WE ATE!
Get ready to be empowered, and entertained in this fresh new podcast! Meet talented costume Designers Mia Nunnally, Icy White, and Aziza Duniani, Singer-songwriter Chic Loren, and trendsetting celebrity stylist Wintter Alex. Together, they're spilling the beans on all things fashion, film & television, giving you an exclusive peek into their perspectives on style and design. ! ðŸŽðŸŽ¬ So come on, join the ride as they spill the tea, share their wildest fashion secrets, and show us how they rock friendships, life, and love like the bomb ass women they are!💖 Get ready to be inspired and entertained on this captivating journey! 🎉🎧Subscribe now to never miss an episode!
WE ATE!
Seams of Ambition: A Conversation with Beeombi
This episode welcomes the brilliant BEEOMBI, a master of dual crafts in fashion design and costume design who shares his unique lens on the art of originality and the luxury of being a creative. This episode we share our own experiences of balancing the demanding hours of professional commitments with nurturing our individual artistic passions, a challenge many in the creative fields know all too well. In this intimate conversation we give our listeners all of the affirmations they need to move forward in their creative journey, and hopefully inspire someone to harness their own creative power.
https://www.beeombi.com/
http://instagram.com/Beeombi
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Credit and special thanks goes to:
Produced by: Aziza Duniani @woman_Business
Music supervisor: Chic loren @chicloren_
Music by: Gavin Williams @thegavin1
I'm Mia Nunnally, costume designer and creative director.
Speaker 2:Okay, hey, hey, hey y'all, this is Aziza Dunyani. I'm assistant costume designer, ceo of Women Building Wealth Collective. You're, overall, all around creative. Today we were back for another episode and season two of We8 podcast and we are so happy to be here Today. We have a special guest our friend, lovely friend, designer, creative confidant, deron of BOMB. He is the artistic director, founder of BOMB, which isa fantastic beautiful clothing couture line. Also, he is a costume designer of all of your favorite shows, from Sisters to First Wives Club. You know the vibes Come on, come on.
Speaker 3:Thank you, guys for having me. It's amazing to be here.
Speaker 2:Oh, happy to be here. I know we like a little creative, you know creative conversation. We have these conversations a lot off camera, so or off the audio so it's good to like, bring them back into the space where y'all can hear what we talk about.
Speaker 3:But let's spend the block on season two Congratulations, like let's not just skip over this season two. Yes, fair, fair, this is our season two and full transparency.
Speaker 2:This is a so we thought we were just going to roll our seasons, roll our episodes, keep it going, but then you know the universe has stopped. Take a beat, breathe and then bring it back. And that's what we're doing. And just so y'all know, this is not season two without the rest of the girls. They are here too, but life is life in. So, everybody has their. Everybody is in their own space and moving and doing the things that they need to do to get their you know life on track.
Speaker 1:So that is a thing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, how you been Mia. Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 1:I am so tired Y'all, so I know we've been off the strike for what?
Speaker 2:seven, eight months you don't even feel that long. Seven months We've been a boop.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we were on strike for seven months and then I went back to work and that was the hardest thing I've ever done.
Speaker 2:So this is your first project back from work.
Speaker 1:This is my first project back from work. And what's back to work, so I did some shopping. I was a buyer for a show that I don't know. If I want to mention the name of yet yeah, but and you guys will see later on in life what it was. So with TV, especially with this type of television, I did reality TV for the first time. You can't really talk about it until after it airs.
Speaker 3:That's true, a lot, of, a lot of. I just did my first reality TV too. You did yeah.
Speaker 2:And these are competition shows for your, for your reference.
Speaker 3:Which is a little bit different from like you know, the housewives.
Speaker 1:Housewives, it's not that. Yes, yes, yes, these are competition shows that require a costume designer.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Housewives do not require that.
Speaker 2:No, I don't know what they require. Do they have Stylus man? Oh yeah, they have stylist. They have personality, right?
Speaker 3:They have individual stylist until you get to the reunion they hire an overall stylist to create the visual aesthetic and then, depending on, depending on the, depending on who the client is, I was gonna say, depending on the elitism of who the girls are, you know, they may try to bring their own person in to ensure that they, you know, are eating.
Speaker 2:What I, which I think they should do.
Speaker 3:Hands just waggled in with Porsche because Of Jeremy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh love it, and you definitely had Porsche lit a couple of times at the reunions Back in a long, long time ago, long time ago.
Speaker 3:Those days. I'm not past this, though cause she's coming back. I know, yeah, oh, she is oh yeah, she's coming back.
Speaker 2:Remember we had a conversation about revamping. So we talked a couple of episodes ago, like a lot of episodes ago, about like what the revamp for housewives is gonna look like, cause we were all excited about New York and we're like, oh, who's gonna be in Atlanta's revamp if they wash the crew? They ain't washing it, they bring them right back.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no they. I think it was always a strategic and they'll continue to do it, cause I think they can be able to get this out for the next couple of years by just you know, taking one person off, letting us miss them for a little bit. Reintroducing him. And they were all right yeah.
Speaker 2:Wait. I'm curious, though, because I feel like you said, referencing a conversation we had yesterday about like seeing people out in public and like drawing inspiration from now. You was like I see it and I let it go Like if it's not work. How does that influence you as a designer for costume design?
Speaker 3:So I'm glad you actually said that, Cause I was having a conversation with my friend last night. He was asking what kind of research I do I I people watch all day long, but I'm not into. I'm not into the art of other artists. Oftentimes I appreciate it, I'll wear it, you know, and when I see it in life I'll buy it and go and get it.
Speaker 3:I have no clue when it comes to designers. I have no clue what their history is, who house they're running, what house they came from. I don't know current collections or any of the above, Because for me, I guess, personally as a creator, I want to make sure that everything that I'm conceptualizing is like unwavered. Yeah, and it's so easy to get inspired by things in life and that's kind of let me know, over the time of me being a designer, just finding parallels amongst people, just doing your own thing, it kind of lets you know you're in the right place. Costume design I'm constantly looking at people, but I'm not assessing them in the way that I should ask yesterday. So like I'm not looking at people thinking about how I can change that outfit, I'm just accepting who they are and by the time I get a character that fits that person. I remember that girl who's you know was together or was not yeah and why?
Speaker 2:And adding that little extra story to behind it. That makes sense.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that makes sense.
Speaker 2:But you're the opposite though. Mia, right, You're like Well, I take inspiration from everything.
Speaker 3:Damn there the drapery.
Speaker 1:we're making it right, I take it from everywhere, but I do like to look at people in the streets and, similar to Duran, it's almost like sociology. You look at them and you're taking them from what they for what they are, Because a lot of times we are not just getting the shows that are very like, centered around fashion.
Speaker 4:Right.
Speaker 1:So it's really real life shit. And everyone is not wearing a Balenciaga boot.
Speaker 2:Yes yeah it's not that bad.
Speaker 1:So you literally are learning from what you're seeing in front of you.
Speaker 3:Yeah, as it grows over time, because I also realized looking at pedestrians from when I was 10 years old to 20 to 30, style has evolved so much that you have to be mindful of how those trinkled down theories from high end high end stores that go to the lowest of the lowest and how that trinkled into this person's socioeconomics and how they ended up with this suede ankle booty with a legging and a chunky sweater and a Pico and a fitted hat.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know, it's like I don't know how she got here, but this woman is somebody's mother or she's on her way to work or wherever she is in that type of expression yeah, yeah, yeah, Ooh so. Lai's given track is given.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, 16 carriages. Ooh, 16 carriages. Oh, come on Southern.
Speaker 3:Sorry, I'm sorry, which was your favorite? Was it 16 carriages or Texas Hold'em?
Speaker 1:That's it. Since Hold'em is so catchy, yo it's got to be a little chug-chug, it is catchy, but 16 candles for me I'd be like did you?
Speaker 3:I mean carriages, carriages, yeah, ooh not the movie.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'd definitely be sitting there like wow said she went and did some stuff, okay.
Speaker 3:She did? Let me find out she did. It was the. I might cook, I might clean, but I still won't fold.
Speaker 2:Ooh cause, neither will I. I was like, oh, that's a bar.
Speaker 3:You know what I mean. I might do a lot, but I'm not gonna fold, I'm still gonna be, be.
Speaker 2:And literally also won't fold those clothes. That's applicable to me.
Speaker 3:Oh, okay, I actually want to.
Speaker 1:I read somewhere that what she's doing is using that art that whites took from Black people.
Speaker 2:Yes, I've heard that. Did you hear that?
Speaker 1:Yeah, and she's taking it and then like remixing it and then making it.
Speaker 4:Taking it back to its original.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know.
Speaker 3:Cause. What I heard was folk.
Speaker 2:Yeah, when I heard folk and the blues a little bit. Yes.
Speaker 3:And we had to, we had to place it somewhere. So country is, you know, the most general genre that I think it could go, which is still applicable, cause that's what folk and blues is.
Speaker 2:So I do want to, before we happen to like general topic. Yes, um, you know we got the creative director of BOP here, so let's talk about what's new, what's happening, what's popping for BOP, oh my.
Speaker 3:God, I don't even know what to start. Let's start at.
Speaker 2:Niamh's. You just came out of Niamh's, let's start before that.
Speaker 3:Let's start. Um, so I have had this brand for, I can easily say, graduating. I started conceptualizing B-On-B At 19, I did my first prom gown and I think and this was my best friend's little sister that bought the gown, and that was the moment, outside of the stuff that I was doing throughout high school, splattering clothes, all of that that was my like perception of I'm going to sell. My goal was to was what I was doing, which was selling just only one of a kind pieces, so I was able to build the brand and the name off one of a kind pieces. However, I wasn't going to become a millionaire that way, so I'm on. I said I wasn't because I am.
Speaker 3:Because now, but in doing, that I said I have to get my art out of my mind and not let my hands have to produce it. So that's what took me to the step of then mass production. Because I have been so big on quality control, because it's been in my hands the entire time, it was extremely hard to relinquish. So a product of what you're seeing started four years ago. Four years ago, during the pandemic, right before right, when I went to Africa.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:So this is where this, this is where the conceptualization of this collection took place. I started and I wasn't successful, and I would prefer to say not successful than fail, because I didn't fail either.
Speaker 3:It just did not take off in the way that I wanted to do. I invested all of this money, all of this time and all I had were samples that were not even the samples that you wanted. Yeah, yeah, yeah, and not even in the real leather and the silk and all of the things that I wanted my brand and properly represented. So did the things over the years. I ain't going to take you through it, but I found the way to make it work. So I found my manufacturer, finally, and then I had this idea. I was like, oh my gosh, I got this collection. I need to be in Neiman Marcus. It was Neiman Marcus and it was Sax as well, so that'll be coming next.
Speaker 3:But I just had this dream that I needed to get there, and so I tried to do all of the things that I thought were necessary. Somewhere along the way I started sending the samples out. All of the above this is how Harper's Bazaar and all these other magazine covers lay official. All of this began to grow, and it was crazy, because I kept saying I wanted a worldwide brand. I wanted a worldwide brand, and I had no clue how that would manifest, and so I think the first publication that I ended up getting was it was like double. No, it was Vogue Philippines.
Speaker 3:It still hasn't come out yet and I was like this is crazy, like Philippines, then it was Harper's Bazaar Bulgaria, then it was Harper's Bazaar Vietnam, and then it was Le official. I was getting covers and then centerfolds and all these things and I'm just like okay. The momentum was taken off, but still I said I wanted Neiman. So all these publications and things that were happening great, not quite what I wanted. We went on strike.
Speaker 2:Shut it down.
Speaker 3:We went on strike and I had no clue that seeds that I planted the year before I wasn't specific, right. I just asked God give me the time to focus on myself. The past decade of my life being in the entertainment industry, I've given it to everybody else's dreams, from Ruth to Frank Helmer to Tyler Perry to Rita McGee, to all these amazing designers that I've gotten to work alongside. And I was like no, I have to give my dream to myself. I have to give some time to my own dream. And so, um my gosh, toward the end of the year, I kept saying like, how am I going to get this? You know, how am I going to do this? How am I going to do this?
Speaker 3:I do this thing that when I ask for something, I do my best to let it go as if I already have it. It's almost like if you believe that it's there. The same way, I just let go the fact that I said I'm already a millionaire from this brand. It already exists. So I'm like living that energy to see this manifest. I ended up leaving to go to Los Angeles. As you know, I got accepted. I mean not I got accepted, but I got offered a job as a creative director for a menswear brand and I don't even do menswear. But blew their mind when I went down and I was like no right no, and so I'm like what the fuck is going on.
Speaker 3:I packed up my apartment, I'm giving everything away, I'm selling stuff. And he's like no, because the job is in New York. So I got a job as a costume designer for a company literally creating costumes and just selling them to people. And so Aziza, who was my model for all of my marketing and all of the above, I said, um, I thought that there was this important. So long before I left St Louis, all of these models that I used to work with, these girls in these faces that I was able to Build a community with. I was like what if I took this first, you know, huge thing, that I didn't just went back home and did the same thing that I did before, right, because that formula and just co-creating with these people who were just as hungry and happy to be here as I was, is the reason I got here, and so I did it, absolutely. I went back home with a little imposter syndrome, because now I'm a photographer, right?
Speaker 3:So I'm taking my lighting, I'm styling, I'm doing these clothes, makeup artist Next. But, um, I got home and then I shot this campaign, you know, with all these girls, and these were the photos that I submitted to get an even Marcus. So I would end up not even making it to that job in New York to be called back down for a show in Netflix. It was a barbecue competition show. That's the one that I just finished and so, while I was there, something about my spirit just felt immediately in alignment and I and it wasn't about being in Gay Georgia, not to be confused with Atlanta, and it wasn't about working again, I can't know it was when they made fish and said wait.
Speaker 3:It was actually in Gay Georgia, outside of Atlanta, but I just think I just felt good and I was stripped. I was stripped of every, everything. I mean I will talk about this at another space when I'm ready to actually like tell that part of the truth but I was stripped down in a way that I had not been stripped down before, and especially all of the levels of success that I had achieved being here and all the connections. It just felt like this major, like I don't know contrast. But here I was, back in Atlanta, living in a hotel, not even sure what city I'm going to be living in once I finish up this experience. And so I wake up one day and I'm like you know, everything's fine, I know that what I'm doing is what I'm supposed to be doing. And I get this call from David and Neiman Marcus, who's my rep, and he's like hey, how are you doing? And so I'm like, hey, what's up? Dave, you know we're talking and years ago I talked to him about this. I talked to him about this years ago saying hey, dave, I want my brand and how. I want this to be a space that people are having to bring this back here for studio services to pull, to put on TV and all that stuff. And so he was like, listen, this ain't the car, but somebody's interested in you and it is something, something, something. And he wouldn't tell me the details and he couldn't, and I was just like, yeah, I passed my number along. This is in the end of November.
Speaker 3:I hear from these two doctors that I ended up meeting at Fashion Week, from a very unique experience, like really unique, and they're like hey, you know, we have this opportunity. We can't tell you what it is, but we want you to trust us during this process and we believe that you are a perfect candidate for this. And so I'm like you want me to blindly trust you. I have to pay, you know, and then there's a lot of preparation that has to be done, and so I'm like this is how my universe works. I'm rolling with it. And so the universe was like oh, atlanta's home, you have to come back here now. And so I was like, okay, this is a very interesting space. And so I had no clue that God was then so crazy. See, started to bloom from things that I prayed for before, even in the same apartment that I was in, because I wouldn't have left, because why would you?
Speaker 3:Yeah, everything is settled in paintings on the wall. I got the space that I needed and I'm functioning. It was more than enough space for me, my guests and all the things, but I just wasn't happy it wasn't it, though.
Speaker 3:It was, you know when you came it was nice as nice to keep a nasty place, but this just wasn't. It wasn't me, and so I was like being now rooted back here. And then, of course, stumbling upon the gym that I just found, I was like, oh, this was it. You know, I've never been inspired in a place like this since I've been in Atlanta. So I'm like, oh, this is why you needed to shift me and move me and do all the things in order for this to happen. And so then this came about. And then I'm like okay, so there is an opportunity, and what this is is you will be highlighted for Black History Month with Neiman Marcus Centerfold, and it's. I'm like, what does that entail? You know like, is this just like a little blurb on you know your page, or what?
Speaker 2:One dress? Am I getting a catalog to be able to put out?
Speaker 3:yet, like what is happening, I learned from a bundle of submissions that were given to Neiman Marcus that I was one of the three people that were chosen out of All the people, and this wasn't in Atlanta, wow this was a like, a overall, neiman Marcus, like.
Speaker 2:This was all across.
Speaker 3:America. Yeah, so to have been I don't know selected already was just like mind-blowing. But not right, because remember.
Speaker 3:I asked for yeah boom and then just what came after that? So I ended up immediately having to In New Mexico, we're shooting a movie with Tyler Perry and I'm like, how am I gonna now navigate? Getting this called three days before my birthday, needing to put six couture gowns in store, prepare for an entire ready-to-work collection to be sold, prepare for a panel, prepare for the speaking events, and all these things that I had to do coinciding with me styling a talk show, costume, designing a show, starting the next Collection Well, yeah, so like yeah, just doing all of that at the same time and I'm like, god, you have to give me space.
Speaker 2:Let me tell you yes, he did he did. Cleared out all this other shit. You know what I'm saying. That was overwhelming, taking time, unnecessary spaces that weren't creative what he? Did, and then I have something a little bit better, and then I even better with it, though I want to tell you that what he did was.
Speaker 3:He said I'm gonna push the start date on this so you can start to do this. This is gonna wrap around this time. That will allow you to focus on this thing while you're simultaneously doing this, because you ask for more. It's gonna require a little more, but you will be able to do x, y and z. You're gonna lose a little sleep, you know. And then the other thing that I prayed for right before that. I said God pours so much on me that I have to bring Other people in. I want that to be the problem. I don't want that. I don't have enough work. I want that to be so much that I have to pour into whoever.
Speaker 3:Bring whoever into doing, and so that is what was happening. I was calling on that. Can you come put tags on? Can you come do this? Can you come help me or whatever, and I don't know it just.
Speaker 2:Happens.
Speaker 1:Manifest.
Speaker 4:I'm sorry, guys, I'm late as hell.
Speaker 2:Okay, sorry, go ahead, we're just talking about history and how we got to well where we are now.
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 2:I feel like where we going is up.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, what I'm requesting right now is I'm going to work and just trying to create the pop-ups into the pop-ups become permanent, into that permanent rack Becomes the section that I remember going in, that required, that required a graphic designer or somebody who is gonna have to decorate this space right. When you go into the Versace section, it's not just their clothes, you know, it's their backdrop chairs that match everything, and I'm working to have a curated space. There's not been a black designer. I see Sergio Hudson, I see Lake Juan Smith, I see Christopher John Rogers and it's so great that they have a platform I Got next and I got next, and I got bigger, and if they're going for bigger, they may get it before me, but I'm gonna get it.
Speaker 3:So that is what I'm going after, and I and I want that to be in Neemans and I want that placement in sax burgdorff, If I can get it next, you know yeah, it will.
Speaker 1:Yeah, can I want to add something? This is first of all. This is beautiful. Yes, but not but. But, in addition to this, I've known Deron Long time yeah. Tila Perry, and he has all. Not only is have you manifested it, but you did the work. Yeah, you know and I met you and I'm not gonna tell you this, but when we met and we were working on the show, you never, you always said I want to do this.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you make sure. Everybody knew I want a costume designer.
Speaker 1:You're gonna give me a chance if you don't come in again Somebody else and back then it was like taboo to say that you know, because at the time you know I'm shopping, You're in a tailor shop. I want your job and you like I want your job. Yes, which is fine. Yeah, it was time I want your job and you would tell. But guess what you told it? I remember you telling the designer I want to do this you know, and. It didn't go well for me it didn't, but it did.
Speaker 3:It didn't go well for me in that particular space. But I do that intentionally, because I need to know if this is a yes or no. And I'm gonna wait five years. I'm gonna know today. I'm gonna know how you look at me.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean and I'm learned a lot from that.
Speaker 4:Because it's like I ain't afraid. You know I'm gonna do it cuz I have intention. It's okay if I shake shit up, I know, that's just not where I'm supposed to, and also.
Speaker 2:I was just gonna add a little tidbit about you've had this conversation also is like yes, I want your job, but I don't want your seat. Yeah, but not even out of respect. It's not for me. What you're doing right now is for To be for absolutely curated for me, and I'm gonna be the only one who's able, cuz I was actually accused of that one time.
Speaker 3:So I went to after our experience, cuz it didn't stop. Clearly, I went to the next person and the next person, the next person, and I was like yo, this particular person I had not seen do it this way before, right, this person was I I don't want to give too many details, this person was a newer to the position Murdered it and they killed it and I was like I need to learn from you. Because here's the thing if you can be thrown into this position and you float and you swim like this and then you fly, just you know what I mean there's something that can be taken from you in this experience and I do this all the time you, if I ask you for something, if you ask me for something, vibration You're about to be able to tell if a person is solid enough it can stand on and say, yeah, you can have what I have. I'm gonna give you my playbook, cuz let me just tell you can't be me.
Speaker 3:You can do what I do, but you can't be me and people hire me.
Speaker 2:For me, it's the energy, is the steed, is the stylist, the ordinance, all the things and as a creative, that is a thing I just want listeners like to add that to the to the listeners. If you are creative, that is a fact across the board. What you bring came nobody else bring. Your personality, your eye, your view, your energy. That is yours and specifically yours. So when people come up thinking, asking for tools, the tools you're giving them is gonna help them be the best them. It's not gonna be the best you, you know what I'm saying cuz only you could do that.
Speaker 2:So yeah, but so you know a word.
Speaker 3:But you will see the person that's timid or the person that's solid, and I'm like, oh you timid, so if I, if I start to grow around you, you're gonna hate on me. Yeah, you know what I mean I do know that enough, seen it time and time and time again. And then the others I'm friends with. You know we're gonna be friends and I'm going to when I can't take a job, refer you, or we're gonna be competitors and you're gonna go against me and it's all gonna help each other grow.
Speaker 2:Good luck at the same time, Like you know, they've said I know.
Speaker 3:That's why, because to when I will go above and beyond, I will. I Especially if it's a thing of competition yeah. I will stay up weeks, I will out work, I will do whatever to be the best at this particular space, in this particular time. You know what I mean. I'm going to do my best to win.
Speaker 2:I do know, because I've seen you make what.
Speaker 1:Like no way.
Speaker 3:I like good look at his hand, be what? Yes, you remember the message I sent you this morning, because I am sure this on your podcast. So the game DM me this morning, guys. And I was like, is he like I wake up at seven o'clock this morning, I don't do rappers or anything. This nigga said I Want to know what your budget is because I'm offering promo. I.
Speaker 2:Y'all what.
Speaker 1:I don't like that what.
Speaker 3:I see I was nervous to even share this right.
Speaker 2:It started off in a different direction, though it started off in a different direction.
Speaker 3:It was like let's work, or whatever. And so I'm like you know, let's work. And based on that, let me just tell you what I know. I know, I know who I am and I know where I am. I know I'm a star and I know that there's still people discovering me. So in that sense, I know how people see that and take advantage of that. Listen, I've been here long enough, so I'm like oh, so he sees that I am moving. This is an opportunity for you to get on something very early, whether it's investment, whether it's you wanting to wear it, whether it's whatever for you to brand this. Make money off of me, whatever. Take your 40, 50% that you think you will get because you think I don't know better, et cetera Was offering me services to promote my stuff and pay him what.
Speaker 1:Oh, that type of promo. The funny thing is, I thought it was him putting it on. I wish.
Speaker 4:He asked me for it. I mean your services was gonna promote you. But he said yes.
Speaker 3:So he was asking what my rate was, that I would pay him to post my stuff on his stories or his page, or to promote Drinking, and the thing is remember when you said the conversation with us started like remember the conversation we had yesterday.
Speaker 2:Why did it? Was the exact same story from what happened yesterday. We talked about yesterday thinking that I need you to promote me when I have a whole team.
Speaker 3:Oh my God, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I have PR and I just had an experience with someone.
Speaker 2:It's a whole team. There's a team and I'll reach out to you if my team needs you to add to what my brand is. But like what?
Speaker 3:I don't even know. Nevermind your audience isn't my customer.
Speaker 1:But that part, that part.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's what you did for free, but this is where we got to go. You ought to put on a gown.
Speaker 1:This is where we are.
Speaker 3:Which is scary, because this is why, even as artists, you have to have more than one bag, because the game hit me up about marketing and he's a rapper that I grew up listening to.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly, and we thought it was going in a whole different direction.
Speaker 3:Properly invest. You better open a wingstop or very much something, because Marathon come on.
Speaker 4:No, it's hitting musicians hard, like this new streaming wave for sure. And I'm not even trying to go on that tangent, but like that's right, it's hitting these musicians hard. What do you?
Speaker 2:think my budget is. I'm sorry, I just fathoming it. Hello, it's me.
Speaker 4:That's why.
Speaker 2:I don't know. It's a whole new world. This I feel like this leads is a perfect caveat into the conversation of like is creativity a luxury?
Speaker 2:Like you know what I'm, saying it's an luxury to be able to be creative and just you know there's this starving artist thing doesn't really exist, so much in the view of the world. People think you're artists, you know Hollywood, you got a song on Spotify, whatever the case may be, and you've made it right. But then we know the reality of it is we're working 15 jobs. Okay, we're up half of the day and we work, work, work and that's. We're doing something mildly creative to put money in our pockets. But then we have this creative world in our brains that we want to get out and let people experience and grow and heal from or whatever we need, and we don't have time.
Speaker 3:It's like or you don't have the freedom Like?
Speaker 2:is it a? Is creativity a luxury In that sense, like I don't know? How do you feel? Which y'all think?
Speaker 1:I think it is. I think I've noticed that we I have been more creative when I was not working for someone else in their creativity space. You know, if I'm in my own creativity space in terms of costume design, it's still not really mine. Right, it's the ones, it's the for the producers, it's for the directors and you put the actors in it. Then it becomes theirs and now it's a collaborative effort and everyone's not meshing and everyone doesn't you know doing it, it takes the joy out of it.
Speaker 4:It takes the joy out of it.
Speaker 1:But if I'm in my own space, I feel like I need to stop what I'm doing this. 12, 15 hour workdays, yes, and do that, but then it becomes a luxury because now I'm not bringing any money in.
Speaker 4:Right.
Speaker 1:You know, a friend of ours asked me the other day. She was like what have you done today to fuel your creativity? And this is in the middle of the day, while we're both doing work, Right. And I said you know what Did you wait? While I'm out here shopping for these actors and dancers, or whomever, I am going to stop my ass at this Barnes and Noble and look at a book, look at a magazine.
Speaker 1:I have to find a way for 30 minutes to fuel my creativity. Whatever that may be Taking a walk, it has to just like working out, brushing your teeth, doing that, those little things you have to do. It has to be put into my schedule so it becomes you have to plan the spark. You have to plan the spark.
Speaker 3:I feel a couple ways about it. I feel like because of what I actually do, which is making clothes, and there's a space for me to monetize off of making the clothes, then it's they're not a luxury because I am just able to do this at home. It's something that I do find fun, and especially when it's not curated for a specific person, I kind of just get to create, design and then sell right. And I think about my most innocent creative days, when I was like when I learned to sew. I learned to sew for my mom, my great-grandmother, my grandmother and my mother were all tailors and seamstresses, so I would go to work with her. In my first experience I was like five, I remember, and I learned to sew an industrial machine and I was taking the hems of the pants that she was cutting off the suits and just making whatever right, just putting it together or whatever. But my entire childhood, in my own way, was kind of cultivated around just doing that. And then so you said something that I appreciate and I don't do it in an. I don't do anything artistically to fuel my creativity. I actually use gratitude. So I started a ritual every morning where I try to like get up and listen to a podcast or something while I'm in the shower, so that my brain is being enriched with things that I wanna like, manifest or do, or just raise the vibration of what it is. And then these two things have very much helped in my form of manifesting.
Speaker 3:It's the what are you grateful for. It could literally just be, and I was sitting here, so I'm gonna share this on air, but I was like I'm so happy. I don't know exactly what you do outside of here yet, so I get to meet you, right, but I do know what you two do, right. And I was like how beautiful that, outside of your lives and your families and everything else, that you were still so ambitious that on a Saturday you would take your time to follow your dreams and do this, and it created a space for me to be here with you, right, and so that is beautiful. So like that is something I'm immediately grateful for, right, or you're just grateful for to grab that coffee or whatever. And then there's the list of the wants, right, what do I want out of my life and what do I want out of myself and all these things? And I find that just raises my vibration enough to just be like I don't know I can go out there and do anything, let's do anything.
Speaker 2:So, even if it is, you know, microwaving TV shows. I can be happy doing it. You're kidding I'm so happy, I'm so happy. And sing I'm so happy. Chika, how do you feel, cause you were in a musical and in that lane of it all. How do you feel? Luxury, or lack of luxury, impedes or improves your creativity.
Speaker 4:You know, I think that I had, I guess, in terms of like, if I had the luxury to not have to work and I was able to get all the things that I wanted at any time, I would definitely be in a much better musical space, just so that I could like plan it, and not even just that, but like nurture it.
Speaker 4:Because, I've always had this thing with me and I am loving the energy that you're giving and I wish that I had that at a young age, because so many times musically I get to the hit with this wall and I'd be like I'm gonna take a break and then I come back to it. I'm gonna take a break, which is fine.
Speaker 4:Which is fine. But if you want to get to the next level, you want to be a professional at it, you want to just get to a space where it just flows and comes out of you, no matter who's in the room, who's around, like whatever's happening. So I think that would be a luxury, just to be able to nurture and not have to worry because I'm like I'm grown and I just the level of grown that I am. I don't have time to be fucking around with no music, shit, ain't, no money coming in right now, and that's just the real shit of it all.
Speaker 4:Now there are people that will say, well, make the money, make it, make your money.
Speaker 4:And so that means I got to invest more time into it and cultivate.
Speaker 4:So I think if I was in that space which I ain't gonna say that well, I can't that's a lot because I'm not in that space, but I don't want to make excuses, I just want to be in it and like really be creating and just creating so much shit that is growing my catalog and then I can share and give to the world or whatever. So you know, the luxury of having the funds and money to do it just freely would be great, other than the other side of it is just to be a creative in itself, yes, is a luxury. That's the side Speaking on that like just being able to tap into yourself when you're grinding it out, working these jobs, because that's my thing, like time management. If I could lock that shit in and make that time intentionally, like you said, starting your day doing the things like listening to that podcast or meditating or whatever, going to work out, and that's something that I've lost. I'm not working out like I was and that shit was keeping me good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, it was creative.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and it was like when I was it's. It gave me a way to cope through life, and so when you lose those things, it's like you kind of fall off of what you're supposed to be doing. You just get up and start working.
Speaker 3:You don't make that time for yourself.
Speaker 4:So what you were saying, mia, like being very intentional about like that scheduling, that walk, or like scheduling or just taking the time to go to Barnes and Noble or whatever you know what I'm saying. Whatever that looks like, I need to do better about bringing that back into the fall. So this conversation is definitely it's filling it up.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because when you leave here, everybody needs to be doing something to add to the community.
Speaker 1:At this point, you know what I'm saying so, design, when you talk about, do you do, do you prefer and this could be a question, I don't even know where it's going Costume design or design, fashion design?
Speaker 3:Um, if you were to, um, my, my, it is going to be fashion design. So what my goal is in the next probably five to seven years? I'm working to scale my brand to be acquired. I would like for my brand to be acquired. I probably still like to creative, direct for the brand for the next five years before I go to a house.
Speaker 3:I would like to go to a house. I do want to start another brand after the house that's only funded by me, because I don't want to have to owe anybody. I want to be able to be a little bit more playful and less strategic than I've had to be about beyond me. Um, I am going to costume design, um, for the rest of my life, but I'm going to only choose projects that align with me to win Oscars and Emmys, because that's what I want to do.
Speaker 3:So contemporary women's wear and period pieces and future stuff right Um are the lanes that I'll occupy when it comes to just building, because that's really my gift of being able to take fabric and make anything from scratch. Um, that's the only reason that I'm still costume designing, you know, for the, for the art of the storytelling, and for me to be able to go back to what I do and love it. Yeah, you know, it's not. I can spend all day. I can create anything in the world, so it's easy for me to monetize my time off of creating for someone like Tyler or BT or whoever I'm hired for, and then have that sacred space for beyond me when I get back home and to build that. So, um, I enjoy both, I enjoy both and I and because I loved making gowns and I still do, um, that's probably like my number one thing that I will spend my free time doing like wake up in the morning.
Speaker 3:Yeah, just pull some fabric drape, make something beautiful. Um, because that that I don't know.
Speaker 2:I love that about you, friend, cause I love putting them on.
Speaker 4:Can you come over and try on his?
Speaker 2:dress.
Speaker 4:I'm like yes, I'll be right there, I'll be right there. I love a BOMB original. Okay, I'm trying to put one on. I'm trying to put it on. I'm trying to put it on. I'm trying to put it on. I'm trying to put it on. I'm trying to put it on. I'm trying to put it on. I'm trying to put it on. Listen, I love it.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay. So I have a follow up question to add, because we just had this like conversation about Changir. I do too, you do, okay, but no, you go first, let's feed. So, um, he took over McQueen, which had his already established brand, and we're always going to be talking about the growth of BOMB. Like you said, you want to stay artistic director for a couple of years. What does it look like for somebody Like, what does it look like for you, to be able to relinquish that creative control of BOMB when this is like your, your baby?
Speaker 3:My baby, yes, so I'm trying to do a better job of attaching myself less to things and that's just, we came here with the purpose. We didn't come here for anything or anyone.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 3:And so, while I'm like creating this, I'm like, yes, this is yours and yes, you've poured yourself into it and this is a part of who you are. You know, I'm going to quote Kanye. He has a song called Beck forgiveness and he has this bar in there and it said parts ALB. Some of the parts of you are taken are a portion of the fractions that made me whole, and so, as I relinquish this, I have to remember that, yes, it's B-O-B. I made this something from a nickname, that it's my nickname, right.
Speaker 3:I made this from this nothing right, but it's like if I can make a B-O-B, I can make a whatever else is going to come after that, and not just being too attached to the process and thinking about. I birthed this with the idea of this living long past me.
Speaker 3:So, I don't know that it would fulfill me, being very honest, to scale this business, sell it right so that I know that this is a household name after I'm gone, and then continue to dedicate my life working toward that one thing when I could give someone the opportunity to come in.
Speaker 2:To do it in an elevated way, because I would like to go to McQueen.
Speaker 3:His eye was the closest thing that I saw to mine, but we weren't the same. So if there is a space that I get to challenge myself, to pour into who he was and develop this brand as a work, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Thank you, Dora.
Speaker 4:Thank you. This was really nice.
Speaker 3:Thank you for doing this Not having me first, but thank you for doing this Like this took a lot of discipline to follow your heart and come here, week after week after week after To just get to season two.
Speaker 1:No, I know, I know. That's why I'm acknowledging it.
Speaker 3:I know what it requires, so you should go home and patch yourselves on the back. It's nothing easy to start something from scratch and the fact that you got to season two really does say something, so thank you for doing it, and then thank you for having me yes, and thank you for coming.
Speaker 2:Because, at the end of the day, we want to always be able to like spark some type level of inspiration in our listeners and ourselves, which is how we started this is we wanted to be able to, like, have meaningful conversation, be that little spark, that little creative.
Speaker 2:This is our luxury moment to spark our creativity anywhere we can. You know what I'm saying. Hopefully it did the same thing to one of our listeners. Please like, comment, subscribe, tell us what you you know what you enjoyed about this episode. We'll be coming back with some more special guests and we'll have Beyond. Be Back soon.
Speaker 3:Thanks y'all Bye, thank you.