When I started House of Dorough, I never saw it as just being about me. From the beginning, I dreamed that House of Dorough could become a platform through which women of many different backgrounds could share their stories.  House of Dorough was built on a foundation of inclusivity for all. Much of my content historically has been focused on sharing my journey to self-love and acceptance of my body. Sharing clothing recommendations to many of the plus size women who shop with me has always been important, but that's only one part of what I consider when I think about the word "inclusive."

Currently, House of Dorough is working on reassessing our current business model to ensure any brand partner or platform we work with is not only fully inclusive and in support of diversity, but specifically caters to Black, POC, LGBTQ, disabled, and other marginalized communities. Moving forward, here are some of our requirements for working with brands:

• equitable pay rates for influencers across the board.

• a commitment to not only diversity at all corporate and in-store levels, but active inclusion of Black, Indigenous, POC, LBGTQ+, and disabled people’s voices in corporate decision making.

• Fair and safe labor practices at all levels from production, to corporate, to distribution, and sales.

• a zero tolerance policy for discrimination of any kind.

• a history of accountability for the actions of the brand as a whole, as well as accountability for individuals within the company.

This community was built on transparency, and now more than ever it’s important to me to not only hold myself accountable for business practices that align with my moral values but also to hold the brands I have working relationships with accountable as well. As always, this is a safe space where I encourage discussions even if we disagree.

xoxo, Ash

Updated 6/22/20