1.The Wan Couture is often described as bold, art-driven fashion. How do you translate emotions and life experiences into the powerful silhouettes that define your collections?
THE WAN COUTURE has always been about turning lived emotion into form. I don’t start with trends—I start with a feeling, a season of life, or a personal truth I’m navigating. Whether it’s resilience, faith, heartbreak, or growth, I translate those emotions through structure, tension, and movement.
Silhouettes are my language. Strong shoulders, sculpted lines, exaggerated proportions, and controlled volume reflect strength and protection, while exposed skin, soft draping, and fluid elements represent vulnerability and transformation. I’m always balancing softness with power—because that’s how life feels to me.
My background in sewing, tailoring, and hands-on construction allows me to design with intention. I understand how a garment holds the body, shapes confidence, and creates presence. Every piece is cut, built, and refined to tell a story—often my own, but designed so others can see themselves in it.
At its core, THE WAN COUTURE is wearable art shaped by experience. Each collection becomes a chapter—documenting where I’ve been, what I’ve survived, and the strength I’ve stepped into.
2.Your philosophy states that fashion is art, movement, and storytelling. What story does your latest collection “Faith” tell?
“Faith” tells a story of moving forward without certainty. It’s about choosing belief over fear, trust over control, and presence over perfection. This collection represents a deeper chapter in my journey—one that follows Trust and Trust Deluxe, but asks for more surrender, more courage, and more honesty.
Faith is not blind optimism. It’s layered and emotional—shaped by joy, struggle, love, and self-belief. Through strong yet fluid silhouettes, I explore contrasts: structure and softness, darkness and light, boldness and vulnerability. Each look reflects a moment of becoming—when resilience meets surrender.
Ultimately, Faith is about embodiment. It’s something you don’t just believe in—you wear it, move through it, and grow into it.
3.Every Wan Couture garment is 100% handmade using couture techniques and mindful upcycling. Why was sustainability an essential pillar of your brand from the beginning?
Sustainability was never an add-on for me—it was the foundation. I learned fashion through making, repairing, and reworking garments by hand, so I’ve always understood the value of materials, labor, and time. When you physically build something stitch by stitch, you naturally become mindful of waste and excess.
Upcycling allows me to honor what already exists while transforming it into something powerful and new. It mirrors my personal journey—growth, reinvention, and creating beauty through process rather than perfection. Couture techniques slow fashion down, bringing intention back into how garments are made and worn.
From the beginning, I wanted Wan Couture to stand for responsibility as much as creativity. Every piece is handmade, made to order, and designed to last—not just structurally, but emotionally. Sustainability, to me, is about respect: for the craft, for the body, and for the future.
4.Winning Designer Grand at @themodelexperience in 2025 was a major milestone. How did this recognition impact your confidence and creative direction as a couture designer?
Winning Designer Grand at The Model Experience in 2025 was a major milestone in my journey as a couture designer. It was a moment of validation that confirmed my voice, craftsmanship, and art-driven storytelling were resonating on a larger stage. That recognition deeply strengthened my confidence—not just in my work, but in trusting my creative instincts.
The experience allowed me to present my brand to a wide and diverse audience, showcasing not only my couture designs but my full creative world, including my fashion, hair, and styling vision. Being able to share my work at that scale elevated my brand presence and clarified my identity as a multidimensional creative, where fashion, beauty, and storytelling exist as one cohesive narrative.
Creatively, the recognition didn’t shift my direction—it sharpened it. It pushed me to lean further into bold silhouettes, couture techniques, and emotional storytelling without hesitation. More than exposure, the opportunity opened doors to new collaborations, industry relationships, and future platforms, reinforcing that staying authentic to my process is my greatest strength.
That moment reminded me that when you commit fully to your vision, the right opportunities don’t just appear—they align.
5.You’ve styled high-profile artists such as Demi Lovato, Coco Jones, and Kylie Cantrall. How does working with celebrity clients influence your design process—if at all?
Working with high-profile artists has taught me how to design with presence, precision, and purpose—but it doesn’t dictate my creative voice. Every artist brings a distinct energy, story, and performance identity, and my role is to translate that into garments that amplify who they already are, not overpower them.
Those experiences sharpen my technical approach. When designing for stage, camera, and movement, every detail matters—fit, structure, durability, and how a garment reads from every angle. That level of discipline carries into my couture work, raising my standards across construction and silhouette.
That said, my design philosophy remains rooted in storytelling and emotion, not celebrity. Whether the garment is worn by a global artist or a private client, the intention is the same: to create pieces that command confidence, embody strength, and allow the wearer to fully step into their power.
In that way, working with celebrity clients doesn’t change my process—it refines it.
6.You often say your designs are meant to make the wearer feel like “THE WAN — the one and only.” What does that statement mean to you on a personal and creative level?
To me, “THE WAN — the one and only” is about identity, confidence, and self-belief. On a personal level, it reflects my own journey of learning to trust my voice and take up space without apology. It’s a reminder that you don’t need permission, comparison, or validation to be powerful—you already are.
Creatively, that statement guides how I design. Every Wan Couture piece is built to make the wearer feel seen, grounded, and undeniable. Through strong silhouettes, intentional structure, and thoughtful detail, I design garments that don’t just dress the body—they elevate presence. When someone puts on a Wan Couture piece, I want them to feel like they’re stepping into their most authentic, confident self.
At its core, “THE WAN — the one and only” is about owning your uniqueness. It’s not about fitting into a mold—it’s about becoming fully yourself and walking into the world with certainty, strength, and individuality.
7.With formal education in both fashion design and business from FIDM, how has your business knowledge shaped the way you build and sustain The Wan Couture?
My formal education in both fashion design and business at FIDM gave me the tools to build The Wan Couture with intention, structure, and longevity. Understanding both sides allows me to protect the artistry while making strategic decisions that sustain the brand long-term.
From pricing and production to branding and growth, my business knowledge ensures that The Wan Couture operates with purpose rather than impulse. It’s why I prioritize made-to-order production, mindful upcycling, and couture-level craftsmanship over mass output. These choices allow the brand to remain sustainable creatively, financially, and ethically.
That same foundation also informed the creation of THE WAN SEWING STUDIOS. Education became a natural extension of the brand—sharing knowledge, building community, and creating additional, aligned revenue streams without compromising the couture identity. Together, both sides form a balanced ecosystem where creativity is supported by strategy.
Ultimately, business knowledge gives my vision structure. It allows The Wan Couture to grow with integrity, clarity, and impact—without losing the soul of the brand.
8.Your career spans PR showrooms, wholesale womenswear, styling, and production. Which part of the industry taught you the most valuable lesson, and what was it?
Each chapter of my career—PR showrooms, wholesale womenswear, styling, production, and ultimately building THE WAN SEWING STUDIOS from the ground up—taught me something different. But the most valuable lesson didn’t come from one specific role. It came from moving through all of them.
At the end of the day, what stayed with me is this: who you are matters more than how talented you are. Skills can open doors, but integrity, authenticity, and how you treat people determine how far you go and how long you stay.
Building THE WAN SEWING STUDIOS from zero reinforced that lesson in the most real way. Teaching, mentoring, and creating community showed me that success isn’t just about output or visibility—it’s about trust, consistency, and showing up as yourself. Whether I was working behind the scenes in production, styling high-profile artists, or teaching a beginner how to sew their first seam, the same truth applied.
Every part of the industry shaped me, but the constant lesson was learning to lead with honesty, purpose, and humanity. That mindset now guides everything I build—creatively and professionally.
9.Through @thewansewingstudios, you’re actively educating the next generation in sewing, upcycling, and responsible fashion. What gaps in the industry inspired you to create this space?
The biggest gap I saw in the industry was access to engaging, relevant, and empowering sewing education. Many beginner classes focus only on the basics, often producing uninspired results that don’t reflect the student’s vision. The experience can feel rigid, outdated, and disconnected from how fashion actually functions today.
Coming from a working designer and stylist perspective, I wanted something better. Through THE WAN SEWING STUDIOS, I created a space where students aren’t boxed into one outcome or taught to follow instructions blindly. Instead, they’re encouraged to experiment, think creatively, and build garments that feel true to who they are. I don’t believe in “one right way” to sew—I believe in understanding technique so you can break the rules with intention.
I also saw a lack of mentorship and real-world guidance, especially for self-taught creatives, those who didn’t attend fashion school, or younger students searching for direction. My goal was to make sewing exciting again rooted in skill, upcycling, and responsible fashion, but driven by vision, individuality, and confidence.
THE WAN SEWING STUDIOS exists to raise the standard of sewing education and to remind people that learning the craft should feel inspiring, not limiting.
10.Looking ahead, with aspirations to create iconic fashion moments for artists like Latto, Saweetie, Tyla, and Flo Milli, how do you envision the future evolution of The Wan Couture on a global stage?
Those artists represent inspiration, not limitation. Latto, Saweetie, Tyla, and Flo Milli are just a few of many creatives whose confidence, individuality, and cultural impact align with The Wan Couture. I’m equally inspired by artists like Cardi B, Coi Leray, and so many others who are redefining presence, style, and self-expression in their own ways.
Looking ahead, I envision The Wan Couture evolving as a globally recognized couture house known for creating iconic, emotionally driven fashion moments. On a global stage, that means designing for artists, performers, and visionaries who use fashion as a form of storytelling—pieces that command attention on red carpets, stages, and cultural moments, while remaining rooted in craftsmanship and intention.
Beyond celebrity dressing, the future of The Wan Couture is about expanding its artistic language internationally through runway shows, global collaborations, and immersive brand experiences. I want the brand to stand at the intersection of couture, culture, and community—where strong silhouettes, sustainability, and storytelling speak across borders.
Ultimately, my vision is to build a legacy brand—one that celebrates individuality, empowers self-expression, and leaves a lasting imprint on fashion, not just through who wears it, but through the meaning it carries.
11.Finally, what can we expect to see from The Wan Couture during 2026?
2026 is a year of expansion and accessibility for The Wan Couture. I’m taking my ready-to-wear to a completely new level—creating elevated, wearable pieces that are bold, comfortable, and expressive, so my community can experience the brand directly, not just through the runway. I want women who love powerful, statement looks to be able to wear The Wan Couture in their everyday lives.
On a global scale, I’m aiming to step outside the U.S. and present my work internationally, with aspirations to showcase at London Fashion Week or Milan Fashion Week. Expanding into global fashion capitals is an important next step in growing the brand’s presence and cultural reach.
Alongside that, I plan to travel to different cities for pop-up shops featuring Wan Couture, while bringing THE WAN SEWING STUDIOS on the road—hosting classes, workshops, and community events in multiple locations. 2026 is about building real connection: blending couture, ready-to-wear, education, and community into a fully immersive experience.
Ultimately, you can expect The Wan Couture in 2026 to be more global, more wearable, and more connected than ever before.
Website: thewancouture.shop
Instagram: @thewancouture
