What does fashion mean to you?
To me, style means being as creative and free
as you want to be. Style is a form of expressing
yourself. Without having to say a word, you are
giving people a glimpse of your personality.
What are some things that inspire you or
give you that drive you may need at times?
There are so many different things that get me
inspired and get my creative juices flowing.
One of my sources of inspiration comes from
magazines. Vogue, Paper, and W are just a few
of my favorite magazines that I collect. Also,
any magazine that has a dope black woman on
the cover that month I will always make sure to
get my hands on. At one point I wasn’t buying
magazines at all and I thought soon they would
soon become obsolete but now I find myself
going to this independent bookstore in Soho
and checking out whatever catches my eye.
Celebrities like Rihanna, Tracee Ellis Ross, and
Solange also inspire me! They each are
carefree, fun, and unapologetic when it comes
to fashion. Of course they sometimes have
stylists who help with their looks but their own
personal styles are everything. They can do no
wrong in my eyes. Lastly, knowing that I’ve
already come so far, I’m never going back, and
that there is so much I want to do and see in
this world inspires me and gives me that push I
need when I’m feeling down and out, like I
need to work a little harder.
When did you first realize that you love
fashion and wanted to pursue it as a career?
I’ve always loved fashion. I can admit I am a
shopaholic and I get it from all the women in
my family. When I was young, at least once a
week after school I would ask my mom not to
go straight home but let’s go to the mall
instead. Somehow we always ended up right at
Willow Grove Mall shopping at Children’s
Place, GapKids, and whatever other cute
clothing stores they had at the time for kids.
When I was in high school I knew for sure I
wanted to have a career in fashion,
I thought fashion design would be my lane until
I took a class my junior year and completely
hated it. From cutting, sewing, etc you have to
have a lot of patience, which is something I did
not have at the time and am still working on
today. I started thinking about the different
business aspects of fashion like merchandising,
visual, and marketing. I went to Philadelphia
University and got my degree in Fashion
Merchandising and Management. I took many
classes and learned so much that has helped me
in my career. While in college I started my blog,
for a few reasons but one of them was because I
love helping people put looks together that
make them feel happy and confident.
What do you think makes you different from
other stylists?
I’m not super-duper hell bent on being trendy.
Of course as a stylist and working in the fashion
industry, I need to be knowledgeable and aware
of the different trends going on each season but
when I style myself or others I’m not strictly
thinking about trends. Sometimes people get so
consumed in whats trending or what this
celebrity is wearing and then completely kill an
outfit (kill in a bad way). I go with what’s in my
heart and what I think about will look amazing
on the client.
Are there any fashion secrets, as far as style
goes, that you'd be willing to share with us?
I’m not sure if I have any secrets. One thing I
will say about styling yourself is to just do you!
Wear what makes you happy and feel good.
Who cares about other peoples opinions. Did
they spend their money on it or did you?
Exactly.
Describe your own personal style in three
words.
Chic. Edgy. Bold.