Why Networking Remains A Woman’s Greatest Power Move: Inside Angela Smith’s Vintage-Fueled Fashion Journey

Entrepreneurship often gets framed as grit in isolation; the silent grind, the “I did it alone” mythology. But Angela Smithdidn’t buy into that. As the founder of Free Mob, working with major artists and stylists in Los Angeles, and co-founder of the woman-driven vintage platform Mondays with Margaret, she built her career through a completely different philosophy, one that is based on something profoundly feminine: community.

Her advice to every woman who wants to build something: “Network, network, network. Go to the parties. Host your own. Take people to lunch. Be a friend. People love to do business with their friends.”

In today’s world, where many women feel pressured to carry everything alone, or even pitted against one another, conditioned to believe that there’s only room for a select few, her approach feels refreshing, even radical. She didn’t climb by clawing, she built by connecting.

Angela’s work sits at the intersection of styling, manufacturing, vintage sourcing, and cultural storytelling. Her studio in Los Angeles doubles as a styling salon and product development space.

“Most of my celebrity clients and their stylists come to the studio for private shopping and styling appointments,” she said. “We know our clients’ style, we know what they wear, and we know how to translate that into product that resonates with their fan base.”

Her experience stretches two decades in apparel manufacturing, long before celebrity merch became the fashion ecosystem it is now.

“Everything from retail tech packs to graphics for tour hoodies,” she said. “Much of this overlaps as many of our styling clients are also merch and licensing clients. I feel like this gives us such a unique advantage over the traditional apparel manufacturer.”

Many powerful lanes are created by standing where your skills collide. One of the most defining chapters of Angela’s career came through vintage, a world she described as a fusion of art, access, and identity. Through Mondays with Margaret and Pasadena’s AMT Vintage collective, she has built a community that feels like a fashion salon for women who want clothing with soul, history, and originality.

“Vintage clothing is used clothing, but it’s also freedom,” she said. “It lets women access runway pieces and high fashion without chasing trends or budgets. It lets you be expressive in a world that encourages sameness.”

Where others see garments, Angela sees empowerment.

“There are more unique looks and better fashion at A Current Affair and the Manhattan Vintage Show than there are at the best social events in NYC,” She said. “It empowers women to enter and to explore. It invites everyone, and money really can’t buy it.”

In an industry obsessed with “new,” she champions rarity, sustainability, and longevity.

“The more sustainable choice doesn’t feel like a sacrifice,” she said. “It’s better pieces, better quality, and it doesn’t add to the pile of waste the fashion industry leaves behind.”

Her current customer base is as diverse as her career: seasoned fashion lovers hunting Mugler, first-time buyers discovering archive glamour via Instagram, Japanese dealers sourcing for their own shops, and stylists pulling for film and music.

“We recently wrapped the second season of Palm Royale and had a lot of fun sourcing 60s decadence that lived poolside and at cocktail hour during that era,” she said.

Ask what drives her, and the answer always returns to people. Connection isn’t just personal, it’s her business model.

“If you have an enterprising instinct and you network well, you can succeed in almost any business,” she said. “Feed your relationships. Even your peers. Even your competition.”

To Angela, success isn’t about gatekeeping or scarcity, it’s showing up, being generous, and believing there is enough room for every woman who works with integrity and imagination. The way she approaches business is a reminder that the future of entrepreneurship isn’t cold and isolated. It looks like community, shared tables, borrowed gowns, and whispered referrals. It looks like women supporting each other loudly, stylishly, and unapologetically.