We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alexis K. Turner a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alexis K., thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?
I hope to inspire young girls and show them that if you have a dream, pursue it no matter where you come from. My goal is to remain true to my testament and the path that God has set for me. Im sure people will remember my philosophy that authenticity wins. At all cost remain true to yourself and values because every one has a unique purpose and that is what will shine. Allow you and your purpose to speak for itself and everything will flow that is for you.
I think most people would say when I’m gone that I dressed well and made a genuine connection with each person. How I made people feel is what matters the most and of course I hope I looked fly!
Alexis K., before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Coming from a small country town, I always had big dreams, Both of my parents were elementary school teachers so academics were always first. My parents had me into programs of the arts and writing so my passion for law and the legal route developed. My mom was very poised and well dressed so she always made sure I was the same. She would take me to the Augusta Mall every Saturday and I fell in love with clothes and expressing myself through outfits and accessories. My dad coached me in sports and had me outside riding go carts and bikes, so my tomboy aesthetic is always attributed to him. Having both worlds from my mom and dad, they made me the smart and hard working woman I am today. I can definitely say I am well rounded because of them,
With a strong upbringing, I attended the University of Georgia and majored in Political Science and Philosophy. I am currently pursing my dreams and aspirations of being a lawyer. When I graduated from college, I started my hair extension company. I remember the struggle of finding good extensions in college so I started AKT Extensions as a consumer friendly hair extension company. We ship worldwide and clients love the quality of the hair.
In 2020, I started a philosophy club called Indy Philosophy. This club encourages diverse backgrounds to discuss big ideas and concepts within the philosophy culture and current events.
In 2021, I realized how massive my shoe collection was and started my sneaker passion project SneakHER Closet. SneakHer Closet started as my showcasing my personal sneaker collection from 2012 to present and chatting with fellow sneaker heads. As followers increased, I began to have girls and friends tag my page in their sneaker outfits. I loved the trend and had the idea to develop the page into a lifestyle blog, I am now transitioning to make it into a store front where sneaker drops and news will be easily available to the sneaker community.
In 2022, I founded AKT Fits Inc. I started this styling and image consulting company for my clients and brands to build long-lasting fashion relationships, As a personal stylist I began to express my sense of fashion and creative ideas through muses and clothing companies that fit my aesthetic. AKT Fits serves as a styling company that embodies the taste and creative opinions of Alexis and her team. While working and learning from other creatives I started to discover my passion for having my own brand. My collection will be debuted in 2025.
In 2023, I started my nonprofit organization called Balancee Inc. Balancee seeks to provide opportunities to students who might otherwise not have access to the arts and humanities. This organization will also offer “lifestyle” advice to help students cope with being their true authentic self to obtain goals and make the best life decisions. We believe all students should have the opportunity to discover and develop their interests and talents, regardless of socioeconomic status or geographic location. We offer completely free after-school programming in education, music and arts(i.e. acting, fashion, photography, film, painting) creative writing, entrepreneurial research, and leadership development to 12–18-year-old students. Our organization wants to provide a local foundation to help students obtain a sustainable plan for reaching their goals.
In 2024, I am currently working on hosting a podcast and expanding my other brands. I am always having new ideas I want to see come to life, I think what sets me apart from others is that all of my business embody me in a way. It is a piece of me and that is why I am true to my philosophy of authenticity wins, I love what I do with a passion so it makes work enjoyable.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For me, it is the freedom of expression. I express myself through wardrobe. However I feel is how I dress. Being a creative you control the narrative and the standard. That standard to me is comfortability and authenticity. Daily I get a chance to express myself see what outfit I can create as another look to rock. Another reward for me is being able to connect with other creatives and share visions. Experiencing others creativity gives way to other ideas. I love seeing different styles and self expression. Art is limitless so it is exciting to wake up and create every day.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
Direct marketing and social media. Having a website grows customer loyalty and social media provides awareness. I am also the face of most of my brands so I try to represent each one effectively through my causal posting. However the support from my community of family and friends has been a huge strategy of gaining customers.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.aktextensions.com
- Instagram: @aktlovee | @aktextensions | @sneakhercloset | @indyphilosophy | @ps.akt | @aktfits
- Twitter: @aktlovee
Image Credits
Adrian Scott | @adottscott