This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Fashion List Here.

Fought the man, and won.

Tuesday Bassen has a name as recognizable as her work. Her Ugly Girl Gang Zine, collections of pins and patches, as well as a growing apparel line sized 2-22, has a loyal swath of fans. 

So loyal, that when international retailer Zara attempted to steal the artists’ work and sell it as their own, Tuesday began receiving emails from concerned followers who wanted to know if the behemoth had licensed her work. They hadn’t. 

In a David v. Goliath-like battle, the independent artist took on the retailer, who essentially told her she wasn’t famous enough to have her work pilfered. But Tuesday fought back, taking the company’s response to Instagram, where loyalists spread the word like wildfire.  

“A true silver lining of a terrible situation has been the incredible support from everyone,” shares Tuesday. “It's a worst nightmare scenario for any artist to have their catalogue of work stolen. It drains your time, money, and resources, but being cheered on by other creatives has made it worth the fight.”

It’s why she says, “the support of her peers,” coupled with “sheer tenacity,” is what has kept her going during cloudy moments. The Zara debacle wasn’t the designers first run in with rain. “I think everyone that is building their career from nothing experiences similar struggles: poverty, self doubt, et cetera.” 

She says it’s hard for her to know what the first, most “important” step in her career was, but says, “I spent years under the poverty line building my career slowly. Moving to Los Angeles was the most important decision I've made for my personal life. I moved without knowing anyone, but I knew in my gut that it was the place I've always been meant to live. Because I took the step to improve my happiness, my career started thriving as well.”

“I took the step to improve my happiness and my career started thriving.”

Tweet this. 

Tuesday is wearing Keds' Triple Dalmata Dot Leather sneaker.

Today, she is the CEO and sole designer at her company, Tuesday Bassen INC, where she handles her illustration clients, as well as manages her online store ShopTuesday.com. “I dedicated my life to working on my illustration career and started my online store by selling hand made ceramics,” says Tuesday. 

Her Friend X popup shop that featured her work as well as those of her creative peers, performed exceptionally well over the holidays. And by the looks of things, it’s what people want. Her Ugly Girl Gang Zine “devoted to badass women who don’t care what you think or how they look, all the while kicking ass at what they do,” has sold out of Issue #1, #2, and #3. Thank goodness Tuesday Bassen never has. 

Styling provided by Reservoir LA. Hair and makeup provided by Glamsquad. Photography courtesy of Light Lab and Woodnote Photography.