When choices get made for you.

I’m heartbroken.

My journey in apparel started years ago, creating merch for Femme Nuri members, simple, fun, intentional. That grew into Rogue California, a brand I built from the ground up with my own two hands and a vision that felt like home. After the pandemic hit, I had to shut it down. It felt like losing a part of myself.

But I didn’t quit. I regrouped, rebuilt, and created Highly Styled, a cannabis-forward B2B apparel line that felt like everything I’d learned finally coming together. I had my niche. I had the right message. I had the right manufacturer.

Then Trump’s trade war and escalating tariffs hit. My Hong Kong partner, the one who made it all possible at a price point small businesses could afford, was forced to close. And just like that, my supply chain broke. And so did my momentum.

I’ve tried to find alternatives. I’ve researched, negotiated, and tested samples. But the cost per unit is now too high to realistically offer B2B pricing for independent brands, and I won’t compromise the quality or mission behind Highly Styled just to stay afloat.

So here I am again. Closing a chapter I truly thought would last. And it hurts. Not just because I’m losing a business, but because I’m losing the thing that made me feel like myself again.

I’m sharing this because I know I’m not alone. Small creators, especially women and caregivers, are getting crushed by things beyond our control, policy decisions, economic chaos, systems built for big corporations, not for us.

I don’t know what’s next yet. But I know I’m not done creating. I just need a minute to breathe, grieve, and figure out how to rise again.