Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dennelle Mattier . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Dennelle , appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

When I started designing clothes I wanted to design more that just your average club dress or tshirt. I wanted to design clothes that celebrated and elevated black culture in positive ways. I wanted to create conversation pieces and wearable art that made us feel regal. I remember being younger going into clothing stores and not seeing many black designers and most definitely not seeing any clothing that I felt represented me. There were never any black or brown faces on anything and I wanted to change that.

Dennelle , 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?

I’m a Clothing Designer/Artist. I’ve always Loved fashion since I was a little girl. My Mom has a lot to do with that. I would watch her and my Aunts get ready on a Friday night and I’d be in complete awe at their outfits, make up, hair and jewelry. It was everything to me. So it was a no brainer to attend Design School that way I could learn to make my own clothes. After college I designed clothing here and there and worked full time. I participated in a bunch of fashion shows but I wanted to do something more meaningful and impactful. I started My clothing line, DLACHAE, in 2013. Fast forward to 2016, DLACHAE LLC was born. I decided to quit my full time job and become an entrepreneur to focus solely on becoming a brand. Everything pretty much aligned for me after that. I started designing sweatshirts for Black students at Ivy League Universities. Harvard was my first School and it snowballed from there into 30 Universities and Colleges so far. But now I’m focusing more on my own designs and creating more wearable art inspired by African prints, patterns and bold colors that radiate Black Excellence. Each piece of clothing, each word or image that is placed on a garment is hand cut and sewn with its own unique stitching to bring out characteristics and individuality.

I think the best part of what I do is hearing the feedback from people when they wear my clothing. A lot of students/customers say they feel included or they feel seen and represented when they’re wearing DLACHAE. That’s what keeps me going.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I’m learning to Pivot right now! Lol. The fashion industry is always changing. And when your doing something amazing that people Love, other brands will want to catch on. So you have to pretty much stay one step ahead of things, constantly recreate, yet stay true to yourself. Life will come at you and sometimes it may stifle your creativity that’s ok. Just use those life lessons to your creative advantage. And always ask your self “What’s Next?”

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Being Authentic, Staying consistent and Loving my craft is what helped me build my reputation. When you Love what you do it speaks volumes without saying a word. People feel it and want to support you. They want to be apart of your story.

Contact Info:

• Website: Dlachaeclothing.Etsy.com
• Instagram: dlachae
• Facebook: Dlachae