Name: Ayeisha Mesinger
Visionary Class: Fashion | Designer
Hometown: Los Angeles
###########################################
Bria: What attracted you to fashion design?
Ayeisha: Sometimes
I think it was temporary insanity! But I suppose most of my designs have been
inspired by things I want but can not find.
Bria: Who
were your fashion icons growing up as a young girl?
Ayeisha: The
Cosby characters [such as] Claire, Denise and Theo Huxtable, and Cindy Lauper are a given; and
then I would say it was people like Cecily Tyson and Grace Jones who my parents
loved because they were of West Indian decent. So, all very different people and characters but I think as a child I liked to observe, and it was interesting to
see how such [diverse] individuals could be aesthetically appealing to such a range of
people.
Bria: Who has been your largest fashion influence?
Ayeisha: Alexander McQueen. I feel like it’s such an obvious answer these days but really, I had jaw dropping reactions to all of his shows and I admire his ability to turn his imagination into pieces of art.
Bria: How did
you hone your design skills? Was it more through technical instruction or
creative growth?
Ayeisha: Some of this and that for sure. I designed before I went back to school for it. I think for me, school gave me the confidence and technical skills to execute. Part of creative growth for me has been acknowledging the role that merchandising plays. You have to edit designs and you have to consider what will and won’t sell.
Ayeisha: Some of this and that for sure. I designed before I went back to school for it. I think for me, school gave me the confidence and technical skills to execute. Part of creative growth for me has been acknowledging the role that merchandising plays. You have to edit designs and you have to consider what will and won’t sell.
Bria: What initiated the beginning of your
brand Morgan Parish?
Ayeisha: A need for a tote [bag] to drag around L.A. while I was working. I had a
canvas tote that I always dragged around but I really wanted a leather one that I could
beat up. This spawned the Ranch Tote, and the [creation of the] Prospect Clutch was kind of like,
while I am at it, I really wish this clutch existed.
Bria: Is there a message that you aim to promote through MP?
Ayeisha: Morgan
is my maiden [name]. Similar to Louisiana and
other southern states, Jamaica (where my parents are from) has parishes. So Morgan Parish is where I am from. I want to promote honesty, being comfortable
with simplicity and not feeling a need to try hard.
Bria: Why did you choose to only focus on bags instead of clothing,
jewelry, etc? And
do you aspire to one day venture into those avenues?
Ayeisha: Having
my own company wasn’t necessarily what I saw in the near future when MP
started. When it did, I knew I needed to
be very focused about it and not let my creativity get in the way of good business planning. Bags were also a
welcome deviation from the world of apparel design, and continued to make me
think differently about design. My last
job in the industry was working in men’s wear for [the brand] Band of Outsiders and that
experience made me love working with men’s wear design and has influenced my
approach to designing bags. Perhaps one
day I will make a return to apparel design, but I still have a ways to go with
MP before that happens.
Bria: Has there ever been a moment when burdens or obstacles (i.e.
deadlines, doubters, lack of support, etc.) outweighed your passion for what
you do? If so, then what maintained your persistence?
Ayeisha: I
wouldn’t say outweighed but definitely challenged me. You make a decision in those moments to either hustle through and get it done or go do something that maybe has financial
stability and is easy, but isn’t stimulating. I suppose I chose the hustle.
Bria: It's no secret that in the fashion industry, there can be an
automatic stigma on
ethnic designers being urban designers, even if their
designs are not urban. When I
say urban I am referencing street-wear, club wear, and/or hip-hop fashions. I believe
the stigma builds an unfair barrier
for ethnic designers and makes them walk a tight
rope between their creative
vision and the vision of the industry. How do you feel
about that stigma? And how do you steer the
creative direction for Morgan Parish in
order to overcome it?
Ayeisha: I
don’t enjoy being stereotyped or being a cliche so if I can surprise people and
be a part of redefining what it is to be an “ethnic” designer so be it. I don’t think I make a conscious effort to
steer MP away from that stigma, I just do me. I seek out retailers who are also merchandising and buying the things I
like to purchase and work to associate MP with those stores. There are so many African-American creatives
out there who are helping to change the role/opinion of what it is to be an
ethnic designer. I look at people like
David Adjaye, Steve McQueen (the black one), Solange, Liya Kebede, and even
Kanye, and I see people ignoring boundaries and societal expectations. That’s the way it should be.
Bria: As a continuance of the previous question, what do you believe
is the solution
to erasing color lines within the industry?
Ayeisha: For
me, I think ignoring boundaries and societal expectations and being a free
thinker has helped. I think it is
individual efforts that help the whole. If people keep presenting the unexpected, others will hopefully understand
that past stereotypes are irrelevant.
Bria: In regards to the journey that you are on now, what moment has
provided you
the largest fulfillment as a designer and entrepreneur?
Ayeisha: I
will soon be selling in Japan! For MP to reach a different continent is mind
blowing to me. Also,
the other day, I received a message on the MP Facebook page saying “saluto”
from a woman in Gabon. That is very
humbling to know that there is a fan so far away.
Bria: Let your imagination play for a second and tell me what is the
best advice you would give to your eleven-year old self about her future?
Ayeisha: Have fun and don’t be anxious about taking more chances! I think I would have gotten into fashion a lot sooner if I had given into my interest vs. thinking that I needed to seek out a more "respectable" profession. I mean my first major in college was engineering!
Ayeisha: Have fun and don’t be anxious about taking more chances! I think I would have gotten into fashion a lot sooner if I had given into my interest vs. thinking that I needed to seek out a more "respectable" profession. I mean my first major in college was engineering!