We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Iyanna ‘JC’ Conix. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Iyanna ‘JC’ below.

Iyanna ‘JC’, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

I started making logos with my graphic design brand ‘ICJC’ that turned into my personal lifestyle brand just ‘JC,’ which led to me creating my own official fashion brand BEXT, standing for the Best of What’s Next. When thinking of a Brand Name people would always suggest that I go the designer label route, by using my full first and last name, but I had other plans. I knew that I wanted to incorporate the letter X that is in my last name, because not many words in the English language use that letter, and I often think of it as the ‘x’ factor, that sets me apart from other artists and designers. I wanted the name that I presented to the world to be simple and easy to remember like Nike, but I also wanted it to mean something in the same way that Adidas is an acronym for ‘All Day I Dream About Sport.’ My addition is to take a fun and playful spin on elevated streetwear.

I came up with the concept and logo in 2021 after sketching my first product, known today as the “Rockstar Trousers,” even though I didn’t complete my first sample of the Trousers until mid summer 2023. When I initially started drafting the pants, I was living in my hometown of Philadelphia PA, and then I intentionally brought the disheveled pattern pieces with me across the country to Los Angeles CA, where they eventually got completed.

I started doing collaborations with brands Like https://aveeation.com where I realized that I needed to make some headway on my forgotten projects and there was a fire lit under me because I felt like I was running out of time on my own personal projects and ideas.

I’ve always known that I wanted to be a designer, but for years i’ve been trying to convince myself that it’s not for me or that it would be too challenging to overcome, but I know that it’s one of the many things that I am supposed to do because anytime the passion has gone away, it always comes back with a vigor.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have been a very creative person since I was young and was always told that I had natural talent. But that talent has to be nurtured properly in order to grow into something truly amazing. My mother noticed that I was artistically gifted from a young age and began putting me in different extracurricular activities and community art classes. There are many people to attribute my honing in on my creative skills, but I can vividly recall my next door neighbor Ms. Taiye Oladapo taught me the art of sewing on my miniature purple Bratz starter machine. I’ve since upgraded many times to my first Singer, and then probably another Singer, followed by a Brother sewing machine and serger and now I’m trained on industrial machines such as the industrial sewing table, Overlock and Cover Stitch machines. Yes, it can get very technical.

All throughout that time, from the ages of about 11 years old to present day, there have been structural entities that have allowed me to continue to grow my skills, in and outside of traditional schooling. I have been a part of every art contest that my grade school offered and placed in either first, second, or third place. I went to a high school that focused on strengthening foundational art and design skills such as figure drawing. And I went on to Art School for university, where I learned pattern making and digital skills to support and illustrate my designs. After that it was my mission to find work that catered to my creative hunger, aesthetically and with physical dexterity. I did this by seeking out creative studio work environments, providing on-set seamstress services, and even interned and shadowed people in the industry, whom I wished to learn from.

Finding the right balance of consistency has always been a struggle of mind because I have a vast amount of talents and interests that I just want to explore all of them at the same time. This is maybe why I always come back to fashion and designing, because it is a true creative pillar of mine amongst the rest. No matter which direction my current niche interests will pull me next, I will always come back to it. What I am focusing on now is engineering a solid foundation for my design business so that it can be strong enough to thrive even when I may step away to pursue other short term projects.

I think that every project that I’ve worked on has been meaningful in some way. To that, I think that whatever project I’m currently working on at the time is my most meaningful. I am expanding my business, and for the first time I’m all in and making art that I love 100%. That’s why it has taken me so long to put things out under an official brand name because while I am moving away from the idea of perfectionism, it still needs to feel right in order for me to share it with the world. I have eased up on myself and am giving myself room to finally start to have fun with the entire process. So in a way I am my own most meaningful project; learning to love all of the past versions of myself, and projecting nothing but positivity to my future self.
It is always super interesting doing a new kind of project or venturing into a new media for the first time. Many of my projects from the past couple years have all been completely different from one another. While I am a designer, I think of myself as an artist first and a large part of my practice is collaborating with others and working with what they bring to the table. That naturally yields many different results and that is a part of what excites me.

Something that sets me and the brand apart from others is that I have a clear vision and plan for where I’d like my business to go. We were talking about having the ‘X’ Factor before, and with BEXT, I feel like my secret sauce has been cultivated over the duration of the time that I’ve been incubating, while waiting for the moment to introduce BEXT to the world. During the time I was planning, I was allowing the brand identity to reveal itself to me, instead of forcing some far out idea that wasn’t true to what it is that I was trying to create. I’ve observed from other businesses the things that I didn’t want to carry over to my brand. In that research I discovered that there was a market for more original creative and playful cut and sew pieces that have the refinement and craftsmanship of a larger fashion house.

We are an up and coming fashion brand who are passionate about traveling, tapping into the roots that our founder values most and synthesizing an entire world of our own. The essence of our concept was born and grounded in the city of Philadelphia on the East Coast, then nurtured in the colorful city of Los Angeles California, and jet set across the pond, our trail leads us to be inspired by the timeless city of London England, and beyond. With our company being a tangible composited tapestry of the places that we’ve been and the places that we’re going, it is our mission to bring character and playfulness back to dressing. We value quality and personality through each piece and want to bring more joy to your day to day through the clothes we wear.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding thing about being an artist is that you have the power to update, refine, and reinvent yourself as many times as you want to, whenever you want. My creativity thrives on having the ability to do mostly all of what I need within myself. If I ever need assistance on any aspect that I am new to and know nothing about, I can either dive into that thing myself and figure out how I can apply it to my own practice, and or tapping into the ever-growing network of genuine creatives that I purposely surround myself with. And whenever they need help with something, I’m there to lend a helping hand in return. To be an artist is to be regenerative.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I sometimes hear non-creative people speak as if they are not allowed to explore the artists’s journey in any capacity. I think that creativity is something that every human possesses and just needs to be given permission to express themselves without judgment. Every artist did not start off possessing the skills that they may have today, so I would like to challenge non-creatives to explore the other side of their brain and cosplay as an artist for a day to see what comes up.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejcdaily/

Image Credits

Noreaga Wells
Mikey Sanchez
Idayjah Ruffin