Olivia Nielsen
I am building a community called Damecore: the Vogue of women’s basketball -- a cultural universe that celebrates women as athletes, fashion icons, and leaders.
Background
I started DAMECORE at 18, born from personal experiences that revealed how women’s basketball lacked representation, visibility, and respect. From that point on, every academic decision, job, and personal project became intentional — all designed to build the knowledge, experience, and network I’d need to grow the brand. In school, I developed DAMECORE as a research-backed business plan, interviewing women athletes to understand their experiences and identify gaps in the industry. I quickly realized the brand needed to go beyond apparel and spark cultural change. To bring this vision to life, I pursued a Master’s in Fashion Communication at Istituto Marangoni, where I refined the concept with mentorship from industry leaders. I also began shaping its visual identity on Instagram, presenting basketball through a feminine, elegant lens and highlighting how women express individuality both on and off the court. After graduating, I joined Christian Dior Couture in Paris as a Communications Intern, working within the women’s empowerment pillar and learning how impact is created at scale through storytelling, campaigns, and community initiatives. I later continued at Dior in New York and was selected for the Women@Dior x UNESCO program, which supports women-led social entrepreneurship. That experience fueled DAMECORE’s community-building era, where I hosted workshops, book launches, and watch parties, collectively reaching 500+ participants committed to elevating women in basketball. I’m now a Marketing Coordinator at Sergio Tacchini, gaining direct experience in luxury sportswear across social strategy, partnerships, influencer dressing, cultural activations, content development, and campaigns. This role is giving me insights, tools, and industry relationships that directly support DAMECORE’s long-term vision. It’s the perfect next step for me in growing the brand.
Why I Started
From the moment I stepped on the court, it was clear that basketball wasn’t designed with girls like me in mind. In high school, my team was mockingly called “the diaper team” because we had to roll up oversized boys’ shorts just so they wouldn’t restrict our movement. Even as I played on my university’s club team as the only girl, I was seen as “one of the guys.” These experiences didn’t exactly build my confidence as a female athlete, they diminished my identity. I wasn’t a baby, and I wasn’t a man. I was a strong woman athlete, and I wanted to be recognized as one. It’s no wonder so many girls drop out of sports, or never feel encouraged to start. When you’re not seen, how can you feel inspired? Despite these challenges, basketball was always the one thing that kept me grounded. When I moved to Paris on a whim, without speaking a word of French, basketball became my universal language. It opened doors, built connections, and taught me life’s most valuable lessons. As I kept playing, while being immerse in the fashion capital of the world, I couldn’t ignore the gap: there wasn’t a basketball brand that genuinely centered women. Most big labels gave us small, watered-down versions of the men’s gear — no real thought, no real investment. The industry mindset was basically “shrink it and pink it,” and that didn’t feel good enough. These personal experiences, paired with my work in luxury fashion, commitment to women’s empowerment, and continued relationship with basketball, shaped my unique perspective on how women in the sport should be seen and celebrated. That became the foundation for DAMECORE: the Vogue of women’s basketball, a cultural universe honoring women as athletes, fashion icons, and leaders. “Dame” means woman in French, and “core” represents the heart of it all.
What I'm Working On
My main focus is consistent storytelling on Instagram and TikTok to solidify our positioning as the “Vogue of women’s basketball” — taking people along on the journey through founder series, product development, design decisions, moodboards, and cultural inspiration. My growth goal is to reach 50k followers by the end of Q2 next year. I’m currently developing a holiday seeding strategy centered around gifting our “Hot Guys Watch Women’s Basketball” hats to influential figures in the women’s basketball space to expand visibility and affinity. I’m also working on programming and activations for partnerships that are already locked in for 2026 (I can’t share name/brands yet, but I’m really excited), and I’ve applied to several women-empowerment grants to scale future events, strengthen community initiatives, and bring upcoming fashion drops to life. Overall, my focus is: build community, deepen cultural relevance, grow brand awareness, and get DAMECORE into the hands and conversations of the people shaping women’s basketball.
DAMECORE
the Vogue of women’s basketball: a cultural universe honoring women as athletes, fashion icons, and leaders.
FASHION
Visit WebsiteBiggest Struggle
My biggest challenge right now is bandwidth and finding someone who’s as passionate about the mission as I am. I’m building DAMECORE completely solo while working a full-time role that often feels more like a 9–7. I need that job to fund my life and sharpen my industry skills, and I genuinely love the work — but I often wish I had a partner or support system so I could scale DAMECORE at the pace I envision without sacrificing the stability I’ve built.
Trying to Learn
I’m focused on learning how to master content creation, trends, and platform algorithms so I can scale awareness for DAMECORE. I want to get sharper at storytelling, distribution, and finding the audiences who will genuinely connect with the brand. The goal is to create content that travels, sparks emotion, drives engagement, and ultimately builds a community around women’s basketball culture.
Help Needed
I’m doing everything solo from filming, editing, posting, and community engagement, and I know DAMECORE’s growth is heavily dependent on consistency and volume. Ideally, I’d love support with behind-the-scenes filming, UGC creation, post production, and engagement to help scale our social presence. Content is king, and having an extra set of hands would unlock more storytelling, more visibility, and ultimately faster momentum.
Can Offer
I can teach people how to build something from $0 — no budget, no team, just vision, resourcefulness, and execution. I’ve proven that through scrappy production, strategic storytelling, partnerships, and organic growth. Alongside that, I bring a strong network across fashion, sportswear, and women’s empowerment from Dior, UNESCO initiatives, and Sergio Tacchini, with relationships spanning athletes, creators, stylists, and cultural voices. I know how to put people in the right rooms to unlock opportunities, build credibility, and accelerate momentum.
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