Utilizing daring and flamboyant kinds Cierra Boyd is making a legacy of her personal in world of style.
CLEVELAND — We’ve all of the heard the saying, “One man’s trash is one other man’s treasure.” However for 25-year-old Cierra Boyd, it’s not only a saying. She’s made a residing out of it.
Boyd is the proprietor of Friskmegood Inc, a clothes line devoted to mixing daring and flamboyant designs with upcycling and sustainability.
“It’s principally utilizing supplies, which have already been produced, already been created, already made their mark on quick style within the trade,” explains Boyd.
With restricted entry to buying, Boyd started creating garments whereas finding out retail merchandising and style product improvement at Ohio College in Athens, Ohio. After graduating, she returned dwelling to Cleveland, however felt misplaced and was in quest of a method to reconnect together with her inventive roots. Figuring out she needed to create a model of her personal, Boyd turning to music for inspiration.
“Be sure to frisk me good, verify my __ and my ___,” learn the lyrics from Rihanna’s 2010 hit, “Rockstar 101.” Listening to these lyrics, inspiration caught and the Friskmegood model was born.
“Initially, it actually didn’t imply something to me in any respect. I used to be similar to ‘oh, frisk me good, that’s cute.’ However now, it’s introduced like an entire new which means to my world,” Boyd explains.
It’s a world the place her desires have come to fruition. Her creations, particularly her signature sneaker corsets have been featured in Nylon Journal and Hype Bae. They’ve even been worn by celebrities together with Slick Woods and most lately Dream Doll within the “Going Up” video with N.O.R.E and DJ Khaled.
It was an thought she obtained after watching VICE and seeing a person flip sneakers into gasmasks. She put her concept to the take a look at throughout Style Mania 2K19, a neighborhood sustainability style competitors. Tasked with making a design with out cloth, she got down to flip a pair of Nike sneakers right into a high. After including studs and her personal flare to the sneakers, her design was full.
“I put it on, and I used to be like, this actually don’t look proper as a high. It’s one thing off about it,” she recollects. “So, I moved it down slightly and I used to be like oh, this could possibly be like a cute corset.”
Boyd took second place within the competitors and hasn’t stopped designing since. As the only driving drive behind the Friskmegood model, Boyd got down to discover new methods to attach with potential purchasers.
“I don’t have an assistant, I don’t don’t have any sewers…It’s all me from the social media to the designs to …actually, each side is me,” mentioned Boyd.
With the assistance of resale app, Depop, Boyd was in a position to develop the viewers for her model. She’s been in a position to create a noteworthy profession for herself.
“I actually discovered a neighborhood that accepted me and really appreciated my work and so they had been additionally like prepared to love purchase it which was an enormous confidence booster for me.”
Even together with her success, Boyd is aware of how necessary it’s to worth her purchasers and never minimize corners.
“I at all times wrap it with care, at all times give a sticker, at all times give a pin an at all times give a thanks word. I simply need individuals to really feel like they’re really appreciated after they obtain a package deal from me,” she explains of her course of to ship creations to her purchasers.
Whereas working to develop her model, Cierra additionally has plans to launch a ebook that can introduce readers to 50 notable Black Style Designers.
“That’s simply one in every of my targets, is to coach individuals on the historical past of Black style and undoubtedly giving recognition to these those that did paved the way for us.”
Black Gentle is a sequence created by 3News Digital Reporter Kierra Cotton geared toward exposing the hidden expertise inside Northeast Ohio’s Black neighborhood.
If you would like to recommend a characteristic to Kierra, you’ll be able to join together with her through e-mail at [email protected] or through Twitter.
