Meet Shaniequa Washington | Fashion Designer

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

Hi Shaniequa, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
For as long as I can remember even as a child I was always cutting and hacking which we call DIY’ing my clothing. I can laugh now at the times that I spray painted and hand painted my shoes, cut slits in my jeans, blinged out my hair accessories as I have been always drawn to my own individual style. One of my favorite fashion quotes as a child that I still hold dear to my heart now is by Coco Chanel that says and quote “Style is elegance when the inside is just as beautiful as the outside”

See as a child I would always find myself dressing up, looking in the mirror, and imagining what I wanted to look like, where, and what I wanted to be. Coming from a background where my parents faced adversities of drug addiction I always imagined and created my way into new spaces of thinking and being. This is where my passion came alive and I believe this was always the seed that started the journey of me being a fashion designer. As far as I can recall I have always been in spaces of employment that kept me surrounded around clothing, admiring Donna Karen, Coco Chanel, Virgil Ablohand many more.

Crazy as fashion was my life I ended up as a senior leader in the corporate sector leading teams of 200-500 on a daily basis. As a native of NYC, in 1997 I moved to South Carolina seeking growth, opportunities, and exposure. I applied for an entry-level position at Wal-Mart and before I know it, I am a Senior Leader, meeting with buyers, learning and understanding logistics, along with all of the ends and outs of buying and selling goods. At the time I did not realize why I needed to grow in this space until later in my career. As a leader, the number one thing I was required to do was serve the needs of my people so they can serve the needs of our customers. This required listening, imagining their desires, and bringing those things alive, well this is very parallel to a designer. When you design clothes there is a vision of a style that each customer wants to come alive, leading at Walmart taught me to listen to each customer as an individual, handling each customer according to their needs and being able to be timely in the delivery. I find this profound at how God will always put you in a path of preparation before He gives you your desires.

As time moved on, I can remember the passion for designing still burning in me, and even though I had a very successful career, I still wanted to design. I would always get compliments from my fellow peers on how nice I dressed and my boldness in how I expressed myself through fashion in the workplace. Then the moment when it became crystal clear and the fire in me was now blazing! In 2017 I went to West Africa for almost a month, and in my stay there connecting with the merchants, the fabrics, the colors, the seamstresses I was in fashion heaven and said this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. At that very moment, I was clear on the what but still did not know the how. I remember how my flight coming back home seemed like an eternity as I knew my reality that I was coming back to, but I held onto that flame that reminded me of how I felt when I was a child and it felt really good. As I came back not long after that I was approaching my birthday and I can remember one of my best friends asking me what do I want for my birthday and I said a sewing machine, I can still laugh at her arched eyebrows but her response was ok. I can still remember the day that I got that box in my hand and the feeling, I was melting inside as I opened my Brother Sewing Machine and it had the nerve to be the project runway addition a show I adored. I remembered me working by day and learning to sew by night YouTube University became my best friend until I came across MiMi G’s Sewing Academy, a self-paced sewing site. I can remember at clear as day, sewing one night, and God said why have you not called your mom, see my mom had unfulfilled dreams as before her life was taken by storm, she was a designer and graduated from ‘The Fashion Institute of NY”. I remembered the call I made to my mom and I can remember the excitement in her voice as I was asking her the questions that I could not figure out from videos and this is where things came alive.

Still sewing by night and soaring in corporate by day I could remember wearing my self-made blazers, and puffed sleeve tops to work and being asked where did I purchase them and the feeling to respond “Oh I made this myself”, and before I knew it, I started to do orders. I thought at that point ok Shaniequa, this is it but was I so wrong! Fast forward a couple of years and I received a call asking me to take on a special project in Charleston, SC, initially, my response was no, I did not want to take the position as I thought things are working well, I am still thriving in my career and my business is coming alive. I remember the day in prayer when God said you are going to Charleston and I was like what, and why! I remember the phone call from my senior leader that said put in a proposal for what you want to come to Charleston and let’s see if we can work together to get you there. Let me be clear, I loaded that proposal thinking they will never approve this and to my surprise they did. Before I knew it the moving company was coming in and I was on my way to Charleston. It was a rocky start, new staff, new schools, new community and it consumed me and I found myself saying Shaniequa is designing what you are supposed to be doing? Overwhelmed by this new space, I laid my sewing machine down for a while until…

Something unimaginable happened called COVID, it was at that point that God said to me one day in prayer, you are at the place and the time build your business! Totally caught off guard I found myself again soaring in corporate by day, leading teams, making sure trucks were getting unloaded timely to get toilet paper and cleaning supplies to consumers, adjusting schedules for teams to work with families who were facing the unimaginable, and sewing by night. I was making masks for households, fellow peers, family members far and near. It was at the point of George Floyd’s death, the looting the pressures of racial tension, and the demand from Covid that the soaring by day and sewing by night became unbearable, and I was faced with a decision. It was that June right after George Floyd’s death when Juneteenth became a national holiday that my designing business exploded! God said to get things in order and prepare for what you prayed for! On December 6th, 2020, I can remember as it was yesterday, sitting in my car battling with myself knowing that it was time, it was time to let my passion go ablaze and it was on that day it was the last day that I worked for Walmart and the beginning of me pursuing my passion. In 2021 I legalized my business and I am in continual pursuit to keep growing and serving!

The one thing that I have learned is life can’t only be about intentions, if we fail to place the actionable items in place to do the work, we face so many missed opportunities. I did not always have the how even when I always knew it was more. Be open, and trust that your latter can be so much greater than your former when you build the right foundations and trust your process will all work out in the end.

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.
I specialize in Ankara designs which is a loved art in the heart of Geechie Heritage. I am known for my bold and striking colors that are shaped into modern everyday pieces that can be enjoyed beyond the occasion of black history month. The thing that sets me apart is the experience, designing is the one aspect of me, but designing conversations, and relationships are so much more. I leave a little bit of me everywhere I go which goes beyond the receipt of purchase.

Major risks you ask. Leaving a double six-figure salary in the middle of a pandemic if that does not spell risk! I think that in life we all face risks no matter how large or small. The one thing I thought about when I saw life snatched daily at alarming rates is the countless and endless stories of how people died full, they died with every dream, every aspiration inside of them. Some of them died with answers and cures to sickness and disease. I made the decision that I want to die empty knowing that I left nothing on the table and left an example to my four girls don’t ever be afraid to pursue your dreams. I have learned that our gifts are not sitting in ports, or in cans, they are in us dying to come out if we would be brave enough to embrace them.

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 in ATL there everyone has to go to Papa Dos. Call me a kid at heart but I can watch the dolphin show at the aquarium a million times and still be intrigued by their brilliance. While beaches may not be an option going to the water park is a ton of fun, and being in town during the battle of the bands is always a plus-up for some HBCU vibez.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I first want to thank God for the grace that rested on me in the process of finding my true passion. I want to thank my husband for his overwhelming support and commitment to me as I grew into my passion. My daughters Kori, Bre, Aji, and Kiara; they teach me how to become a better version of myself in every step of life. My mom, I believe it is through her spirit that I carry this gift. My besties Lia & Tammy that is always shouting go best friend, you are my shero. A rock of a mentor Jametta Chandler Moore who always reminds me that I am a champion and I am built for this, and my photographer Tamera Wharten who delights me every time she clicks that camera.

Website: www.zurielkingdomcollections.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/zurielkingdomcollections

Facebook: www.facebook.com/zurielkingdomcollections

Image Credits
Tami Photography, LLC