Meet Ayanna H. Baldry

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ayanna H.B. , owner / designer of a.Bohemia & The Wolves.

Ayanna, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve always been inspired & provoked by fashion and style. It was and still is a very visceral form of expression, the idea of being extremely comfortable in my skin while also creating basic forms and shapes to ensure this comfort, while also being stylish. This inspiration started as a very young girl and then continued to inform my life… something I loved and felt at ease in expressing could also be a passion? Something that could guide me through life? Something that could become a livelihood? This realization only fueled my inspirations and became the basis for my explorations as an Afro-diasporic designer living and flourishing during these times. It’s a constant recognition of the living art and style that I have the capabilities to produce. This inspiration keeps me ready for new collections and collaborations, new interpretations. It keeps me fresh and focused, but also very vulnerable!

My brand/flagship store/collections are like living glimpses into my extremely detailed mind/imagination, but it also likes a glimpse into my heart! I guess that’s how you keep creating? Keep pushing yourself with the notion of being authentically you? While also being very vulnerable, sometimes childlike…and then you have to balance the obvious, the business end, and try to mesh all that in while still staying true, still being open, still being inspired. It’s all very intense really, a lot! I never went to school for “fashion” or “business, I just had to figure it out as I went along, learning what worked and what didn’t for me. It’s all very personal and obviously really on brand! lolololololol

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Of course; there have been struggles, obstacles. That’s life though, isn’t it? I’d rather focus on solving the so-called problems rather than reliving them. It’s all very scientific really, a living calculus equation, always having to remind yourself of the steps so the answer doesn’t vary too much. This is one of the many joys of being self-taught. Nothing is a struggle, it’s just a problem that needs solving.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about a.Bohemia & The Wolves – what should we know?
a.Bohemia & The Wolves is our Flagship Store:: its a luxury concept in that we sell our own brands (a.Bohemia & BALDRY) as well as other locally sourced brands and styles that we love. We don’t follow fashion or trends when it comes to ‘curating’ our retail space. It’s more of an energy, something that we have cultivated over time. That energy sets up apart and it inhabits itself and brings life into our space and our collections….that LIFE is what I guess you could say sets us apart as well? and it’s global.

We are very proud of that–being able to watch our design concepts translate into something that our audience would want to buy & wear. It’s a beautiful symbiosis. Especially when our pricing is leaning towards luxury, towards something that is more personal, more of a keepsake a true style interpretation, no fast fashion. We love that. At the moment, we are very into layers, different dye processes, textures, and of course different ways of keeping warm! It is fall after all, even in the perpetual summer of la.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love everything about Los Angeles. I was born and raised here, & I wouldn’t have it any other way. Nothing is perfect, but Los Angeles is one of the most beautiful: mystically, magically, landscape wise, design culture-rich indigenous his/her stories. I’ve lived in other cities and traveled around a bit, but there is nothing like L.A. It’s got a dirty magic, and mountainous (is that even a word?) glittery thing I can’t quite put my finger on it but I can’t shake it. I sometimes joke that L.A. is like that one wild lover that you just can’t get enough of, and you know you’ll never find another one quite like them. lol

Contact Info:

• Address: 5045 York Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90043
• Website: www.abohemiaanthewolves.com
• Phone: 2134401347
• Email: howl@abohemiaandthewolves.com

Image Credit:
Cassie Hunter

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