LOS ANGELES — MelRose Michaels has announced the release of "Networthy," a 15-piece apparel line featuring crop tops, hoodies and T-shirts with sex-worker-positive declarations such as "Your Boyfriend Buys my Nudes" and "There's a Reason I Look Familiar."
Michaels described the range as "a pioneering fashion brand by sex workers for sex workers."
“I’m a successful CEO of a sex work empire and I’m proud of what I’ve built. This clothing line is a way for me to empower my community, and fight the societal stigma surrounding sex work," she said. "Not everyone can be 'out' safely and I want to give a voice to those who are, while showing solidarity with those who can’t be. I want people to understand that we’re your neighbors, your friends and your family. I want people to understand that we pay taxes and that we vote in elections despite getting almost no representation for our billion-dollar industry."
The performer and entrepreneur began camming in 2011 with MyFreeCams and rose to the Top 20 leaderboard in her first month; in 2018, Michaels moved to FanCentro, where she became a brand ambassador and helped to develop the Centro University educational platform.
The name "Networthy" was chosen with intention, explained a rep.
It is "a reference to both the financial value of sex worker-led businesses and sex workers' individual worth as human beings. Each item in the collection comes with a statement that embraces a sex worker identity, from sly nods to bold statements."
After conceiving and designing the pieces, the rep continued, Michaels worked with an all-female team in Europe to ethically source and produce the collection.
"I'm already recognized in public by people who try to 'out' or shame me, yet in doing so, they are acknowledging how they know me,” she observed. “I learned early on that secrets can give people power over you. 'Networthy' allows us to take back that power. It shows them we’re proud of who we are, and that we won’t tolerate their shame."
Michaels envisions future collabs with other sex workers, noting that most of the models for the initial capsule collection are sex workers with "their own mainstream and adult businesses."
"'Networthy' isn’t a company, it’s an ethos. It’s an unapologetic expression of who we are as a community, and a declaration that we live life on our own terms. Our 'net worth' isn’t defined by who we are or what we sell. We’re entrepreneurs changing an industry and shaping a global economy. Our work might take place behind closed doors, but starting with Networthy, our lives no longer have to," she stated.
Visit ShopNetworthy.com for additional details and follow the brand on Instagram; follow MelRose Michaels on Twitter for updates.
