I didn't know Parsons (Parsons School of Design) existed until my freshman year in high school after speaking with my art teacher. She said "If you're into fashion then Parsons is the place for you". Before that I only knew I liked drawing art and making clothes. My aunt made my dads prom suit at the age of 16. Also my dad as well as my uncles are self taught illustrators as a hobby.
I always had this passion in me. I remember at 5 yrs old making my father a vest out of paper for Father's Day. Then I begged to have a sewing machine for Christmas at age 10.
Between my aunt and the local fabric store I took sewing classes during the summer. As well as taking fashion illustration classes at the College of Creatice Studies youth program before high school.
But I always had sketch pads and if you look at my old church notebooks you see drawings of clothes all around the margin.
There wasn't a specific moment that I wanted to leave Detroit, I just knew I needed to leave in order to have the best exposure to the fashion industry.
Plus I was in contact with Aaron Potts who went to my high school 18 years prior then graduated from Parsons also. He now has his own men/women's brand A.Potts
I also remember the city sponsoring an Enriching the Arts day. My art teacher took us to the Fox Theater downtown then we attended many classes. Afterwards Tracey Reese and Ana Sui spoke about their careers. They are both Detroit natives.
Post graduation in 2012, with a few internship experiences and a couple looks in NYFW I freelanced until I landed a full-time job almost a year later. After 4 years of designing for corporate private brands, I quit my job as the associate sweater designer to launch the Marquise Sarah menswear collection.
We carried 4 different styles of button-ups with an array of colors and patterns. All sales were e-commerce or in person events plus bespoke items. My past experiences perfected my ability to manage the life cycle of a product, design in various budgets, also how to work with local and international manufacturers. It did not prepare me for a stylist never returning my samples or the back end of managing an actual business. The learning curve continues with earning the trust of your new clientele, conveying the quality and justifying your price because you are a black owned brand.
Creative Direction and Photography: Marc Williamson
Follow Marquise on Instagram @marquise_sarah and visit her online store marquisesarah.com