Meet Ebony White | Fashion Designer and Owner of OK Provisions swim

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

Hi Ebony, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I had worked as a fashion designer for almost 20 years in New York and L.A. I have worked for several well known brands, and some of your readers may unknowingly have items I designed in their closests. The way that it works is that designers like me are behind the big names, while the brands and faces are the marketing tools. Icons in fashion from previous years like Yves St. Laurent or Alexander McQueen are not typical of the majority of the industry. The clothes most people wore everyday, were clothes that me and my peers designed. That has since changed, but that’s how it worked not too long ago. I always knew I would be a fashion designer from a young age. I always say I believe my mother passed it off to me in the womb because she was into sewing and designing from a young age, but did not have the opportunities that she was able to provide me. I worked for brands large and small, from high-end to mass-market and designed almost everything a girl or woman could wear, from shoes, to sleepwear, lingerie, dresses, jeans and bags, and everything in between. I loved what I did, although not necessarily the companies or people that I worked for. I made large amounts, I made small amounts, I volunteered, I worked for free, I ate, slept and drank my job and I loved every second of it. Most people outside of New York and California aren’t aware that fashion design is a 9-5 corporate job. You get paid a salary and you do much of your work on a computer. At the time, if I lost a job, I could have 4 or 5 job offers within the next week. It was great. However, at some point the industry started to change. Large companies started buying all of the smaller brands, smaller, more creative companies started disappearing, and outsourcing everything to factories out of China became the thing (it started with sewing, then patternmaking to eventually design). Copying became more prevalent, things started to look more and more alike and gawd-awful fast-fashion became the trend. A lot of companies started firing our skilled and quality oriented patternmakers and sewers and trading them in for workers in other countries working for pennies. Everything about the industry just seemed to be going in a direction I was not keen on, and I started to feel like the I was getting boxed in, so at some point I changed my career. Going from fashion design into tech design. Fashion design is in my blood, however, so it will always be very much a part of me and fully everything that I am. Because of this, I started my line, ultimately, because I had no choice. It’s how I am able to be who I am.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have to say that if I listened to people tell me what I can and cannot do, or how or how not to do it, or based my limitations on the limitations of others, I would have given up a long time ago. My path has NEVER followed what people told me to do, my road and journey has always been one that I have laid out for myself. Even though I do listen to others, and appreciate their input and experience, I take what I can from that but mostly I focus on what I want to see happen, and then it happens. That’s how it has always been for me. When I get caught up trying to do what other people tell me I should, or this is what they did, or girl, no, that’s impossible, I find myself stuck in places that I don’t want to be. Even getting in to F.I.T. One of my favorite stories to tell is how they rejected me (waitlisted me), not once but twice! The first time I applied they waitlisted me, I was fine with it, because I wasn’t really ready to change my life at the time. Young, dumb, and what I thought was in love. Lol. The second time I was RET-TA-GO!! I knew that if I didn’t leave D.C. I wasn’t going to become a REAL fashion designer, so when they wait-listed me AGAIN, I refused to accept the answer. I called the admissions office, was blessed to speak to one of the professors on the phone, and in earnest without even trying I convinced him to let me in. I really was just being myself and telling my story. After talking to me for a while, he put me on hold and came back 5 minutes later and was like “CONGRATULATIONS!!! You’ve been accepted to F.I.T.!!!!!!” I was so happy! Probably happier than if they had just accepted me from jump. The funny thing is that I found out later that the reason I was rejected was because they said my drawing skills weren’t good enough. I had been drawing and painting (and winning contests and awards for it) my whole life up until that point. Ironically, I took home the Critic’s Award for my portfolio a year later, upon graduating from the program, which was based on my drawing skills. Don’t ever listen to what people tell you! Your journey is yours alone to create!

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?
Buckhead is my hood, and I love walking around the Buckhead Village shops, Le Bilbouquet is beautiful, Storico Vino makes a lovely smoked Old Fashioned and the best lasagna, Le Colonial is gorgeous as well, the new spot Caramel has a cute bar, Gypsy Kitchen has a nice rooftop and bar, the flower installations they’ve had lately by Pinker Times is just so picture perfect and Bella Cucina is one of my favorite stores. Iberian Pig is a fave as well. Brash at the History Center is a great place to work and get tea. If you smoke cigars, The Red Phone Booth is a nice addition to the hood. Outside of Buckhead, some places I love are Bellyard and the LOA pool. Pullman Pratt District is interesting, Virgil’s Gullah Gullah has a tasty brunch. Scootering on the Beltline and stopping by places like Just Add Honey for tea and Estrella/Bazati, two really lovely restaurants with bars that makes great drinks, is cool. Two Urban Licks has live music and a nice brunch. Ponce City Market has some cute little stores like Souk Bohemian and Citizens Supply. Bar Vegan is in there and has good food and great drinks. Rocksteady is another fave, both the restaurant and the upstairs lounge. The Blind Pig Parlour, The James Room and Jojo’s Beloved are fun speakeasies in the area. ASW Distillery is a good swanky time, and Sweetwater Brewing is walkable for a good bite to eat after in a cute atmosphere. The Painted Pin and Painted Duck are fun adult playgrounds so to speak. As well, I enjoy most anything active, so rollerskating, batting cages, dance classes are fun. I studied circus arts when I lived in New York, and enjoy taking silks classes at Challenge Arial. I think that’s enough to get you going!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My mother and my family by far and large has always been my biggest support system. I have met a lot of mentors along the way, and have been blessed with a couple of amazing women bosses who taught me some of the fundamentals. I went to the Fashion Insititute of Technology after attending Howard University, and while I am grateful to both institutions, if I had not gone to F.I.T. I doubt I would have had as many amazing opportunities as I have.

Website: www.okprovisions.com

Instagram: @okprovisionsswim

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/okprovisions

Image Credits
First 3 images by by Sylvia Ma