Today we’d like to introduce you to Kinigra Deon.
Kinigra, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I presently reside in Los Angeles, California by way of Wilsonville, Alabama. For the past two years, I have been pursuing a career in fashion. I currently own and operate an online store and facilitate style consultations. Staying abreast on the latest trends in the fashion industry while simultaneously designing apparel that is different and unique brings me great joy. Additionally, I take great pride in promoting all things unique and interesting regarding fashion through vlogging and other social media platforms.
What is weird about my journey is that I never expected to be on the path that I am on today. My love has always been with science which is what led me to pursue a career as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS). However, over the past two years, I have become engulfed in fashion. I have always had my own sense of style, but it was a struggle for me to truly express myself due to fear of public perception. Fortunately, over time as I began to learn and develop myself, self-perception trumped public opinion. Fashion is not just the latest and hottest trends or designer clothing. It is how YOU wear YOU—your personality. You can learn a lot about a person from the way they dress. I have so many styles, but my favorite is urban fashion. I love shopping in men’s clothing stores and adding a feminine element to them.
Two years ago my friend, Brittany Lynn, and I opened an online boutique, Weirded Beautiful, where we would sell thrifted items and clothes we designed. With us not being in a major market, we were surprised at the response and how well it thrived. People wanted to be styled by us just from seeing how we dressed. So from there, our online boutique evolved to a styling site and an apparel resource.
Fast forward, I have been in Los Angeles for the past nine months. The number of amazing people I have encountered and great experiences I have had in my brief time here is still shocking to me. LA has shown me how to be comfortable with solitude by forcing me to get to know myself. I moved here for a promotion in my career as a CLS with the federal government, but every single person that I have met has impacted my journey as an entrepreneur and creative. I have a small circle of friends here who constantly motivate and support everything I do.
Additionally, I landed an apprenticeship at DTLA Production Company, where I learned how to get my designs mass produced, better manage an online store, and a road map of the LA Fashion District. All of those components have contributed to the birth of my two babies, House of Aparaa and Styled by Kinigra. Basically, Weirded Beautiful repurposed into two entities.
Now on a super random note, since being in LA I have been modeling and acting as well. LA is truly a place where you can be and do whatever it is you want to do. So, I now wear the title of business owner, fashion stylist, model, actress, and scientist. I know it is a lot, but it is all so fun and most importantly, rooted in my purpose.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest challenge was taking the leap to leave my family and friends back in Alabama. I cannot count how many times I was depressed and homesick. I would just sit alone in my empty apartment and cry my eyes out. Before moving to LA, I had never visited. The picture that I had in my head, I later found was fictitious. LA was not what I pictured it to be. There is something about southern hospitality that is truly beautiful and is definitely not a part LA. However, the solitude that moving here forced actually healed a lot of past traumas from situations that were meant to break me completely. It made me more focused and more intentional about being myself.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about House of Aparaa and Styled by Kinigra – what should we know?
I have two businesses and am actively working on a third. The first is House of Aparaa, which will be launched this summer (late summer), and it is a women’s apparel online boutique. I have been designing pieces as well searching for the perfect designs from other designers to add to my site. The second is Styled by Kinigra which is where I do all of my styling appointments and post inspirational looks. I work with photographers, models, and people who want to be styled for a particular event or special occasion. Lastly, KnowScrub will furnish fashionable medical uniforms that I have designed and allow me to combine my love of the two fields I currently work in – science and fashion. I am so excited because I cannot wait to see how it all flourishes.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Success for me is constant evolution and growth. Anything that is not growing is dead. Success is failing but not giving up. It is seeking and knowing your truth. Poverty, procrastination, loneliness, depression – those are all obstacles and not your truth. Your truth is how you envision your life and your purpose. So no matter the adversity, you can always focus on redefining and living in your truth. My truth is that I am a beacon to others, a talented entrepreneur, a traveler, and a learner.
Contact Info:
- Website: HouseofAparaa.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/houseofaparaa?igshid=2uclewu1i0by
- Other: https://instagram.com/kinigra?igshid=13ypxn2lvdtxg
Image Credit:
Keisha Cohill of HCINC, Monty Images, Eyeattraction, LuckyVisions
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