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

Trystin , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

In 2018 while on holiday in Southern, Northern, and Eastern Africa I was inspired to design a plate collection. I recall sitting on “Macaneta” beach in northern Mozambique as the waves of the Indian Ocean crashed and suspended onto the sand. This was the moment I began to see the images of this collection. I originally thought about designing a full dinner service collection. However, I quickly realized it would be best to keep it simple and take a thematic approach centered around everyone’s favorite course, dessert. It was not until February 2019 that I physically began to sketch out the design ideas I visualized in Mozambique. Fast forward six years later and the collection I imagined and now designed is being manufactured via a partnership with the Kaleidoscope Project. The Kaleidoscope Project is a cultural creative collaborative that supports a vibrant design and art community. It elevates emerging and established faces of design from all cultural corners and provides educational and industry opportunities for stellar young creative talent. This project is a major opportunity because my dessert collection will debut as part of a three-month exhibition starting on April 19, 2024, at renowned luxury retailer Bergdorf Goodman. This collection will be sold exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman. Talk about taking a risk and having a dream.

As a native New Yorker born in Brooklyn and raised in the South Bronx, Bergdorf Goodman has always been a very special place for me. I’ve dined in their restaurant and frequently shop in their store. What makes this special is the dream aspect of risk-taking. Dreams are certainly unrealized risks. Seeing the dream through fruition when there’s no hope has been a key driver for me. I realized I needed to detach myself from distractions and elements of life that did not serve me throughout this process. The journey to taking this risk was circumferenced in fear. I was deeply afraid of winning which is an acknowledgment of perceived imminent failure. I walked away from manufacturing this collection several times before receiving an invitation from Amy Schwartzbard the Kaleidoscope Projects Executive Director. Somewhere in my head, I believed that taking this risk was going to represent failure.

My mother used to always tell me as a child “Nothing easy is worth having”. I can humbly admit I worked hard for this moment and embraced the risk. I needed to face this challenge square on and I needed to win. This opportunity to debut this collection at Bergdorf Goodman and to be included in this exhibition is one of the greatest risks of my life. It is truly a defining risk of joy.

Trystin , 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 a multi-dimensional design professional. My practice areas are in Architecture, Interior, and Production Design. In 2011 I dreamed up my “House of Kier” brand which encompasses a Design Practice and studio focused on Architecture and Interior Design, a Lifestyle Practice that includes retail and dining brands in development, and a Content Creation practice comprised of a visual media and production company focused on the development of original scripted and unscripted works. I’m a proud three-time HBCU graduate. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications, a Master of Architecture from the University of the District of Columbia, and an Executive Master of Business Administration from the renowned Howard University School of Business.

I oftentimes believe I am a professional design fixer. Clients typically seek me out to fix issues that other design professionals were unable to resolve. From improperly drafted plans to color correction to building scenic environments, I can provide solutions and resolve almost anything. I believe what sets me apart from my counterparts in the industries I work in is my working and practice knowledge and my ability to work in multiple disciplines interchangeably.

I am most proud of the expansion of our business. It’s been a rough climb up the mountain of success. However, I appreciate every stumble and battle scar. Our forthcoming Plate Collection the first in a two-part series is one of our greatest accomplishments.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I believe my personal goal is legacy building, building generational wealth for my family, and being the standard of excellence. I grew up poor in poverty in the South Bronx. My mother was a single mother raising two children on her own with no help or support. What I recognized about her was her love for children. She encouraged us and pushed us to be great. I vowed that I would leave New York City and create the career pathways I so desired for myself. I took it a step further by being the example and showcasing what the standard of excellence should look like. It has been so important for me to model success in my community. I never met a Black Architect until I went to Architecture School. I never saw examples of professional and academic excellence in my community. I knew that the weight of this task rested on my shoulders. Thus, I lead by example and lead with this truth everywhere I go and in everything that I do.

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

Attending Architecture and Business School respectively was not a part of my original career plan. I just knew I was going to be a Broadcast Journalist. I believe God had other plans for my career. I remember struggling terribly in graduate school the first time around in 2005. My goal was to continue school, get a Master’s in Communications, and become a news anchor. The old folks say “If you want to make the lord laugh tell him what you’ve got planned”. God laughed at me. I was not walking in my purpose. It took me seven years to realize I should attend Architecture School. I went to Architecture School and graduated in the top 5% of my class. I wouldn’t stop there. Eight months later I would attend business school and finish 18 months. That was a major pivot from what I originally planned for my life. My business soared afterward and my life took a turn for the better. I believe I always knew this was the ideal direction for my career and life. However, fear and not trusting yourself can easily derail a dream.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.houseofkier.com
• Instagram: houseofkier
• Facebook: hosueofkier
• Other: @sainttrys on IG

Image Credits
All Images Captured By: Geoffrey Boggs