Fashion | January 26th, 2023

With Fashions High at FAMU, Should There be a Fashion Minor?

By: David Strozier

FAMU carries style; no matter where rattlers go, there’s always a polished, distinguished look. And with FAMU being the #1 public HBCU in the country, this should be no surprise. 

On campus, there’s always a reason to dress up and be savvy; from Set Friday to homecoming, there’s never a dull moment with fashion. People walk the halls of Tucker with Telfar Bags, rainbow hair, and Vivienne Westwood belts! After strolling through campus and watching people unapologetically express themselves through their culture, personality, and fashion, a thought came to mind. 

“Why doesn’t FAMU have a fashion major/minor?”

FAMU fashion is booming more than ever, as there are two modeling organizations, sneaker balls, and an annual homecoming fashion show. These opportunities allow students to walk in fashion shows and cultivate memories while experiencing the thrills of the fashion industry. 

After learning this, the question of who else would want to study fashion at FAMU arose—ultimately leading to the group of individuals chosen to be interviewed.

The brand creatives interviewed are Shaun Kamryn Wilson, Tex8s, and Moni Fagbamiye. These creatives are top-notch fashionable people who dedicate endless time and energy to their brand image. So much so they’ve found work from their designs by creating graphics for their creative releases and hosting fashion shows and photo shoots.

NOVALTREASURES

Shaun Wilson posing in her own crocheted creation from Noval Treasures. Photo Credit: Shaun Wilson

Noval Treasures is a clothing brand started by Wilson, a second-year fine arts major. The brand vision started her first year, making charming crystal bracelets. After months of selling jewelry, she decided to take her brand in another direction.

“I just woke up and decided to crochet,” Wilson said.

Wilson began crocheting in April, continuing her craft later in the summer as she wanted to start making actual pieces. As of now, she crochets hats, skirts, and shirts and was gifted the opportunity to design and cultivate her own fashion show. 

Wilson elaborated on how stressful the last two weeks before the show was—detailing how hectic the process was for her, as it was the first time she’d done something like this. 

“I was stressed doing something I’m passionate about,” Wilson said. “Making sure the clothes fit correctly while also crocheting back-to-back put me in full-on stress mode.”

Currently, Wilson is on the road to doing shows all around the country. 

SWANK STUDIOS 

Models and Tex8s posing in SWANK STUDIOS clothing. Photo Credit: @desireevcaceres on Instagram

SWANK STUDIOS is a clothing brand by yet another sophomore, Josiah Turner, better known as Tex8s. 

Swank is a brand centered around creativity through clothing and visual input. Outlets approved include film, photos, and ads.

With his cool boy stature, Turner has the confidence and personality to take off with his brand. Starting his brand vision in seventh grade, he would draw custom designs on his clothes. 

“I used to always draw shirt designs since none of the stores around me had any I liked.” 

Already knowing the trajectory of where he wants the brand to be in the future, Turner believes his brand will be ready for runway fashion shows run exclusively by Swank Studios.

“Most definitely, Swank, in five years, will branch out into more constant creative visuals being shot individually.”

Turner later disclosed how minoring in fashion would best fit him and his brand. 

Offering a textile class within FAMU’s curriculum would save Turner lots of money and extra time as it would ground all his passions and give him the proper outlet to express himself. He then elaborates on why this addition to FAMU would aid him in reaching his goals.

“I would minor in it, mostly for the textile manufacturing aspect,” Turner said. “All other film majors, fashion majors, and models tell me every week I’m crazy for not majoring in fashion.”

ANWORAN 

Moni Fagbamiye pictured with pieces from her brand Aworan. Photographed by David Jamal Strozier

Fagbamiye, a sophomore from Atlanta, is known for her clothing brand, Anworan. She started her brand during the infamous year of COVID-19, 2020. 

“It really started from a TikTok,” Fagbamiye said. “I observed these fire-flamed denim jeans and thought they were so cool.”

After the golden TikTok, Fagbamiye knew she could take her skills to the next level; and she did just that. She started making custom designs on Depop, a marketplace app that allows users to sell, buy, and trade goods such as clothes, jewelry, and other items. After a while of using Depop, Fagbamiye’s designs started to attract the eyes of people interested in her work. 

After experimenting with different textures, such as denim, she was constantly told to create her own clothing line. Knowing it couldn’t be generic, she first took her time in school. Fagbamiye was able to drop the first collection in December of her senior year.

“School was online, so it was easy for me to have time to sew,” Fagbamiye said. “Because fashion is art.”

“Because fashion is art” is a part of Fagbamiye’s brand identity. Using the critical advice from her brother’s friend, she decided to use her artwork for her first drop; taking a few months of preparation, the rest is history. Already hosting her first fashion show, Fagbamiye is well on her way to another.

With many rattlers willing to participate in a possible fashion program, FAMU should see this as an opportunity to help Rattlers. Even if it doesn’t happen now, this can start a conversation to implement a plan.