Meet Tonya Holmes | fashion designer and seamstress

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

Hi Tonya, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Hi! I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit since I was a young girl, and I always knew that I wanted to do something in fashion and have the ability to help others in some way. I think that once I got into the professional world I felt very undervalued. Especially being the only black girl in those spaces the majority of the time. I constantly felt like I had to prove myself. Once they saw my talent, how strong my work ethic was and my true value I thought to myself, why am I not doing this for myself? I could be putting this energy into my own business. So I decided to go for it and I started my own contemporary womenswear brand, Tonya Holmes.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I believe that what keeps me busy professionally is the will to help others and to do my best to fulfill my God-given purpose. I also have so many creative ideas in my head that I must see them to fruition. From a young girl, I always knew that I wanted to do something in fashion. I started sewing at the age of 11 years old. I would alter and make things for people around the neighborhood, in church, and at school. I just loved seeing how my work made people feel. Once I graduated high school I was torn between going to college for education and going to fashion school. I was discouraged because I had family telling me that fashion was not stable and most likely I would not be able to sustain a real career in what I truly wanted to do. It was challenging because I didn’t feel supported and it made me doubt myself for a very long time. I took liberal arts in my first year of college and I flunked out. I also worked in retail for a few years after that to pay off loans before I could apply back to school. This time allowed me to reflect on what I wanted and being in the retail space sparked my interest again creatively.
I went on to attend and graduate from the fashion design program at Nassau Community College and then the supply chain management program at The Fashion Institute of Technology which were both very competitive. I interned and then worked in production for a well-known fashion house in which I ended up being there for 6 years. During my career in the industry, I also worked for other brands in design, production, and textiles. I loved learning so much while being within these companies, but I knew deep down that I wanted to eventually have my own brand. I wanted to show others that it was possible, I wanted to see more people represented that looked like myself and I wanted the freedom to truly express my ideas. Although my journey has been discouraging at times and filled with some setbacks I just want to be an example of what it looks like to truly believe in yourself and never give up.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a New York girl and there is plenty to do in the tri-state area. I’m all about a good vibe as well! Within that week we would go to Sojo Spa in New Jersey. That’s a great spa day! You MUST get a deep tissue massage and a Korean body scrub there. It’s so relaxing! There’s a great restaurant nearby on the Hudson River called Chart House which has an amazing view of the city. We would also check out the Brooklyn Museum which has an exhibit going on right now, Fashion in Africa. Born Thai restaurant has a great cocktail, the Caribbean lover, and their salmon pad se-ew is delicious.
I love to go to networking or learning events as well, so I would find one for us to attend. Something within my industry or one where we can meet people from other industries. Maybe a day of thrift shopping in Brooklyn or Long Island, fabric shopping in the garment district or take a candle-making, perfume-making, or painting class. I love pizza so I would take them to Margherita Pizza which is the best pizza shop in Queens (there’s no debate). We could go for a nice bike ride or a skate along the boardwalk at Rockaway Beach. It’s also nice to go sit and look at the water or people-watch. There’s a great black-owned coffee shop that we would visit called East Rock in Island Park that I love as well. It has beautiful decor and they make a wonderful refresher called the butterfly! I love to go there to write, sketch, or just chat with the staff. I can go on and on about things to do and places to go!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost, I would like to give a shout-out to God. My faith in God is strong, and he has given me the daily strength to continue to pursue my dream. I would also like to give a shout-out to those who have been there for me and who have supported my journey thus far. They know who they are, and I love and appreciate them so much!

Instagram: @thatssewtonya