Meet Christopher Mikhail | Fashion Designer

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

Hi Christopher, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
One factor that I find consistently contributes to my success is letting go of entitlement. Early on in my entrepreneurial career I would get disappointed when I didn’t sell as much as I had anticipated or expected to sell. These expectations would be based on people telling me how excited they were to cop something or just my own perceptions of my products. Once I was hit with the realization that it’s going to take more than just following my page or liking my posts to sell my products to people, my strategy as a creator shifted. It shifted from a “I’m going to make this and people will like it because I think it’s cool”, to a “how can I make the best product and provide the best service for people to align with my brand mission?”. I was able to let go of the entitlement that came with starting a business and thinking that your family and friends have to support you. I was able to think critically and ask myself, “what is it going to take for people to want to buy from me and align with my mission?”. This question alone allows me to re-center and create with intention. Shifting from an entitlement to gratitude mindset has made me a better creator, entrepreneur and thinker.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Fashion is my art medium of choice. I like to express myself through specific garment shapes and silhouettes, intentional fabric choices, and positive messaging. I take pride in being authentically me because fashion can sometimes be an intimidating space to be in. It’s easy to compromise who you are for the sake of popularity, money and other factors but I’ve found solace in creating what feels right for me. My journey to get here required a lot of curiosity and willingness to try new things. I would always investigate further when something piqued my interest and this would expose me to new connections, ways of thinking and fashion design techniques. The challenges I faced were met with sacrifices and pushing through the late nights to get the work done. I am able to keep myself driven because I can see the bigger picture of my mission and I put the needs of that over the needs of my immediate conditions. Beloved. From Now On is a message to the world and specifically Black people that personifies the power of love. I am painting my vision of the future for Black people in the form of wearable art and would love if you joined me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting New York for the first time, I’d take them to get one of the best burgers I’ve had in NY at 7th Street burger. If they’d prefer tacos we can go to Los Tacos. Depending on the weather we can spend some time at Brooklyn Bridge or Domino Park and grab some acai bowls as a snack. Peaches in Bed Stuy is an amazing Black-owned brunch spot that is a must try. When it comes to the sunset, we’d either watch it from the High Line, Little Island or inside of Genesis House. For my sneakerhead friends, shoe shopping at Round Two or District One is definitely on the list. As far as nightlife we would either catch an artist performance at Schimanski or grab a drink at Bunton’s World Famous.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would love to give a shout out to my parents for all of the sacrifices they made for me to be here. I would also like to shoutout my close friends and support system in Brooklyn that keep me encouraged and leveled. I would not be here without the wisdom of my mentor and I am grateful for the lessons he continues to teach me. Lastly, I would like to give a huge shoutout to the Beloved. family, y’all are who I do it for.

Website: belovedfromnowon.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/belovedfromnowon?utm_medium=copy_link

Twitter: twitter.com/belovedfno

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrL7-zY8jPd4_5bwhjIXyvA

Other: https://linktr.ee/christophermikhail

Image Credits
Photo Credit: Christopher Mikhail