Stephanie Raymond is a designer and founder of LezBReaL Fashionz and the subject of our next “Femme Voices” feature interview. She is a proud Haitian lesbian woman who puts all of her perspectives into her art. Stephanie is a true hustler, constructing custom designs for her clients while finding time to publically amplify her brand by exhibiting her work in fashion shows and representing her designs at events for various causes. She is extremely goal-oriented and gives some amazing advice on how to have faith in yourself and find your creative passions, even when the dream seems far away.

Read Stephanie’s full interview below!

Please introduce yourself. What is your name? Where are you located? What are your pronouns and how do you identify?

My name is Stephanie Raymond, fashion designer of a strictly custom women’s fashion brand called LezBReaL Fashionz. I was born in Belledere, Haiti but grew up and raised in Dorchester, MA. I am a proud lesbian and I go by she, her, hers.

As a fashion designer, in addition to making custom pieces, you show your line at many shows and events. This takes a lot of hard work and dedication. Is fashion design your main career or is it a side-hustle?

Yes, being in the fashion industry takes a lot of hard work and dedication. It is not simply just putting garments on models and sending them down a runway. For every collection, show, event or client order, the whole process is a journey in itself; from production consultations, to pattern drafting to fittings to rehearsals to end results. It can be overwhelming but the final product is always the reward. Just seeing your ideas from a sketch or from your mind come to life and make others happy is dreamlike.

For the moment, Fashion designing is my side-hustle (though it is so, so, so far from that) with the ultimate goal of being my main, sole career. I would love more than anything to just solely focus on LezBReaL Fashionz and make it epic. What brings me the most joy is when I am able to incorporate art into my work. That makes me feel so fulfilled as an artist.

How long have you been designing and creating your own line? How and why did you start?

I have been designing for about 6 years. For the overpowering love and passion for all things “Art” is how I got started in the fashion industry in 2012 and what pushes my strictly custom fashion brand, LezBReaL Fashionz, every day. Growing up, I was that kid that my parents just could not understand. I believe I am a free soul and growing up in a strict, old-fashioned Haitian household, I often felt my soul was trapped and caged.

So, through different art mediums, I drifted off into my own world of creative bliss; my getaway world from the pressures of growing up with a strict Haitian dad. Drawing and art became my outlet when I felt suffocated from the rules and strict structures of my household.

Although I ignored my art calling in my college years, I never lost my passion for it. It always still seemed to find a place to always fit. Life would take me on roller coaster rides and taught me some tough lessons but I always found my solace in my creativity and art.

After the 2010 devastating earthquake in Haiti, I felt like I was at a rock bottom in life and I felt like my country was too. I suddenly felt an urge to use my creativity to shine a promising light on my homeland to instil hope, faith and progress (a reciprocated feeling in my personal self at that moment). I believed that unlocking the creative waves in myself and my native country was important and vital in preserving the essence and the beauty that is Haiti (and myself). I believed that with the right opportunities, Haiti’s potential can be astronomical (as can mine). So, with that push, I found a mentor and began learning and teaching myself how to be Stephanie Raymond interpreted into Fashion Art, hence LezBReaL Fashionz today!

What advice would you give other creatives who wish to turn their passion into something more tangible, as you have done?

• Time management is so essential!!! All facets of the fashion industry are time-sensitive, from photo shoots to PR work to designing. So always plan way in advance.
• Always wear your own brand. Always! You are your best advertisement of what you are trying to sell to others so wear it fiercely.
• Be confident, not conceited! Be humble. Take pride in your work but recognize everyone’s art is their own and respect it. Walk with your head high but still be able to look people in the eye and smile.
• Learn how to de-stress. Fashion and the industry involves long hours, team-no-sleep nights and crazy deadlines. It’s good to stay focused but learn different methods to help when the stress level has reached a peak, like knowing when to take a break or full day off, meditating, working out. In the summers, my best de-stress method is to be by the water so I found a lake close to my house that I can retreat to when I just need a breather. In the winter, it’s cuddling up under my girlfriend for a movie.

Does what you do make you feel like a part of a bigger community? If so, what is your biggest or most important contribution to this community?

I feel like I cater more to the Art community than I do to any others, as that is what my creativity feeds on. But I feel like I owe it to my Haitian, LGBTQA, Black and Women communities to represent them within the Art Community. So, in some parts, I am representing all my communities with just being me and continuing to be there for each of them to help bring awareness.

Art is the force that drives me and allows me to express myself as I do. To me, the most important thing I have accomplished in my Art Community is Seamz2BStreetz. Seamz2BStreetz (S2BS) is a non-profit organization founded in Boston, Ma in 2014 by me. S2BS aims to build a yearly community of local and up-and-coming artists to emphasize their talents and skills and showcase the epitome of what “true fashion art” really means in a “flash mob” like street show. Artists include, but are not limited to, designers, models, photographers, body artists, hairstylists and makeup artists (HMUA).

S2BS emphasizes strongly on uniqueness, experimenting and artistic freedom to all parties involved. In other words, keeping it Real 100%. We strive to promote positive self-imaging by showcasing fashions that fit all body types and we intend to show that fashion and art are not only applied to garments or restricted to runway or art shows but it is a lifestyle that is lived every day, right here in our own neighborhood, on our own streets. I took 2 years off S2BS to focus on LezBReaL Fashionz but it will make a comeback after the online store is up and running!

What struggles related to your intersectional experiences do you face and how do you overcome them?

The struggles I have faced throughout my creative experiences are not being taken seriously and being respected as a Black Woman first, and then as a lesbian woman second, within the white majorities that make up the fashion industry. This also comes with some discrimination from those within my own community.

There are people in the industry who I have met where, at first, they would not even give me a chance to prove to them my skill because I am self-taught and don’t have any college credentials. There are people who I have contacted to showcase my work and they would simply dismiss me and my ideas. I have met show producers who have treated me differently at events because I choose to work primarily with models of color when asked to provide my own. I have met people in this industry that when I send over my bio they edit out the LGBTQA parts or don’t even read my bio at all. I have done shows where they only want to add one Black person just to showcase their “diversity”. I have done shows where my own community didn’t make me feel included and I was left feeling like something was wrong with me.

But I overcame all of these obstacles by executing my work to the fullest extent of excellence I could at that time. Just the simple mental note to self to “Go Big or Go Home” is what pulls me through in those moments. By showing up and being unapologetically me and putting on the best damn representation of my work proves to people that underestimate me that I and my work deserve respect.

In that same breath, I find that this has helped me grow stronger as an artist, designer and a Black Haitian Lesbian Woman. In turn, the results of my work impress and surprise even me at times. I am appreciative of all my experiences and lessons they have taught me as they shape the person I am now and who I will become in the future.

What is your favorite or most effective self-care method?

LezBReaL Fashionz started, in part, as my self-care method. I wanted to focus on my mental health and it has definitely helped. One other self-care method that I engage in is painting. I try to go to one paint night a month or every other month. It’s very therapeutic.

But I have come to find that my most effective self-care method is investing in my sexual love practices. Sexual energy is a powerful force. I truly believe it drives a vast majority of things that we do and affects our moods and the way our body and mind move (similar to clothing and fashion). I enjoy indulging in luxurious sexual self-care as it allows me to cut off the noises of my life and focus on just my own. It helps keeps me happy, sane and more in tune with my mind and body.

What are you most proud of about yourself and what you have accomplished?

What I am most proud about myself through this journey is staying true to myself; an Unapologetically Black, Lesbian, Haitian Woman. Not conforming to people’s ideas and timelines. Understanding that I am the only one that can create the magic that I do and that I am worthy. I am proud of the one-of-a-kind opportunities that my work has been gracious enough to give. I can honestly say every single project, event, show or client has been unique in its own way and I am proud of myself for handling each accordingly and uniquely.

A few projects that I am immensely proud of myself for is being a four-time veteran designer for Boston Medical Center Catwalk for Cancer and two-time designer for Susan G. Komen, both events aim to help to raise money for the cure of cancer. For both of these shows, I work with real cancer survivors to create for them a personal look for a day that is all about them and their cancer journey. This event means so much to me as I have met some amazing, strong and beautiful women who are truly real Wonder Women. Just being in their presence brings me so much strength to never give up and keep pushing. This is one of those shows that even if I am on my dying bed I would muster up the strength to put my all into it.

Another proud and unexpected moment was in 2016 when I was the 1st place winner for The Autism Project Runway in RI where ten designers competed for a well-rounded prize by creating a puzzle piece inspired design. And I was overwhelmed with gratitude when, in 2017, my fashion pieces were used in a music video for a local RI band. The video was shot right on route during the Illuminated Night parade for RI Pride. This was a very cool experience that I could never forget. In 2018, I had the great honor of showcasing my work for the first time ever fashion show for Women of Color Weekend in Provincetown, MA. I learned a lot about myself and the Boston lesbian community through this show. It was bittersweet.

And although I have so many others I absolutely cannot forget the mind-blowing opportunity last October when I had the ultimate pleasure of helping raise awareness for Haitian women facing domestic violence during the 30th year anniversary Gala for AFAB (Association of Haitian Women in Boston). With the Haitian culture being so oblivious to LGBTQA struggles I was shocked that they opened their hearts to me and let me share a part of myself with my Haitian community. That show gave me hope that LGBTQA Haitians are not lost in this community, we just need to find our voice. 

Do you have any upcoming projects or goals?

Yes, I am always working on something and goals are infinite. I am currently preparing for my March 8th show, Susan G. Komen Catwalk for a Cure. I have three amazing cancer survivors this year and one of them is a local Boston celebrity, Erin O’Malley from Mix 104.1. I am also very excited to be working on some pieces to be donated to the LGBTQ History Project via the Out in the Community project in May. This is another one of those “I didn’t see that coming” opportunities that just touches my heart in ways I can’t explain. I can’t wait to see how it comes together.

My goal for 2019 is to open my online store via Etsy and seeing where that path leads me. I count my blessings every day but I know for sure there is more to come.

How can we see your work/contact you/etc.?

Facebook: Facebook.com/lezbrealfashionz

Instagram: @lezbrealfashionz

Email:

sr******@le**************.com