Posts tagged "fashion designer"

Meet Designer Tori Nichel!

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Feature, Latest | by — February 16, 2021

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(Interview by teen bloggers: A’Yanna Rouse, Sidney Charlemagne + Kiarra Charlemagne)

Tori Nichel is a fashion designer and entrepreneur who has carved out a major lane for herself in the fashion industry! Growing up in Detroit Michigan and throughout her childhood, she had a passion for fashion and sketching. After dedicating her time apprenticing with a retired designer, she later attended Michigan State University and Fashion Institute of Technology where she earned multiple degrees in Fashion Design. She went on to design and played pivotal roles in the fashion industry such as Senior Designer at Kenneth Cole and Head Designer at Tibi. She was also a contestant on NBC’s hot show, Fashion Star where she competed against other talented designers.

Having a passion of expressing herself, Tori launched her own business and label that represents her style and aesthetics!

She is currently also the Design Director for Kohl’s New York Design Office, she has led design teams to collaborate with numerous brands and celebrities like Jennifer Lopez. 

 Although she is one of the few African Americans in her position, she is committed to paving the way for the next generation of Black design talent through coaching, mentorship and career development.

Let’s get to know Tori a little better…

What inspired you to have a passion for the fashion community?

When I was about seven years old, I knew that I would be a fashion designer. All the women inspired me in my family; my mom was the oldest of six, which included four sisters who were all fashionable. I always chose to hang out with them because they were always shopping. I believe that this somewhat inspired me. Also, seeing pictures of my grandmother, my mom, and my aunts inspired me. They were so stylish and would wear gloves and hats while going to church which I absolutely loved.

From your website, you mention about helping the next generation and helping invent brands, what does it mean to you to uplift others and help others stand out?

I genuinely believe that you have to reach behind, pull someone with you, and pass the baton.  It is important, and many reasons why I am passionate about this is I didn’t have that trying to navigate the fashion world. No one in my family knew what to do with me in the fashion industry at all. When I got to New York, and when I got into the  industry, I realized no one looks like me. It is so important to take the learnings, the opportunities that I have been able to explore and pass that on to the next generation. I know how important it is because when I was creating my business, it was very hard, and it felt like it was only one of me. If I only had one source where I can rely on, that was only half of the battle.  I want to be that resource to give others what they need to be in their career.

I learned early the importance of building relationships and the importance of nurturing your network as well. It is also important to have representatives of black women and to make sure that we share our resources with our community and setting everyone up for a successful future.

FASHION STAR — “Sex Sells” Episode 202 — Pictured: Tori Nichel — (Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC)

What inspired you to start your business? 

I felt like the movie Mahogany! I just wanted to have my own business. I set my goal, and I achieved it, and now I think, “now what do I do?” I was very strategic in the jobs that I took because I knew that was my endgame. I had great professors and people. I would go to a lot of speaking engagements and just listen to people talk on businesses. Work for somebody and learn the in’s and out’s of that business on someone’s elses dollars before you spend your limited funds. As I got into those roles, I took on more work to learn all aspects of the industry. For my second job, I shadowed many other fields like PR, production team, etc., and it worked for four and a half years. Then I changed from a big corporation to a small company because I needed to work hands-on to learn how to start my own business. For people who know, I think I was an entrepreneur before a fashion designer. I still want to be an entrepreneur, and I think there is nothing better. If I can contribute that to my community and leave a legacy, that would be wonderful. 

What is your proudest project, and why?

My proudest project would have to be launching my namesake collection Tori Nichel.  It had always been a dream of mine ever since I was a little 7-year-old girl,  and to be able to live my dream was remarkable truly.  I sometimes still pinch myself!

What are the steps that you took to become successful and the women that you are today?

One of the things that definitely helped me at a younger age, shape myself as a designer was getting into sketching, dedication, and being curious. Although I didn’t have anyone to teach me sketching, looking at magazines definitely helped me. One thing that was very pivotal in my career was that, from high school to my junior year in college, I started apprenticing with a retired designer, model, and professor from the Art Institute in Chicago. By doing this, I learned pattern making and draping as well as professionalism. Later on, I got accepted to FIT and that foundation helped build the person I am today.

What is your advice for someone that wants to follow in your footsteps?

First and foremost, own your truth, own every ounce of that authenticity that you were given by your family, and why you are here on earth. Do not let anything stop you from achieving your goal. Show up in your truth, own who you are with any stage that you are given. Be fearless; if you don’t engage yourself and ask questions you’ll never know the opportunities that you can have. 

What are the responsibilities that you have on a daily basis?

I am the design director for Nine West at Kohls and my day usually starts around 9 in the morning. Typically I have 3 fittings a week. I also guide and present various ideas to my team at meetings for seasonal clothing so that we can receive a sign-off from our merchants and leadership. Usually, a couple of hours of my day are spent discussing details with my designers and guiding them on development. 

What qualities do you think an entrepreneur should have and why?

Passion and love. Whatever your business is, you’ve got to love it! There are going to be times where you are on top of your game and times where you are down and wondering “what did I get myself into”. You’ve got to love it because, on those harder days, your love and the passion alone is going to get you out of those hard days and back on level ground. Also it needs to feel like it’s not work because you love it so much. Hence, discipline, because as an entrepreneur you don’t have a boss, so you have to give yourself a structure and stay on track. Be curious and willing to learn as well.

Follow more of Tori’s journey here:

ToriNichel.com 

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Meet Ashaka Givens!

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Feature, Latest | by — January 15, 2020

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Dripping in chic, wrapped in bohemian flare + topped with powerful statements, are all the ingredients poured into each piece created by Brooklyn-based celebrity designer, Ashaka Givens!

From dressing the most influential creatives in the culture to fashion mavens, she has married style + detail into her passion of design! Givens’ love affair with fashion began in high school where she intuitively taught herself how to design women’s clothing and produced her own runway shows! She went on to study fashion design at Buffalo State College and spent a leg of her time there as a student at the Manchester Metropolitan University in England. It was abroad where she honed her tailoring techniques and studied couture design. She further developed her signature style think “funk-meets-sophistication” at the Fashion Institute of Technology, graduating with the class of 1996.

The New York native designs have not only been featured on the runways of Mercedez Benz Fashion Week but have also dressed + created custom pieces for tastemakers such as singer Erykah Badu, rapper/actor Common, rapper Missy Elliot, singer Raphael Saadiq, The Roots’ funky drummer, ?uestlove, and Kenyan artist Wangechi Mutu! Givens continues to showcase her authentic artistry while giving women the gift of beauty and confidence each and every day!

Our C.O.R.E interns had a chance to chat with designer, Ashaka Givens! Let’s get to know her a little better…

What do you hope to achieve by creating your clothing line?

I hope to make women feel empowered and confident in the things that they wear even if it’s a hat, a dress, whatever it may be, I want them to feel strong and beautiful because that’s what we should feel every day!

How do you reflect your own individuality (along with your clients‘) in the items that you create?

It’s all in how you cut [the fabric]. I always have my hand in the way something drapes or fits on an individual’s body. There’s always a sense of my passion for life and for femininity and for even a little bit of romance woven into my designs.

What are the biggest names you’ve designed for?

Erykah Badu, Wangechi Mutu, a famous artist whose pieces are in the MoMa, the Tate, and a lot of other art museums.

Some others are Common, Raphael Saadiq, and TLC.  Working with people who are worldwide has been a huge honor. There’s so many, but thankfully they have all been incredible and I had an amazing time with all of them. I’ve never had any complaints working with any of them. It’s been a blessing!

How do you keep up with society while also maintaining your style?

Staying in touch with the youth. I ask questions such as “So who’s inspiring you now or who do I need to listen to now?”

What do you think sets you apart from other designers and boutique owners? What makes your designs or your ideas special?

That’s hard to say because it’s me. You know how people make a pot of soup with the same ingredients it turns out so different from each other, that’s essentially what I do. I take different colors, or textures, or fabrics and things that are in right now to make something that stands out from other pieces.

Have you ever had any doubts about becoming a designer or boutique owner?

No, I’ve always been confident. You know what you know. I love to teach from high school level to my oldest student being 60 yrs. old. I know how to design a dress and turn sketches into an actual piece so I was always confident in myself and my abilities.

Were there times of frustration? Yes, times of frustration when I had an idea, but it wasn’t working out, but in the end I always put something together. You have to remember that you’re always learning.

I noticed that in your bio, it talks about you studying abroad in England, so I wanted to know what that was like for you and how it has helped you develop your skills as a designer

Yeah, it was amazing! It was actually my first time on a plane leaving from Buffalo, NY to London. It was awesome, it was a bit of a culture shock. But it was good to live somewhere else where people don’t know you so you can develop a new sense of individuality. It’s like trying a new food, but it’s everything, different culture, new people, etc. Just immersing yourself into a different culture can be great for developing your individuality and exploring yourself.

If you weren’t a boutique owner, what would you be doing instead?

Probably cooking, either that or perfumery not with chemicals, but with essential oils. Maybe that or traveling, like if I had an infinite amount of money I would travel.

As a woman in your position, what advice can you give to young people who want to get where you are?

Never stop learning. Interns, speak up about your interests and be confident about it because that’s what attracts us.

Travel. It opens your whole mind to cultures and ways of doing things. Just emerge yourself in it. Just keep trying until something resonates and you’re like “this lights me up”

I am confident in myself and my abilities and everything that I’ve learned. – Ashaka Givens, an affirmation.

Check out more of Ashaka’s beautifull hand-crafted designs:

Ashaka Givens

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BY: Melanie Santiago and Jada Jackson