NEW YORK CITY

I-87. A new beginning. New York, New York

I finished my U.S. tour in New York City with the idea to recreate a character from the novel “Passing” by Nella Larsen. In this editorial a white woman returns from the early 1900s in the form of a black woman during the industrial revolution. She is photographed wandering through the once familiar boroughs of NYC, struggling to understand the changes surrounding her, and unable to cope with the feeling of being ignored. The wardrobe is the main indicator of the contrast in time.

Photographer: ashlee rose scott

ATLANTA

Route 11. The Journey continues. Atlanta, Georgia.

This editorial was inspired by the movie“Funny Girl.” I recaptured scenes from the movie at the historic Fox Theater. In the 1940s, The Fox theater was notable for being the only theater in Atlanta allowing both white and black patrons. A female headliner is photographed exploring the rooms of the theater, each with their own unique story. The looks represent the attire for various scenes in the movie: backstage, center stage, audience perspective, empty ballroom, and curtain call.

 photographer: Kelsie Victoria

SAN FRANCISCO

I-80. The journey begins.

San Francisco, California.

The idea behind this editorial was to photograph a woman during the march against the Vietnam war of 1967. She is found on a mountain overlooking the GOLDEN GATE bridge, then followed to the Redwood Forest, ending in ChinaTown. She finds a few friends along the way. The progression of the wardrobe is in its color and style.

Photographer: Cody sheridan

PARIS

The BIG HAT breakthrough! It was just an idea. I never thought it would be this BIG! I’ve always been a woman of many hats, but when i designed this particular hat, I knew it would set me apart from the rest.

The Paris collection was inspired by the French mime and harlequin. I chose a black and white color scheme with a pop of red to match the classic vintage clown costume. Although there was a wide appreciation for the work I produced, the term “creative director” became more and more difficult to explain. Paris inspired me to create my first original design. 

photographer: Klaudijus kairys

LONDON

Shortly after my return to the U.S. I contacted my seamstress, Fransetta Stanfield. Together, we designed a replica of the big hat and created an entire collection. I named the hats “Fransetta,” each of them hand stitched with a tag that reads “Made by Fransetta” underneath the brim.

The London collection featured FRANSETTA HATS, AND different styles of coats and jackets, the popular London attire.

photographer: Klaudijus kairys

TOKYO

The Tokyo collection was my first experiment with fashion trends. I used vintage pieces to accessorize more modern, approachable looks with Tokyo street fashion like Harajuku, Cosplay, and Gothic Lolita.

photographer: Kevin tamasiro

video: aaron yamashita