Priyanka Chopra Jonas understands the importance of talking the talk and walking the walk. The actress and producer is using fashion for good with the help of Marshalls. She has partnered with the department store for the second year in a row with the goal of providing women with the tools they need to live their best lives. Chopra Jonas’ work with Marshalls is realized through the retail chain’s Good Stuff Accelerator Program—a new initiative that gives women resources like peer coaching, virtual workshops, a one-time grant of $5,000, and a membership with the global networking platform Luminary. (Applications are open now through October 31. Applicants will be contacted regarding their application status by early December.)
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“What’s really exciting about this program is that this initiative is especially designed to help women unlock the good stuff in life,” Chopra Jonas told StyleCaster. “[As a society] we talk about empowering women and how that empowerment can help you unleash your potential—but no one tells you exactly how to do it, and that’s what Marshalls is doing.”
This idea was brought to life through research Marshalls conducted, which found that a third of women confessed that they are unsatisfied with their lives and don’t know where to start in regard to achieving their ideal situation. Chopra Jonas knows that feeling all too well, having navigated different “trials and tribulations” in her own life and learning to prioritize “self-taught” confidence amid life in the public eye. “To me, the goal is to bridge the access gap for women out there—as many women as we can,” Chopra Jonas told StyleCaster. “I’m an ambitious girl, and I have been ambitious since I can remember. It’s really hard to access whatever you might need in order to achieve your ambitions, and this program is tailor made for women to be able to do that. Accessibility is ensuring you have what you need to put your ambitions into action. I think it’s really cool to be a part of seeing that change in these women.”
It’s a no-brainer that Marshalls would develop an initiative like this considering the brand has been the cornerstone of accessibility in fashion since its founding in 1956. The store’s deeply discounted products and diverse inventory have made achieving personal style attainable for so many women. Like Marshalls, Chopra Jonas sees that there is power in clothes. “Since I was two years old, I was aware of what I wanted to wear and how I could use [clothes] to express myself,” she told StyleCaster, adding that since catapulting to fame she’s remained intentional about getting dressed. “I like to wear new designers, designers from all over the world—and at the same time, I like to have fun with it because that’s what fashion is about. It’s about self-expression and it’s about being able to feel free to be yourself.”
As Chopra Jonas gears up to help other women get to where they want to be, she couldn’t help but reflect on how far she’s come—specifically in the fashion department. “Human beings evolve through the years. Everyone changes, and I’ve now learned that less is more. When I was young, it was just like too much of everything,” she explained. “I’ve learned to peel it down over the years and focus on, like, maybe one thing. I’ve cleaned things up—but I’ve maintained this belief that fashion is mine, it’s not someone else’s.” Chopra Jonas is also applying this sentiment to the advice she plans to give women in the Accelerator Program and at the Good Stuff Social Club in Chicago on October 5th. “It’s your journey and no one else’s,” she added.