Meet Ayanna Campbell | Independent Fashion Designer

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

Hi Ayanna, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I grew tired of working for others. It was exhausting and almost kind of depressing. Even with being a top performer I was underappreciated, overlooked, and underpaid. I knew I wanted to go into business for myself, but I never knew what to do. Since as long as I can remember from the age of 7, I wanted to be a businesswoman. Although I had no idea at the time what that meant, I was mostly fascinated by the attire, suits, and briefcases. It seemed like a serious and powerful job to have, and I was captivated by it. One summer I used to sneak out of the house after sunrise and take this vintage suitcase to my pretend job. My occupation was playing at a nearby empty park. There was no one there to boss me around and tell me what to do. I remember how empowered and free I felt walking home. I felt like a boss, and I knew that one day I wanted to be one. So that same little girl has always been there. Planning and making moves to make it happen. I Now here I am!

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.
If you want to make God laugh, then tell him your plans. I thought I would be a famous actor. singer or dancer. But God had other plans. The journey of how I became an independent fashion designer is very funny to me because I was never into fashion growing up. This all started from purchasing a dress online. A few years ago, I found a dress I that wanted for my birthday but didn’t have the money at the time to purchase it. Once I was ready to , I couldn’t remember the website. After hours of searching, I found it on a different site for 90% cheaper. From there I got the idea to start my own online clothing boutique. When local customers would be sad because the clothes didn’t fit them how they wanted, I knew that I would have to learn how to sew so that I could tailor their clothes for them. That’s what sets me apart from the rest. I go above and beyond to service my customer and problem solve their concerns, wants, and needs. As I practiced and improved on my sewing skills, I no longer needed the middleman. I was able to make my own clothes and provide custom services that were personalized to each customer’s request. This line of work definitely has it challenges, but with discipline and focus you can make it far.

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?
I’m a simple girl. My favorite place to go out and eat is Friday’s. It’s a great place to just relax and let your guards down. They have a wide range of foods to choose from and great drinks. I also love indoor skydiving. I like to think of myself as a free bird, so that’s definitely one of my favorite things to do when I can. When your up floating in the air you feel calm and free. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s like I’m meant to be there. Everything is right and makes sense. One day I hope to do some outdoor skydiving, but everyone is too afraid to do it with me. That’s a journey I may have to take alone lol.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to thank my family and friends for being great support systems, especially my husband. I couldn’t have asked for better people in my corner. I wouldn’t have made it this far without you. Thank you.

Website: Elitesonly.com

Instagram: officialelitesonly