Blanc Noir & Couture: Issue No.9

is the worst thing any human being can do to their future. If
you make it long enough, learning is something you never
stop doing. I learned just simply by keeping an open mind
and surrounding myself with like-minded people who inspire
me.
Often times, people ask me what my motivation is. It has
forever been one concept, that is to maintain the ability to
think and speak for myself. Fashion is the language I use to
tell my story. Once I dedicated my life to pursuing a career
in fashion, I got accepted into the Visual Communications
program at The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
San Francisco. In the peak of the recession, college tuition
was too high and shortly after my college enrollment was
canceled. My financial advisor told me that I would never
reach my goals if I canceled my plans for school, boy was she
wrong. My success has always been measured by what makes
me happy based on the thing that I accomplish no matter
how big or small. I knew that as long I never stopped trying, I
have already won. At times I had no support in my decisions
to pursue fashion and I began to feel a little discouraged. I
saw my friends graduating with BA degrees in Fine Arts while
I was getting an AA degree in Liberal Arts. Till this day I’m not
sure exactly what that is. However, I used all of the knowledge
I learned to take another route. I was self motivated. I
taught myself trend forecasting, color theory, and the steps to
starting a personal business. I kept searching for new ways to
speak my mind through styling.
My brother taught me to acknowledge my abilities and be
proud of my special gift even if no one else was watching.
When he was murdered, I stopped proving to everyone and
started proving to myself to me. It seemed almost impossible
to find motivation looking around at everyone telling you
that you can’t. I had to beat beat the odds. Something in me
told me to suck it up, stop making excuses, and do what I
was born to do. I knew I had to be better. I had to be better
than me. I look at myself in the mirror every morning saying
to myself, “I am my only Competition.” Every day I look forward
to amazing myself and accomplishing something that I didn’t
think I could do yesterday. I ask God to guide me in the right
path keeping me humble and blessed to speak to the world.
There are many talented people floating around us, but if you
do not develop the skills you need to survive in the business
you may be hurting chances at great moments.
I can only speak from experience, as each story has its own
fate. Trusting in God to bring me one step closer to my
dreams is all I can do. Everyday is a new challenge and it took
for me to find my purpose through the obstacles at hand.
The passion I have for the need to create comes from a dark
place. That dark place was only in my own mind. I searched
high and low for my big break only finding myself disappointed
in my results rather than establishing myself in the process.
I had to accept the fact that my passion will find me before
I find it. My need to create is as powerful as the blood thirst
of a vampire. Pioneering my way through adversity as young
black male has taught me one lesson; Love yourself and love
what you do. All that I have experienced is only the beginning
of what is yet to come and I give all thanks to those who have
inspired me to be a better me. Believe in yourself no matter
what your art form is and inspire others to make the rules of
their own game.
Blanc Noir & Couture | Fashion Xchange Magazine | 85