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aka Genres of Art
A YOUNG FASHION
GOD
**note for photos: click photos to enlarge**
At age 3, I wandered into a clothing rack at a clothing store where my mother + the store clerk eventually found me. Go figure, right? Should've known then that I was destined for apparel.
My mother always dressed me cute, often in outfits that were sets, and as I got older, I started to appreciate and enjoy silhouettes, color combinations, matching and mismatching looks, patterns and textiles.
6th + 7th grade were the grades I began mixing pieces that didn't conventionally match, but "went" together. One of my favorite outfits of 6th grade was a suede baby yellow bubble vest & a 3/4 length sleeve top paired with flared denim jeans with white embroidery down the legs (I was featured on the front cover of Simi Valley's newspaper in this outfit while doing a silly dance move for a contest that I won...I'll find that photo someday!). I was also introduced to textiles in 6th grade during Home Economics class when we handstitched clothes for our stuffed bunnies. It was cathartic and extremely satisfying conceptualizing something, creating it, and bringing it into tangible fruition.
Another notable outfit was my first day of 7th grade where I wore a teal paisley skirt with a raspberry-colored 3/4 length v-neck shirt. Clearly it was notable enough to me to remember it over 20 years later. I was growing into my physical body, as well as my creative perspective.
By the time 11th grade came around, me and the girls I was hanging with were walking around campus every-single-day rockin' stilettos. Being distinguished from everyone else was an honor, even at the expense of being heckled/teased. It's rare that a teenager learns to embrace all of the things she was taught to play small in, society-wise.
I embraced my beautiful deep chocolate complexion in spite of verbal assaults. I adorned my crown with a variety of hairstyles that all represented my creative expressions. And I wore clothes and colors I was expected to avoid because "yellow doesn't look good on dark skinned girls." It took so much courage to listen to my own voice regarding my beauty. To saunter in my essence at such a young age is one thing I am proud of. It was the groundwork for how I choose to show up in the world, today.
There were these girls, maybe 2-4 of them, who began to roast me as they stood on the balcony of our school, watching me walk by on the lower level in all yellow, stating that I looked like a banana, followed by howls of guttural laughter. I can't even lie: I smiled bigly and began laughing with my back turned to them. I wasn't offended. They SAW me. They noticed ME and I showed up in all of my yellow solar plexus energy and audacity that day. I felt like I had "made it" in that moment. The fact that I could stand tall even after the mockery was courageous. What I told myself, even at that time, was that I would prefer to show up as someone I recognize and can defend, as opposed to being someone that I am not; someone that I don't recognize and would struggle protecting because I wouldn't know her.
I was 16 years old transitioning from 10th grade to 11th grade when I applied for a high school program that FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) in New York City was hosting. It was a 1 week-long program where I learned how to do fashion illustrations, beginning by drawing live models everyday from different perspectives, practicing proper proportions, movement, silhouette, shadows, and other basic drawing and fashion drawing techniques. This experience confirmed my desire to pursue fashion design post-high school.
In 11th grade, I helped co-found the Fashion Club at my high school, which was in partnership with FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising). In 12th grade, I was president of the club and received scholarships to attend FIDM from holding this position. Our club attended FIDM's world-renowned fashion shows, toured the campus and visited the fashion district, which consisted of fabric stores and well-known fashion markets with clothing stores in Los Angeles. I also interned at a bridal shop during this time, learning how to work with a specialized clientele, fine fabrics, color swatches, custom garments and helping with bridal, formal and bridesmaids fittings.
My experience as a Fashion Design student at FIDM, was the most challenging school experience that I have had to date. The fashion world in this capacity was foreign to me and I struggled to integrate my quirky, unique, avant garde creations with mainstream, "sellable" apparel. Children's wear, juniors, contemporary, maternity and menswear were markets I became interested in and explored.
I received my Associate of Arts degree in Fashion Design from FIDM, my Bachelor of Arts from Howard University in Fashion Merchandising, and began my graduate school studies at SCAD Atlanta (Savannah College of Arts and Design) in Fashion. While studying at SCAD, I did a study abroad program in Lacoste, France and took courses in photography and improvisation acting.
Fun fact: I also had the honor of attending an exclusive invite fashion exhibit in Paris, France to view highly notable designer works.
INDUSTRY
EXPERIENCE
During my senior year, I interned at a bridal shop, learning how to work with specific clientele, fine fabrics, color swatches and custom garments. I also modeled in bridal fashion shows, as well as church fashion shows and shows throughout the city.
I modeled in fashion shows as a teenager and enjoyed working behind the scenes as a dresser for Flaunt Magazine's 2009 L.A. Fashion Week fashion shows, as well as notable designer Lela Rose's NYC fashion show in 2010. For artist projects, I have modeled for photography works and paintings.
FASHION SHOWS | MODELING
During my senior year while interning at Rosanna's Bridal Shop in Lancaster, CA, I was invited to work my first retail job at Gottschalks for 2 weeks during the Christmas season, restocking, organizing + gift wrapping.
While I was studying at Howard University, I was accepted into a summer internship program in 2010 hosted by BRAG (Black Retail Action Group) out of New York City. The internship consisted of presenting a case study with a group of 5-6 other hand picked interns, which I was team leader of, as well as on the job experience with a retail company. I interviewed and was selected for my preferred choice of employer: The Children's Place, working with finance, fashion design, graphic design and art departments. I worked in the corporate office in New Jersey everyday for 2 months and was asked to stay longer to help with several different departments. Though we did not win first place for our case study presentation, we were acknowledged for winning the scavenger hunt as a team, as well as our impeccable team work skills as the only group that worked fluidly and without conflict.
RETAIL + BEYOND
While I have done styling and shopping for film industry work, I first began branding for entrepreneurs through photography, logo designs, and personal shopping.
I've shopped + styled for other photographers' photoshoot sessions, both nationally and internationally, my own clients' photoshoots, my client's branding (one of the custom lookbook's I created for a performing artist is posted below), fashion designers, background + principal actors on set (i.e. Lizzie season 2 episode 5 80's color blocked shirt, the Pig from Legacies season 2 episode 16) and stunt actors for shows such as Legacies Seasons 2 + 3, Good Girls Season 1, etc., designed for part of feature film, "Scheme Queens," coordinated costumes for stage productions (OTIS Music Camp, elementary school shows...), etc.
STYLING + SHOPPING
SHOPPING PHOTOS
STYLING PHOTOS
LOOKBOOK
My client shared with me what aesthetic they are wanting to channel for their stage presence, day to night looks, and general everyday casual looks. I took their references, concepts and overall ideas they shared with me, researched those looks and images, integrated them with my own ideas of what silhouettes, colors and styles would align with their vision for their look, and their body type, and compiled this research into a lookbook. Click the PDF file to the right to view the lookbook.
One thing I have yet to do is execute "enough" of my design aesthetic and share it with the world. My career in fashion design is only mildly tapped into and I'm excited to eventually reconnect with my love of creating a perspective through apparel.
My favorite design aesthetic is quirky street wear with personality. I traverse different styles depending on what is inspired. I'm a sucker for a billowed pant leg, hoods, oversized pockets and color.
Some of my favorite designers include, but are absolutely not limited to, Tracy Reese, Alice & Olivia, Karl Lagerfeld, Shingo, and Madame Grès.
The designs featured below are primarily designs from undergraduate and graduate school projects. Some of the designs are pieces I designed and made custom for others.
DESIGN WORK
OOTD (outfit of the day)
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