With an eye for style and an entrepreneurial spirit, three recent Colgate graduates – Samantha Radocchia ’11, Briehan Moran ’10 and Elizabeth Nolan ’10 – teamed up to translate their love for fashion into the website Stunable. Equal parts e-boutique and social platform, the site offers unique clothing by emerging designers as well as personalized recommendations for shoppers based on their tastes, ensuring that every Stunable user can express their individuality through their personal style.

Having a strong sense of individuality is important to the site’s founders. Moran, who bal-ances law school with her duties as chief marketing officer of Stunable, admits that her desire to be her own person in the workplace propelled her to start the shopping platform.

“I wanted something that was my own,” she admitted. “That and working well with au-thority figures has never been a strong point of mine.”

Stunable’s chief executive officer Radocchia echoes her partner’s aspiration for freedom in the workplace.

“I would probably get fired if I weren’t my own boss,” Radocchia said.

Nolan, who worked for Ralph Lauren prior to being the chief business development officer for the e-commerce site, resounds the sentiment.

“Upon graduating, I had no idea what I wanted to do so I felt the pressure to find a stable, corporate job. It never felt like a perfect fit so I had to trust my instincts,” Nolan said. Now, Nolan admits, “I get to work in sweatpants if I want.”

Since their jobs entail that they have a keen eye for fashion and identifying trends, it makes sense that the three women flexed their style muscles during their time at Colgate.

Reflecting on campus trends, Moran says, “Uggs, Ray Ban Wayfarers, Longchamp bags and North Face fleeces. You know, most people complain about the universal adoption of these trends by girls at Colgate, but I have to admit, I really appreciated it.”

The comfortable approach to style at Colgate was appreciated by all of the girls.

“My favorite fashion moments at Colgate were at the theme parties,” Nolan remarks. “They were purely entertaining and when else are you allowed to dress in a denim jumper and jacket, at the same time?”

Radocchia agrees, joking that she “wasn’t very fashionable” during her Colgate days because she loved wearing her “neon Fraturday attire, kicks [and] sequin fanny packs.”

A sense of fun in their approach to style is key, according to Nolan. “Fashion is essentially dress up,” Nolan said. “So that daring spirit should be carried through each time you step in front of the closet every morning.”

This adventurous attitude carries over from the wardrobe and into the workplace for the girls at Stunable. To anyone looking to follow their path, their advice is simple: just go for it.

“You will always be able to convince yourself that ‘now is not the right time,'” Nolan said. “Be a little bit ballsy and take the leap. I’m sure most students and alumni will agree that Colgate is the type of place that pushes your boundaries and tests your limits.”

Radocchia values her experience with Colgate as a graduate as much as when she was a student. She encourages graduates to “use the Colgate resources you have” and credits the university’s strong alumni network for helping Stunable grow into a successful business.

As the three women prepare to launch Stunable to the public this fall and explore oppor-tunities that include everything from a mobile application to a television series, they haven’t forgotten the lessons learned at Colgate – and they’re doing it all in style.

Contact Alexis Manrodt at [email protected].