Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Poppy Teez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Poppy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Too often the media represents innovation as something magical that only high-flying tech billionaires and upstarts engage in – but the truth is almost every business owner has to regularly innovate in small and big ways in order for their businesses to survive and thrive. Can you share a story that highlights something innovative you’ve done over the course of your career?
I am an “everything creative” . I create all forms of art and one of the ways I’ve been innovative is inclusion. My brand, whether it is spoken-word or fashion focuses on all people and not just a target audience. The content of my poetry is not something you hear within the realms of the genre, and the clothing I design focuses on gender fluidity and androgyny, the fashion events I curate focuses on the aspect that anybody can be a model.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
As a multi-hyphenated creative, I found solace and peace through multiple forms of art. My story starts with writing and poetry; always referred to as my first love. Through poetry I unlocked a constant need for creative release and freedom of expression. Poetry took me to heights and put me in front of audiences I dreamed about as a kid. As a performer, I always sported uncommon drip, and have been heavily influenced by high-fashion culture. I saw a discrepancy in fashion. Models only represented one aesthetic, people who looked like me were not on the runway. Myself along with two other people developed our own fashion week, that accepts everyone regardless of gender, ethnicity, or size; and we train them in high and urban fashion runway styles. Developing our own fashion week and working with underserved communities it was apparent that the people involved in our shows wouldn’t be able to afford the clothing presented. If Fashion is for everyone, then anything can be Fashion. So, my partner and I created a sustainable fashion clothing line that uses house-hold products as clothing. The ideology was developed from seeing third-world countries create avant-garde pieces from trash. I’m most proud of the fact of how far my influence has traveled. My poetry has granted me awards in multiple countries, people travel from all over to be apart of The Black Fashion Week (the largest all-inclusive runway of the south) , and to see our creations of common household items be transformed into high-fashion then made accessible to everyone has been my greatest achievements.
How’d you meet your business partner?
Before I became a fashion curator, I was a brand ambassador for several clothing brands. One of the brands (SpenceCockyGear) i became heavily invested in. The owner of that brand , J Spence, teamed up with myself , and my partner( life and business) , Trendsetta, who’s a renowned creative director and photographer to develop The Black Fashion Week. Trendsetta and I then developed “$hitty Trendz” as a direct response to our fashion week.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
To some this may seem like an unnecessary resource, but this literally changed the trajectory of my businesses. “Media promotion can be free or cost efficient”
With the right pitch, or press release your brand can be featured on TV, radio, magazines , etc. for little to no costs. All it takes is typing a pitch or press release, and emailing it to networks, consistently. Doesn’t matter how big or small the media outlet is, the average consumer doesn’t know that. All they know is your brand was big enough to be on TV or featured in a magazine.
Contact Info:
- Website: theblackfashionweek.com
- Instagram: @poppyteez – @theblackfashionweek – @shittytrendz
- Facebook: The Black Fashion Week
- Youtube: The Black Fashion Week
Image Credits
Chase Portraits Trendsetta