We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Destiny Howard a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Destiny, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
I have always been an artist with a love for drawing, writing, painting, designing, and putting on a show! As a child, I would create characters and comics in my many notebooks. It wasn’t until I was in the 5th grade that I noticed how much I enjoyed drawing the clothes for my characters. It was this realization that led me down the path to becoming a fashion designer. I realized my love for theater during my early adolescence and film during my teens. After college, I began to write and produce more. In my mid 20s, I realized that I could combine all of these passions as I pursue what I love.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
As an artist, I design clothes and write short stories, plays, and short films. When it comes to what inspires me, I gain inspiration from everywhere and everything! Most of my concepts or stories begin with a “what if” thought or moment.
To learn more about the fashion industry, I attended Radford University and earned a degree in Fashion Design. During my senior year at Radford University, I received the following awards: Designer of the Year, 1st place in Day Wear, 1st place in Semi-formal Wear, and 2nd place in Design of the Year. I also interned for companies that include Donna Morgan, Travian Vann, and American Rag. During my internship with Travian Vann, I had a design worn by an actress on the red carpet during the SAG awards.
When it comes to film/theater, I am self-taught. I occasionally attend workshops to network and learn from others in the field. I also worked for Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park during the summer of 2022 where I learned more about theater.
Since launching my brand in 2016, I have accomplished the following:
-Showed in New York Fashion Week
-Wrote and produced a short film
-Showed at Fashion Week Columbus
-Invited to Paris Fashion Week and London Fashion Week
-Wrote, produced, and directed a play
-Showed in Richmond Fashion Week
-Showed in Runway 2 Life
-Designed a custom look for actress Morgan Avery McCoy for the premier of Finding Boaz
-Featured as a guest on Style Live
On a personal note, I am from a small town in Virginia with a huge support system. In July of 2020, I married the love of my life, and we welcomed our first baby in June of 2023. In addition, I have a very loving family who has always supported my creative dreams.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
I love being able to tell a story, make something beautiful, and inspire others. It means the world to me when someone reads/views my work and tells me how touched they were. Seeing someone in my designs is an amazing feeling too.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Something I had to unlearn is what I thought the definition of success was. I thought that success was about being well-known, having a lot of followers on social media, and achieving your goals in a short period of time. It wasn’t until later in my 20s that I realized that to me, success is simply being happy. There is no point in stressing yourself out trying to meet others’ expectations. With that being said, I use my creativity to spread joy, to create a relatable experience, and to encourage others to be their own definition of successful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.destinyhoward.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/destinyhowardofficial/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/destinyhowardofficial/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkAG8Al8jBo8Rv-1CKRWwCQ/featured
- Other: Subscribe to Destiny Howard TV on YouTube