Ashleigh: Hi Ayanna! Tell us a little about yourself.
Ayanna: My name is Ayanna Dixon and I’m a fun loving artistic person – I love all things art-related, especially fashion. I had the opportunity to study Fashion Design at the Art Institue of New York City; and while there I interned at Donna Karan International, Marchesa, and Monique Leshman. I now have two clothing lines – ASD and Ayanna Dixon for ASD – the collections range from sexy bikinis to elegant evening wear. I also placed second in the first season of Mission Catwalk a few years after I returned home from school.
Ashleigh: At what point did you realize you wanted to become a fashion designer?
Ayanna: There was never a time for me when I wasn’t interested in fashion, and I started playing around with it in high school, then got into the industry as a model with Pulse before pursuing it. I took a course at Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts and I really enjoyed it, so decided to pursue it as my career.
Ashleigh: What was the first item of clothing you ever designed?
Ayanna: A long elegant skirt to wear to my friend’s sweet 16 birthday party. My dad wouldn’t buy me anything new to wear, and told me I should sew something, so I sat all day sewing this skirt by hand and was totally terrified that it would fall off when I was wore it. My best friend loved it, and she then asked me to sew her a shorter version of it as well.
Ashleigh: Where do you get inspiration from for your pieces?
Ayanna: I get inspired by almost everything… I love vibrant colours and things that make me happy, so my love for those things usually gives me a lot of ideas
Ashleigh: In 5 years, where do you see your line?
Ayanna: I’d love for both of my lines to be well known regionally, and I definitely want to have clients not only in the Caribbean, but also in other parts of the world.
Ashleigh: Do you have any favourite designers, whether local or international?
Ayanna: I absolutely love the craftsmanship of Bogetta Veneta, the simplicity of Carolina Herrera, Cushnie Et Ochs is great too, and, of course, I love Donna Karan. I feel a deep affinity to her work.
Ashleigh: What advice do you have for aspiring fashion designers?
Ayanna: I would advise them to dream big and work hard. If you had me at 15-years-old that I would be where I am now, I honestly wouldn’t believe it.
Ashleigh: Where can readers find out more about you & your work?
Ayanna: They may visit the website at www.asdclothing.com or at www.facebook.com/asdclothing . Also on Twitter @asdclothing, and they can e-mail Info@asdclothing.com. We aren’t in any stores at the moment, so you have to be on our list for news about upcoming sales, trunk shows and other events.
Keeping Up With Ayanna !
Ashleigh: How would you define your personal style?
Ayanna: Sexy and sophisticated.
Ashleigh: What does fashion mean to you?
Ayanna: A means of expressing yourself, of truly being an individual.
Ashleigh: Any favourite clothing stores?
Ayanna: Locally, I absolutely love SoHo Boutique at 96 Hope Road, and internationally I’ll shop just about anywhere that has great stuff.
Ashleigh: Which celebrity dons the style you admire?
Ayanna: Let’s face it, we all love Rihanna’s sense of style. I also loved Kelly Rowland’s Georges Chakra dress at the Grammy Awards… gorgeous!
If I’m not designing or constructing pieces, I’m … Catching up with family and friends or relaxing at the beach, it’s my favourite place to be 🙂
The craziest thing I’ve ever done… Hmmm, I’m not so sure.
6 things I must have in my purse… Business cards, my sketch pad, my planner, lipgloss, eyeliner and debit card.
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