would love to do that again with our own shop and have lots of ideas around that! Stay tuned :) 

The Shoot Day

Last month I had the most amazing opportunity to model in girl.’s first official styled shoot for their initial drops. The opportunity presented itself when Jill reach out and asked about the shoot. See Jill and I connected online years ago and not only is Jill one of the most creative visionaries I follow, but her husband and her are just THE stylish duo. Not to mention Ry is a pro at video work, like have you seen this trailer for girl.?!? Anyways, I just had to say yes when Jill asked, this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up on.

When the shoot day arrived it was the most creative afternoon I had in a LONG time. First off it was so fantastic to meet Jill and Ry in person finally, they are both just as wonderful as you think. But on top of that they had assembled just the most talented team to help the vision come to life. The minds behind Dijon Magazine Ali Vandale and Katy Slimmon were the photo group with Ali behind the FILM (yes how fricken cool is that!?) camera and Katy assisting with direction. And the master behind my makeup transformation was Robyn Penner an absolutely lovely soul. On top of that Jill styled the entire shoot while Ry was behind the camera taking some behind the scene footage. And then there was the fabulous model who was beside me throughout the day, Danelle Nyczai! It was really the dream team that day and the experience was exactly the creative day I was craving since pre-pandemic! Here’s some of the VIBE shots that were captured throughout the day!

Thank you Jill & Ry for letting me be a part of your first shoot and for taking the time to do this Q&A. I wish both the best of luck and continued success with girl.!

xo,

V