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

Hi Imani, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?

My thought process behind my business was to show my creativity through clothes. How well I can put pieces together and turn it into an outfit. My motto for my brand is “You’ll look like money, no matter the price!” Which means you don’t have to always wear expensive things to still look EXPENSIVE.

What should our readers know about your business?
LookslikeMani is true to my heart because it opened my eyes to a career path that I never imagined myself to be in. If you would’ve told me about 5 years ago that I would have styled celebrities and other people across the country, I’d think you were lying to me!

Starting a business was really scary for me; I had an idea of what I wanted it to be, however my biggest fear was being a failure. But I realized that part of the process is that sometimes you have to fail to succeed and I shouldn’t allow the “what ifs” to hold me back from my dreams.

What I want the world to know about my business, my brand, my baby, is that it’s ok to be different. I love pushing the envelope while still leaving room for men and women to be comfortable in what they’re wearing. And what also sets me apart from everyone else is I work with my client’s budget; I don’t care about how much you have in your bank account. LookslikeMani’s main priority is to have each person feeling and looking great of course, but most importantly to have returning clients.

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?

Well, I just moved from Atlanta to Houston so I am still learning the city myself lol. However, the few places I have visited and discovered thanks to social media are some of my favorite spots out here.

For starters, I would take my best friend to as many restaurants as we can before they would leave. Houston has a diverse food industry that I can say is unbeatable. Some of my favorite meals are from food trucks and stands as well.

Not to mention, the nightlife out here is crazy! They have so many lounges and clubs that we could visit two everyday and still not touch them all. One of my favorite places is Kamp Houston for their happy hour specials on Wednesday, it’s a nice place with a nice atmosphere.

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 would like to shoutout my mother, grandmother, and cousin Rashonda. They are the reason why I love clothes as much as I do. They’re always showing me and telling me to try new things even when I thought it wouldn’t look good.

I also want to shoutout my old modeling organization at Savannah State University, Lethal Allure Nation. While I was in undergrad, this organization really helped me take my passion for clothes and creativity to the next level. Styling other people is not as easy as it sounds. So, it’s extremely important for me to say thank you! Thank you for trusting me to lead the org and allowing my artistry to flourish. Lethal Allure Nation paved the way of what started this amazing business. Like we always say…It’s a lifestyle!

Website: https://linktr.ee/lookslikemani

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imaniashia__/

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