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

Hi Neena, thanks for joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

On my journey as an artist I am finding happiness in the everyday moments. The role of the artist is not to create only when we are happy, but to express our authentic life story & feelings at all times in hopes it will resonate with someone. We ask questions through our work that most do not have the courage to ask themselves. My career path has been long & winding, but I’m grateful for it because it’s led me to where I am today. I earned my degree in business management and ignored my creative side for quite a long time. I would attend our schools fashion shows, but did not think I fit into that crowd so I never thought of joining these fashion organizations. After graduating I thought that I wanted a 9-5, I worked in job recruitment, education & many other industries. I realized a “regular” job always seemed to stifle my creativity. I make art to connect artists together, to keep community & humans in the present moment through radical authenticity. For me, I found this difficult to do in a office job environment. This past August I took a chance on myself and put in my 2 weeks at a 9-5 I was working in Chicago. I knew I wanted to create for a living and I could figure everything else out on the way. My main focus was devoting my time to creating clothing & styling and I’ve made a lot of progress so far. I’ve connected with so many different artists in the Midwest, just finished a sewing course & even created a collection for a Chicago Votes fashion show!

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?

My journey within sustainable fashion started during childhood when I would go thrifting with my family in Cleveland. When I was younger, (and still to this day) fashion, art & the environment always fascinated me. My cousins and I would spend countless hours painting, creating choreography, braiding friendship bracelets, basically whatever we could do to express ourselves. Some of my best memories remain in our “studio” at our grandparent’s home. My artist career took off in Detroit where I would source and sell vintage pieces at clothing shops around the city. I collaborated with dedicated artists and we worked towards uplifting the youth & art community through fashion. I owe a lot of gratitude to my friends at Deviate and Chanel Iris who helped instill confidence within me. The goal of my art is to uplift artists through sustainability. I want to show the world that convenience is killing us. Convenience disconnects us from our communities and causes a lot of unnecessary consumption. I’m advocating for humanity to really think about what they buy & consume. One of the ways I do this is through upcycling, this means I take second hand clothing and rework/style it in new & fun ways. This is not a fast process, but it is a sustainable one. For far too long the status quo has been to throw away clothing/furniture/items away when they break, but I think we can find ways to fix these pieces or use them in completely different ways. I see a future where our society doesn’t shop on Amazon or Shein anymore, but rather they patronize their local vintage and repair shops. This gives everyone a chance to get to connect with their communities and in turn helps the environment.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding part about being an artist is the fact that I get to share my life experiences to connect with others. When I create an outfit, it tells a story of my life. The colors, the layers, the patterns, they are all chosen for a specific reason from a specific place. I source from estate sales, garage sales & thrift shops to connect with my community and change others perspectives on styling. I love when I can give vintage or discarded pieces a new life. When I dress myself or others, I do so authentically & intuitively, this creates a safe space for my audience to do the same. I wear funky second hand clothing to remind people that you don’t have to spend that much money to have fun. When I am able to encourage someone to oppose buying the newest trend & show them how to work with what they already have in their closet, that is when I know I’ve succeeded as an artist. Always remember, the only thing you can’t afford is to not be yourself.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

The ‘Make Art Not Content’ Mystery School. It is an ideology that helps artists all over the globe create art that is authentic & curated to their audience. It’s helped me learn so much about myself through out my journey as an artist. I’ve also been connected to so many inspiring artists through the school & have even collaborated on projects with other students. I’ve learned to promote my art effectively too. If I knew about this resource in high school or even in college, I could’ve been exercising my creative self discipline sooner! One teaching that has been very important to me is that all artists should create a newsletter to directly talk to their audience. If you’d like to sign up for my monthly sustainable fashion email shoot me an email at [email protected]!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: neeeeena
• Linkedin: Neena Allen-Rossi https://www.linkedin.com/in/neena-allen-rossi-696430151/
• Other: If you would like to join my monthly newsletter about life & fashion please email me at [email protected]

Image Credits

Jermaine Thomas, Lizzie Tutu, Daniel Square, Blake Bonaparte