We recently connected with Langston Christopher and have shared our conversation below.

Langston, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I’m actually a self-taught artist and Fashion Designer. I started sketching and drawing a little under three years old and that mostly consisted of people and the clothing they wore. Looking back over it all, the object of my fascination with drawing people was less about the figure and more about the clothing they wore. So the idea of fashion and style and design has always been in the back of my head in some way, shape, or form. I think what frustrates me more is that I didn’t think to take fashion design more seriously earlier on in high school. Taking fashion design as a serious career path didn’t form until later in high school. Some skills that I’ve learned that are essential in the business is to have an unwavering patience with yourself and the construction process. As well as being super dedicated to the world that is Fashion. You have to be married to the idea of always being a student. I’m constantly learning and growing as a designer. Even when I feel I’ve mastered something, I always look for new techniques to learn. I feel because of that, certain obstacles like the fabric and material costs never stressed me out because I taught myself how to embroider and make my own fabrics and simply figure it out.

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’m a 29 year old, haute couture designer based out of downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. It wasn’t until my later years of high school that I really considered Fashion Design as a serious career path for me. I really wanted for the longest to be an actor and work in film and internally I was married to that idea altogether. Fashion didn’t really resonate with me until I started helping out with the costume department in my high school drama club. Soon after that was when I began studying the history of fashion and it snowballed into a visceral admiration and obsession for the artistry of clothing. I got into the design world right out of high school in 2013 and soon after attended the Art Institute to polish up my skills and knowledge of Fashion. My business focuses on creating beautiful, one-of-a-kind garments that you can’t just go out and buy anywhere. I really wanted my business to have that exclusivity element to it. When it comes to my custom stuff, I only make a certain number of things and then I don’t make it again. I feel like 80% of fashion design is problem solving and the other 20% is making your client feel like a million bucks. What sets me apart from other designers is my attention to how a garment makes my client feel when they put it on. Confidence definitely makes or breaks the outfit, so when my clients light up or the slight lift in their posture, I know I’ve done my job well. For my future clients, I want them to know that for each project I work on, I want their vision to be the main focal point from start to finish. I want constant reassurance that the garment is exactly what they want. With my brand being couture, it is a higher price point, but you get exactly what you want for the event or occasion you’re dressing for.

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

A lesson I had to unlearn was hyper-independence. I’m a Leo and we are very self-reliant individuals, so asking for help and outsourcing when I have so much on my plate is really hard for me sometimes. it’s something I’m getting better with and still working on. I don’t like to leave room for error especially when it comes to my art. I’m super protective of my art. It’s become so much more important to me how my work is presented to my audience and the world.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I wish Master Class was a thing back when I was in the early stages of my career. I’d taken so many Master Classes when the pandemic happened and I feel like it helped me so much more than my college courses. That and if YouTube was what it is now, back then. It’s definitely impacted me way more in such a positive way now.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @xoLangstonChristopher

Image Credits
Models: Kin West , Peja Keserovic , Brooke Leavell, ChaBrie Turner, Jillian Robinson, Bianca, Latrice Napier Photographer: Gerald Bentley