We were lucky to catch up with Tiffany Rhodes recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Tiffany, thanks for joining us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I think to be successful, as a fashion designer, you should first think about what void you’re looking to fill in your ideal customers life. Whether that void will be something they need to survive or a splurge they can’t live without, or something functional that serves a season or a specific purpose or occasion. Coming into this business I knew from the beginning I didn’t want to sell to the masses or manufacture hundreds of the same pieces. I knew I wanted to offer a custom designed experience, and I knew I wanted the customer to feel overwhelmingly special knowing its 1 of 1 and only made for them.
We all need clothes for coverage- but with catering to custom design – my customer is willing to pay extra for the exclusivity of their outfit knowing that no one else in the world has it AND that it was tailor made to fit their body. Its also very collaborative in exchanging inspiration, sketches, fabric and trim options to choose from, so the customer is a part of the process which adds to their experience. When women put on custom Butch Diva, they completely transform and their confidence turns up 1000%, They prepare to be noticed and they bask in the fact that they won’t see anyone else out in their outfit.

Tiffany, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m celebrating over 20 years in business with my brand Butch Diva. My entire career has focused on catering to custom design.

I was born and raised in Brooklyn. I first discovered my mothers fashion portfolio of sketches around the age of 6, and I knew instantly that I wanted to be able to do the same thing. It was like a instant connection to want to sketch and make clothes. So I began asking her to take me to the fabric store and I would cut and make designs for my dolls. I knew she went to the high school of fashion industries but didnt follow in that dream since having me at the age of 17, so i also knew from an early age that I wanted to go there too.

During my senior year of highs chool, I was commissioned to make all of my friends prom dresses and they were wiling to pay me to do it. This is what sparked the confidence from early that people would believe in me and entrust in me to bring a vision to life. I started the business from there.

I went on to study fashion at FIT but by then I had already picked up on the basics of sewing and designing from attending a fashion trade high school, and I wanted to learn how to run a business. After 2 yrs majoring in Fashion Design I switched over to Fashion Merchandising. For the first year I was secretly still enrolling in all the select business classes that I personally wanted until they caught up with me and said I wasn’t following the syllabus lol.

Once I was out of college I hit the NYC party scene harrrrd, Thinking back on it now, that was the last era of the best of NYC nights. I was partying with a purpose because I’d step out in the most colorful and metallic catsuits and when that formula really started working, the brand took off from there.

I’d storm all the hottest clubs with a group of girls on both ams all wearing my designs and we’d get the party started! Promoters invited me to do pop up fashion shows within their parties because they knew it added color and joy to the dancefloor. While out partying, girls would always flock to us asking where we got our outfits and I would tell them I made it and could make it for them too – in any color, print, or design they wanted and that was the instant hook – CUSTOM options was always the catch!

There was even a point where I’d walk up to select women myself and tell them I was a designer and that I wanted to dress them. They’d see what I was wearing and the confidence that was needed to pull it off so they were on board! This is before the social media era btw – because I started with a blog. This blog was my baby! I curated it with a vibe that was meant to speak to my customer. I’d post my party pics to share this disco lifestyle of living my best life in these wild clothes,, and I’d post inspiration so it became a go to resource for people looking for something fresh that they could also relate to.

I’d invite friends, dancers, and models over to play dress up and we’d create full on editorials from my roof, backyard and all over Brooklyn, – capturing the authenticity that was missing on billboards and in fashion magazines. There wasn’t many people doing what I was doing in the way I was doing it, so it stood out. I was using mainly spandex at the time and I gravitated towards the wildest & boldest prints and the brightest colors. Metallic was also a big thing for me and it made the girls feel like superheros.

Everything about how I was doing things in the beginning was very organic. It wasn’t until business really started to pickup that I realized I had to start functioning like a reeeeeal business. I’ve had some amazing interns and some amazing people come on board to work for me. It seems as tho once IG blew up, i could no longer keep up with my blog or competition and copy cats. The trends I created started to be duplicated at a rapid speed and took the joy out of it for me.

I created a niche of an mage so I started to be labeled as a “spandex designer” or a dancehall designer, because I took on the persona of a dancehall queen, .but at the time I really did NOT want to be put in a box. So i spent years doing so many other things and offering so many other categories just to prove to people I could do it all! I did bridal, costumes, wrestling gear, proms, and any and everything else BUT focus on the image I started.

After years of trying to prove myself, my original vision got lost in the mix. I missed everythinggggg I was doing when I first started, and felt like I had to reset completely – start from square one. And thats basically the chapter of life I’m in now. Aside from becoming a mom 7 yrs ago. I was slowing down even before that in a search to find the joy I once had for the craft when I first started. Something felt missing – and when I realized what it was – I felt inspired again!

I was missing my blog for starters, so I plan to start bloggng again! I was also missing dancehall, and watching girls transform in my showroom in these clothes. I knew I had to return to my roots, to all the early things that made me so happy when I first started.

And NOW I want to be put back in a categorized box, because I do dancehall inspired fashion so well – I have no issue being known for it. I’m proud of the impact my clothes have made on women and the confidence they get when they put it on. I had a friend tell me recently that I bring out the “dancehall” in everyone and that comment really stuck – because I’ve dressed women allllll over the world in these clothes so its a universal love for the culture. There are women all over the world with custom Butch Diva pieces that feel so empowered when in these clothes.

Ive had celebrity stylists reach out to me specifically for dancehall inspired attire, so that really says something for what I’ve become known for., I’ve designed upon request for Beyonce, Rihanna, and Nicki Minaj. I’ve also designed the back up dancer gear for Sean Paul’s tours for about 6 yrs straight prior to Covid. Its been a beautiful journey of ups and downs but more importantly an abundance of lessons learned that make me feel even more inspired as I embark on the process to re-brand Butch Diva..

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

When I first started my business I wasn’t too obsessed about the capital to start it , I was more driven by starting small with what I had. to work with. The basics of what I needed was at my reach and it was all about the marketing which I controlled by curating my blog.

The blog itself was free and gave me access to viewers all over the world – FOR FREE.
My models were also free because they were friends and artists I was dressing at the time so they were just happy to play dress up and be a part of it. Even the production of my fashion shows were free because it was usually always at the request of a promoter to want to bring me and my models to the club to parade around in the clothes. I also had a rotation of amazing interns because I’d speak at the high school of fashion industries for career day every year and recruit passionate students to come and get real industry experience with me. SO i was was very fortunate in these ways be able to utilize my resources and keep my overhead and start up costs low. I was also the one making everything by myself so there was no one else I was paying for that.

The costing dynamic on catering to custom design is that you’re able to charge what its worth to have something one of a kind. Being flexible with the customer is also ideal because chances are they may only wear the ensemble once for the special occasion. A higher price range is to be expected when catering to customized details but budgets are also real, and something you have to know how to work around and make modifications to accommodate for . For example I’ve had clients ask me to do something based on the inspiration of something thats thousandssss of dollars off a designer runway, but they only have a few hundred to spend and they want that same kind of look. Its then my job to figure how to make that vision a reality with a budget.

Fabric & trim costs are usually factored into the quote with production being a separate charge. Once its presented to the client in this way, they understand they are responsible for those expenses. It also helps to have a contract or some type of formal client agreement to sign to so that whatever terms and conditions need to be spelled out and agreed to, its something to confirm before getting started.

Another major factor in my overhead has been working remote. I’ve had some amazing spaces in Brooklyn to create a live / work environment that allowed me to cater to creatives and use the space to my advantage with creating content.
So considering I’ve kept overhead low in these ways, I splurge on other things when it comes to outsourcing on the things that I can’t do or provide for myself. For example creating garment labels, printing marketing materials, packaging, select production for garment finishings, wholesale production when selling to stores, and any other team contributions to a job I’m trying to get done – that I can’t do alone. Outsourcing has proved to be very valuable. That’s been something I’ve learned along the way – is to ask for help when you need it. Trying to do it all AND do it all alone can actually slow you down and hinder your process vs. knowing how to delegate responsibilities to others as needed and outsource on the things you’re not trained for or skilled at.

I’ve been gifted things like mannequins, sewing machines, fabrics, trims, tools, etc all because people keep me in mind to take these things off their hands if they don’t need them. I’ve been blessed in that way but i’ve also always let people know that if they have those things, feel free to keep me in mind. All of this has played a role in how I pulled together capital, resources, and favors in getting my brand established! Networking, being a genuine person with integrity, and giving back , has all played a role in my career.

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

The most rewarding thing for me has been knowing that people trust me to bring their vision to life, and then to see how much joy it brings them when its complete and they come alive while wearing it , full of confidence and control – and I helped to do that for them with something I created from scratch – its a very wholesome feeling ! It also brings be sooooo much joy to have the skills and ability to do this…anddddd the passion for it, so it doesn’t really feel like “work” because I love it so much. I have clients that are still wearing pieces I made them over 10 years ago and they say its their most favorite thing in their wardrobe, and what makes them feel the most powerful and free. THAT is very rewarding!

I also have clients that have sectionssss of custom BUTCH DIVA in their wardrobe and to hear them speak on their own BD pieces and all the amazing things that happened while wearing it out and all the attention they received ….all their stories, this is ALLLLL very rewarding for me and I feel my skills serve a purpose and has been so impactful in a way that represents something bold and fearless and I LOVE that I’ve contributed to that empowerment for the women I’ve designed for.

Contact Info:

• Website: ButchDiva.Design
• Instagram: @butchdiva
• Other: FOR INQUIRIES AND CUSTOM ORDERS, CONTACT [email protected]