We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Delisha Girdwood. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Delisha below.

Delisha, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.

I had my first art project in kindergarten which was to draw my home. Somehow at the tender age of 5, I decided to draw on an old strip of canvas my mom had laying around. I used glitter, lentil peas and other materials to exaggerate the features of the house. This project was the stepping stone in becoming an artist. Not because of the outcome or creativity of the project, but 20 something years later, my mom still has that house framed and hung in her kitchen for everyone to see. As my art grew, so did the art hanging on her wall. Her love and support for me as an artist is consistent. There isn’t any doubt in my potential. She has never tried to convince me of a career change. She moves in love and supports me every step of the way. I am extremely appreciative of her because of that.

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

My name is Delisha Girdwood. Formerly known as Delisha Parris, which is where our business name derived. I’m an artist, entrepreneur, wife to the most supportive husband and mother of two amazing little girls. I was born and raised in the beautiful twin island of Trinidad and Tobago. Unknown to many, is the rich culture and diversity that makes my country the most harmonious place on earth. Being born into such a culture, art in every shape, form and fashion has always been a part of my background.

After receiving my Bachelors in Arts at Fashion Institute of Technology, I finally turned my ‘hobby’ into a career. ParrisPieces officially originated in 2019. It is a self-branding company where artwork and apparel creatively collide. The idea behind this establishment is for works of the artist to move print on canvas to clothing; creating rare edition pieces just for you.

I love creating art, analyzing and altering pieces as I go. No two pieces are the same. As demand for products increased, I decided to expand to hoodies, mugs, notebooks and posters, also satisfying customers’ requests for a wider variety of inventory.

What sets us apart from other apparel brands is the fact that all our pieces are done from paintings, drawings, collages and prints done by me (the artist). Therefore, you cannot find these pieces anywhere else. My husband and I started this online business with the intent of keeping my art alive and allowing people the opportunity to enjoy it in various and more affordable forms.

In February 2022, ParrisPieces had its first collaboration for Black History Month. This was the culmination after many months of trials, but one of my proudest moments as a business owner. I’ve always tried to figure out a way to expand my platform and also extend an olive branch to other artist’s. This collaboration created a new pathway so much so, we launched a month-long collaboration for Women’s Month in March.

Our collaboration is basically giving an artist the opportunity to showcase their artwork on the ParrisPieces website, with their product(s) of choice, for an entire month– with hopes of sparking their interest in creating their own website or offering monthly website residency for those who want their artwork on apparel but don’t want the hassle of creating their own website has also been on the agenda.

Seeing artists revel in excitement to preview their pieces on a platform and introducing them to the idea of creating their own website/business, I just love that for them. We’re definitely feeding off each other’s energy.

While there is a whole lot I could say about ParrisPieces, I would really like readers to remember that what you see is original artwork. Don’t think of it as just buying something, but really, purchasing artwork to support artists pursuing their passion.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Before the pandemic, ParrisPieces was a hands-on business. My designs were all screen printed. I was known for hosting ‘sip & paint’ events, but when the pandemic hit, the world shut down and so did ParrisPieces. The pandemic was definitely a rough year, with all the uncertainties of when we would return to some sort of normalcy. The odds were not in my favor, but I remained optimistic. I had to make a decision – stay in my comfort zone and wait out the worries of the pandemic or I could step out of my comfort zone and follow a new journey. With guidance from God and support from my husband, I found courage to get out of my comfort zone. ParrisPieces elevated beyond my expectations. It reached a broader clientele and initiated collaborations with other artists

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the major lessons I had to unlearn was comparing my brand to others. I was comparing my newly founded brand to those more advanced. Even though it is common to see the success of others and want that for ourselves, sometimes we forget that we all started somewhere. I am continually reminding myself that, “comparison is the thief of joy.” I’ve learned to be thankful for the places ParrisPieces have been and I’m excited for the places ParrisPieces is going.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.parrispieces.com
• Instagram: parrispieces.co
• Facebook: parrispieces
• Twitter: parrispieces
• Other: Tiktok: parrispieces.co & parrispieces

Image Credits
Gavin, Delisha, Gabrielle and azi.photography Alex and Jean Samiyah Shenice Marion