Wildflower A Memoir - By Aurora James

This “empowering and inspirational” (People) memoir of struggle and perseverance offers new ways of envisioning economic equality for everyone—from a leading activist and fashion pioneer.

“With community and sisterhood at its center, Wildflower teaches us that against all odds, we can overcome.”—Rupi Kaur, New York Times bestselling author of milk and honey

Aurora James’s life is a great American “success story”—precisely because it looks so different from others we’ve seen. Born in Canada to a counterculture mother, James was raised to question everything.

Scouted as a model in eighth grade, James struggled with body image and became disenchanted by the industry’s objectification of women and commodification of race. After she dropped out of high school, a flirtation with street racing led to her eventual arrest. She’d hit rock bottom, but as a visionary and optimist, she allowed that experience to reshape her way of thinking about the world.

A slew of fashion-related jobs led James to discover the power in the runway, and she started her own business in a flea market: a sustainable fashion line showcasing traditional African designs that would become an award-winning international brand. But none of this came from a drive to “succeed.” It came from a desire to forge a new creative path—and to lift others up alongside her.

Already a rising star in fashion and the first Black female designer to win a Council of Fashion Designers of America Award, James posted a revolutionary idea in the wake of George Floyd’s murder that challenged retailers to commit 15 percent of their shelf space to Black businesses. This became the Fifteen Percent Pledge, one of the fastest-growing social justice nonprofits. To date, more than two dozen of the world’s most recognized retailers have taken the pledge, redirecting $10 billion in annual revenue to Black and BIPOC brands.

Empowering and full of heart, Wildflower is the riveting story of how Aurora James made an indelible mark on the American economic system, and a rallying cry for those eager to make change.