Express Yourself: How This Purpose-Driven Founder is Paying Homage to Black and LGBTQI+ Club Culture

Interview with Rani Patel Williams - Founder of FANGIRL

Despite our efforts as a society to embrace one and all, there is still a lack of confidence among individuals to share themselves completely. This limited space of self-expression is what drove Rani Patel Williams to launch FANGIRL, a non-gendered accessories brand and community that celebrates self-expression without limits.

Inspired by black and LGBTQI+ club culture, influenced by her own heritage and her travels across the diaspora to even her hometown in London. Here’s her story:

Newnham: What were you like growing up? What shaped your childhood?

Patel Williams: Growing up, I think I have always had a strong sense of self. I grew up in a single-parent household which definitely shaped my childhood. I watched my mum work two to three jobs at a time to take care of me and my brother. Like most children who grow up in that sort of environment, I was given a different perspective to life and had to grow up quicker than most.

My childhood was very much shaped by our socio-economic setup, which meant I didn’t get the same experiences as my peers. I quickly learned to be independent and…