We recently connected with Marley Lake and have shared our conversation below.

Marley, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I’ve loved clothing since I was a young kid. I was the kid who disliked getting his clothes dirty and always took pride in his style. However, the years of going shopping with my mom and frequenting art museums with my family spurred my love for art and design. Running underneath clothing racks with my brothers, touching every garment and accessory I could get my hands on, being mesmerized by the clothes and bags my mom would wear. One day, out with my mom at a friend’s consignment boutique, it hit me. I don’t just like fashion; I love it. I saw a particular Marc Jacobs bag and told myself one day, I would make clothing. I was 13 years old, and 17 years later, here I am, living out that dream. Fashion, especially style, is the ultimate form of expression, and it’s been a passion of mine my whole life. Showing the world this is me, take it or leave it!

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.

I’m Marley X Lake, a purveyor of culture and art. I am a soccer player, art-loving, and a food connoisseur. After years of shopping and wanting to make clothing, I just decided to leap and do it. I couldn’t draw, so I was initially apprehensive but, I taught myself graphic design, and in 2015, my design house, Inégalé, was born. At Inégalé, we will design the shirt on your back, the art at the museum, and the merchandise at a cafe. Our company tagline is “Fresh At All Cost.” Our mediums and the basis of our company is textile, art, and installation. It is our mission to provide not only quality products or consulting but to do so in a tasteful manner. Fresh At All Cost is about no matter what’s going on in life, you can always be fresh. Besides being blessed to make art, the incredible part of what we do is connecting with people and businesses. Inégalé has been a catalyst for connection, whether via pop-up shops or our consulting work. Getting to connect with people is integral to what we do. Without you all, the art, the designs, the products aren’t possible. Whether you’re a clothing customer or a client. We want you to feel at home and that art and fashion are for all, not just the elite or a select group.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I would break up the most rewarding aspect of being an artist into two things. That moment when you’re reflecting on your work and seeing how the growth you’ve made equates to your life as a whole. You may feel stagnant, you may feel stressed, you may feel you’re not good enough, but look at how far you’ve come. Whether you took one step or 100 steps toward your destination, that’s progress, and we’re proud of you. The second most rewarding thing is seeing friends, family, and other supporters taking the time to attend your events, and support on social media. The sales are great, but time is the one currency you can’t get back, so for people to spend their time interacting with something you’ve worked with is an incredible honor I will never take for granted.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Pivot is something that we live by at Inégalé. This is 2022; I’ve moved back to Maryland from New York, hoping to return to school, get my degree, and re-invigorate my creative career. Years prior, I was working by myself; I didn’t put out a lot of projects, I was anti-branding, and I didn’t post much on social media. I got too wrapped up in the big ideas and lost sight of the smaller steps needed to reach our ultimate prize. So, after getting accepted into the Maryland Institute College of Art(MICA), I realized I needed help. I asked my brother and 2 of my best friends who helped me previously if they would want to work with me at Inégalé. We then underwent re-branding and started working on smaller, more manageable projects. The work we put in 2022 catapulted us into having our best-ever year in 2023. The lesson and pivot came when I got out of my own way, refocused my energy, and trusted those around me to help Marley the man and Inégalé the company to grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://inegalexi.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/marleyxlake
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marley-x-lake-120b16105/
• Other: The brands instagram @inegale