We had the good fortune of connecting with Kahlik Hayes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kahlik, how do you think about risk?
I look at risk as a challenge, that you finally pull yourself together to try out not knowing if you’re going to fail or succeed. I feel that taking risks has only made me a better person with more knowledge from all of my experiences. Some of the most memorable risks that I’ve taken were going to an HBCU miles away from home, going on my first solo trip at 18, and coming out as a gay black male. In the fall I will be studying fashion in Florence, Italy, leaving my family, friends, and HBCU behind. Although this is an opportunity of a lifetime that people would wish to have. I feel like taking this risk would change my life forever, but with all of the risks I take, I hope they continue to change my life for the better.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Being a fashion designer/ content creator in today’s society is so repetitive but being able to be authentically me in all of my work is what sets me apart from everyone else. Like in my vlogs, I’ve always enjoyed the idea of how old vloggers used to be with just them and their camera giving us the “Real” them. As well as in my designs, I like to design lots of androgynous avant-garde pieces that you wouldn’t see often, and that’s what sets me apart from others. I haven’t made it yet so I can’t say if it was easy or not, but will say that not giving up and being optimistic when everything is going downhill would help change your perspective in life cause it’s helping me.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If a friend was coming for the weekend I would stick around the AUC for a few hours because it’s always an activity happening on one of the campuses and they’re usually free. Next, I would head to Ponce de Leon market where there’s food, bars, and other activities to part take in such as a little fair on the roof. Lastly, I would head to Hungry AF to grab another bite a food before we head in to get ready to attend one of the many clubs in Atlanta.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate this Shoutout series to my friends Judy, Otharin, And Niy. They’re always in my corner supporting me in all of my endeavors. Being in college, your friends are your support system while you’re away from home and going through your day-to-day struggles. I would also like to dedicate this to The Be.Morre Foundation has brought me many great opportunities such as modeling gigs as well as putting me in charge of the creative direction behind their projects.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yup.itskah?igsh=MWZsYTc0cDNhYjIxNQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Yup.itskah

Image Credits
@4evermy.legacy (Instagram)

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