Recently, we were approached by Amethyst Collab to do a feature on them. Royal Rose is always in the business to uplift and support other brands, so we said yes with no hesitation. Once we delve deeper into what Amethyst Collab actually is and what they stand for, our excitement grew and we knew this was the beginning of a great business relationship.
Their mission is to advance the position of women in the music industry, especially women of color.
We sat down with the founder and creative director of Amethyst Collab, Olivia, to find out more about this amazing brand.
So, tell us all about Amethyst and how it came about?
Well, this is a funny story actually. About three or four months ago I made an Instagram story talking about how women of color have to have each other’s backs in the music industry. I’ve been working in the industry for some time now and have yet to have a boss that looks like me. Or people like me. And after that post, I received almost 100 messages from of women of color who resonated and telling me about their struggles as woc in the music industry. I never really understood to what extent we all experienced the same things until then. So I decided that had to change, I wanted to create a space in the industry that was truly for and by us.
All women, all of color. That’s a rarity these days, unfortunately. Tell us why it was important for you to put the spotlight on woc?
It was important to me to put the spotlight on women of color because while woc make up a huge percentage of artists, we’re incredibly underrepresented behind the scenes. I wanted to put us in all positions of the music industry, so that instead of having to report to bosses who don’t understand or appreciate us, we can make our own waves.
Music, all genres, have been dominated by men mainly. Do you see this changing in the near future and how is Amethyst working towards this change?
Hell yeah!!! it’s definitely changing. We see it changing everyday, where it used to be like one women rapper among an industry of men, now you see the charts and its clear: women are taking over. In every industry, we gain more and more traction every week. And I don’t see it stopping anytime soon.
Amethyst works to combat this by giving women in music a leg up! We promote women artists, do audiovisual work for women artists, and work with them on finding management if that’s something they ask us for. We make sure they aren’t being exploited by labels and give them career and publicity advice.
Who are some of your favorite artists that we should be on the look out for?
exXxotic! It’s so revolutionary to see a woman being open and honest about her sexuality while also being a badass punk rapper. She really does it all.
Bali baby and the playgirls! She’s not really new, but Bali and the playgirls all have such unqiue, genre-bending sounds. I can see them coming up this year for sure.
Being a woc yourself, can you tell us about some of the challenges you face in your particular industry.
The thing that frustrates me the most is not being listened to, or feeling like my input isn’t valued. I have a lot of experience and, not going to lie, I’m really smart! (lol) so when my ideas are brushed off, it really bothers me. We almost always see this happening only to women of color, in every field. No matter our level of experience, there is always that hint of doubt that we are met with, and it’s so exhausting.
What are your goals for Amethyst this year?
To help more artists! I wanna do more music videos for unique WoC artists. More photo projects highlighting our beauty and individuality, and more helping artists make revolutionary music.
How can we help you reach these goals?
By spreading the word to artists and other collaborators! The thing I’m most proud of is the partnerships we have made with other women-owned agencies and collectives. The way I see it, the more we work together, the better. We succeed when we all view each other as collaborators, not competition.
I want to thank Olivia for reaching out and deeming us worthy enough to do a feature on her and her amazing brand. You can find Amethyst Collab on instagram, twitter, and at their own website.
Royal Rose 