Meet Angelene Ronique

Today we’d like to introduce you to Angelene Ronique.

Hi Angelene, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In August of 2012, I relocated to Los Angeles, CA from Louisville, KY to pursue a degree in Fashion Design. During the course of my collegiate career, I was able to gain experience in the fashion industry. My first job in fashion was retail. I still smile when I think about my first step in the fashion industry. While working retail, I was able to obtain knowledge about store operations, product shipments, visual merchandising, POS systems and how to conduct market research. I was able to hear firsthand about what the consumer needed and what their preferences were. After two years in retail, I applied for a job to work for a local fashion designer.

While working there, I was able to witness how a brand produces their product from ideation stage to production stage. I gained a great deal of experience, whether it was on set at photoshoots for the look-books, laying markers for sample collections, conducting fittings with the pattern makers, preparing garments for the dye-houses or assembling tech packs for the manufacturers. After receiving my Bachelor’s Degree from The Art Institute Of California-Hollywood I decided to start my own brand called Angelene Ronique Los Angeles where we specialize in all things fashion. We offer an array of services such as creating custom pieces for music artists, creative direction for photoshoots, image consulting, and branding. We have worked with countless artists and clients and our goal is to ensure that everyone discovers their visual fingerprint. We aim to create a unique look for you that is as rare and matchless as a fingerprint.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Pursuing a dream is never a smooth path. I have encountered many struggles along the way, whether it was being on the verge of giving up to dealing with the exhaustion that is required to invest in a dream. In the beginning, no one knows your name. You possess very little brand equity and being in a town like Los Angeles, where brand equity means everything, you tend to be disregarded from circles who believe you have no social worth. It takes a great deal of confidence to press forward and build a name from scratch. You have to believe in your gift and stand firm in the fact that you have something to offer to the world that only your hands can provide.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As a designer, I not only want to enhance your image and overall look but I also desire to use fashion as a platform to bring awareness to the real issues that we face as a society. I am most proud of a project that I recently completed entitled Color Theory. The project was inspired by the killing of George Floyd and the social injustices that were currently being experienced by the African-American culture. As artists, it is our responsibility to reflect the times so I decided to merge my gift of songwriting with my talent and skill in fashion design to create a piece that not only embodied the moment but also spoke volumes to the story of America’s dark present and past. As a designer, this was my statement piece. The first layer of the project was the spoken word/song entitled Color Theory by Angelene Ronique and Natalie J. Gray, which is now available on all digital platforms. I teamed up with an amazing production company called Definitive Measure, founded by music artist Natalie J. Gray. She produced and created the musical composition that supported my lyrical piece. The purpose of the lyrical piece was to highlight the perspective of those who view America with a different lens.

The second layer of the project was the fashion statement piece. I wanted to create a dress that not only made a statement but also had artistic value. The silhouette of the hooded dress was inspired by the grim reaper, symbolizing the countless deaths and lives lost as a result of social injustice. Hues of red, white and blue were used to depict the flag, while the purple paint splatter that was thrown on the dress represented the bruises on the citizens of this country. Red zippers were placed on the back of the dress to convey the slashes on the backs of our ancestors. What sets me apart from others is that I have found my unique fingerprint as a designer and I intend to touch the world with that very fingerprint. I don’t just make clothes. I create looks and statement pieces that will speak to generations to come.

How do you think about happiness?
My place of bliss is creating. Creating makes me happy because it allows me to freely express the language of my soul.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: angeleneronique.com
• Instagram: angeleneronique
• Facebook: angeleneronique
• Twitter: angeleneronique
• Youtube: angeleneroniquemedia

Image Credits
Photographer: Angelito Photography Photographer: Sergei Pyuro Photographer: Trent Dang