Today we’d like to introduce you to Alayah Coleman.
Alayah, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am originally from South Central Los Angeles. I was born and raised there. I grew up in a very different setting than a lot of my peers. I wasn’t an only child, but since I was adopted at birth, I was raised like one. Naturally, all the attention was on me and I lived in my own world with everything a little girl could ask for. My aunt and cousin that raised me, basically my mom and my sister, were very adamant about furthering education, so while I had certain interests like music and fashion, I never really thought a career in those things was realistic. As I got older, I learned that anything I truly want to do is possible, and after finally deciding what I wanted it to be, I launched my clothing brand, Ninety-Two Clothing. I always dressed differently. As a child, it was because I wore what was affordable or given to me, but as an adult, I took pride in having my own style. It kind of became part of my reputation, and I felt like it was time to create something that I could give other people whose style was as unique as my own.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been a smooth road at all. Like anything, it came with finding an identity. How do I want this brand to represent me? How can I get people interested? That was the hardest part. When I initially launched the brand, it was a women’s brand. However, the overall theme of it is reminiscent of the 80s and 90s culture, which was a lot easier to market to a unisex audience. So, I had to do a complete rebrand including renaming and revamping social media, websites, and logos. Everything had to be changed. I’m glad I did it though. It made the brand so much easier to talk about and sell.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I create graphic designs and original garment designs for Ninety-Two Clothing. I specialize in pulling rare imagery or moments from retro pop culture and altering it into something wearable. In the future, I plan to dive into more custom pieces that are actual recreations of popular pieces from those times. I focus heavily on black culture. Confidence and unity amongst black people was so prominent during the 80s and 90s and all of the brands, especially black-owned brands, catered to that by using elements that were specific to us, like the colors of the African flag and HBCU apparel. I am known for dressing like I came straight out of 1992. So much of my personal style is driven by that era, so my brand is a direct reflection of that. I am so proud to see my vision actually come to life. It went from an idea on paper to something tangible that I can actually make people a part of. I love seeing people in my brand. It’s a reminder that I’m doing something right. Something that people like. I feel like what sets me apart is my appreciation for the culture. I feel like that era has been duplicated a lot but not in its true form. I give the authentic, not watered-down version in full color. Diving all the way into the chosen eras, and not just focusing on what was the most popular. Everything won’t be for everyone. Some are even too young to know, but that’s okay. The ones that do will have the thorough appreciation for the product, and that’s what I want to see.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned about networking is when you’re starting out, you can’t be too shy. The people that you want to get to, that you really want to hear you, aren’t going to fall in your lap all the time. You have to figure out who they are and do what you can to get to them. There’s no shame in that. Of course, respect boundaries and privacy, but don’t be afraid to send that dm or that email. You never know how it can change your life. I have reached out to people that I want to work with and started to establish relationships so that they at least know my name, and then once I’m ready to pull the trigger on popping questions of support and collaboration, the connection is already solid, so they are more likely to hear me out.
Contact Info:
- Email: ninety2clothing@gmail.com
- Website: www.ninetytwoclothing.com
Image Credits
Gabe Brown Photography
Alayah Coleman
