A day with an Innovator – Meet Ms. Nilea Alexander pics by Nicole S. James

 

P is for Prettie. Not because I particularly am, but rather because I always feel that way. Clothing is about expressions… of who you are, where you have been, and what you love. It is a performance of how you feel, played before the world set as your stage. For me I believe in romance, always have and and always will. I live my life with my head jammed in the clouds and I create clothing for those who do too. These are my stories, my encounters, my feedback and it is an anti-realistic, fairytale romance that I have between myself and the rest of the world.

Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself? (Name/Age/Nationality/Occupation/ New Projects

A: 29 African American Designer/Collector/Hotelier/Full-time girlfriend/Urban Outfitters….all in a days work. Life just living it, thats my project right now.

Q: Know u must be stopped on a daily bases…so u must know you are an innovator. What do you think makes up your style.

A: Its a feeling, I go with it. I never throw anything away and I recycle like hell….I still have clothes from highschool in the rotation.

Q: How would your describe your personal style? What are your influences and inspirations?

A: Smart. I try to look smart…I pull things together in a clever way. I am influenced by so many things that this article will never be long enough for me to list. Everyday I know that even if I take the same route, I will see someone new who I never knew existed before that moment….that’s inspiring to me.

Q: What would you say is your earliest fashion memories?

A: As a kid my mom dressed us very appropriately. We were always properly dressed, socks, ribbons, bows, faux fur….and the best thing is that she sewed it all. That’s back when the real housewives from Atlanta (where I am from) were cool and knew how to get shit done.

Q: Who are some of your favorite designers?

A: I don’t know actually. I don’t shop consistently enough to keep up with one label. The last fashion week I saw was back when I was an intern. To me fashion is not expensive, its not labels, its not Bryant Park, its just around. You are either apart of it or not. When you are a part you breathe it, who cares whats written on the label.

Q: Whose style do you admire?

A: Every girl or guy who makes an effort to translate all of the things that they stand for with out even having to say a word. That’s dressing smart…those people inspire me.

Q:If you could swap closets with anyone, who would it be and why?

A: I won’t swap my closet if my life depended on it…no one should. My clothes are my stories.

Q: With such sick iconic style eras of the past which one would you visit first?

A: This one, the 21st century. The cool thing is to be able to look back.

Q: Next place you want to travel to:

A: The four corners

Q: Something about you most people don’t know

A: I wanna keep it that way.

This Chick closet is insane.. when you enter.. you hear the faint sound of “AWWWWWWWWWW”.. and YES… god like chills came upon my body to know such a place exists… But this humble innovator just saw this as her declaration of her life story…. her written history  of who she is…. and her expression of what defines her on a daily…. without effort…

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