Today we’d like to introduce you to Adreain Guillory.
Adreain, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My journey has begun in grade school. Art classes were where I flourished. I loved how expressive, creative, and bold I could be. I didn’t grow up the most confident kid. I had a lot of insecurities but Art was the one area I could truly shine. I continued exploring the art world by drawing mediums and then expanding to painting. I eventually graduated from Bridgeport High School and decided to start my college career at Delta College in hopes of transferring to a University after 2 years. Well, two years came and I was completely tired of being in school. Living in Saginaw Michigan had its advantages, but when I thought of where I wanted my career go, it became clear that I couldn’t stay home anymore. Simply, I wanted more.
I decided that if I wanted to grow into the person I wanted to be, I needed to put myself out there to experience new things. I needed to challenge myself and I needed change. I had family who lived in Chicago who had been wanting me to come to live there because they believed in my potential. So, it was a no-brainer.
Moving to Chicago had completely turned my world upside down in the best way possible. I loved how accessible everything was by train and coming from a small town, it felt great to be in a large city. So, I made the decision to take a year off from school to find my meaning for being. I worked retail at Urban Outfitters and Modeled freelance for a while. Then a year and a promotion later I decided to go back to school. I applied only to one institution, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (S.A.I.C). Lucky me, I got in studying Fashion Design and from that point on it was a balancing act between my job and school. It was extremely difficult and increasingly so as I progressed through school. Got another promotion at Urban Outfitters then moved to Topshop. In time, I had to stop working to fully commit to my academics. It began to seem like my energy was being put everywhere else except where it mattered. Once I gained focus, I started to have great highs. Thanks to the amazing friends and connections I have made, I’ve done things I never thought I could.
I’ve been blessed enough to have been apart of event’s showing my artistry like The Black Women’s Expo Fashion show produced by Blake Martin, CS Modern Luxury. Vehicle City Fashion Week, Driehaus Design Initiative. I’ve also worked with Vera Wang Bridal and Laudi Vidni on projects specific to their brands. I’ve been so blessed to have experienced so many opportunities so early in my career but this is only the beginning. So much more to come as I go into my senior year at S.A.I.C and I start creating the brand of my dreams.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s definitely been challenging for sure. Trying to work your way up in a field that’s all about giving your all for the customer and the business to then, try and create your best and most thought-provoking work when you have no creative juices left, it’s hard. Even more so when you’re making a lot of money and that money is sustaining you personally and for school. I admire people who can handle the feat. I was in a push and pull and since I was in two demanding creative felids, one suffered.
I had to become firm in my propose and what that meant for me, was that I had to eliminate high-stress situations no matter how uncomfortable that may have seemed. As much as I wanted to grow in retail realistically, it wasn’t the time for me to do so. A school was my solid ground. Once I was firmly planted, there was no stopping me from growing.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Adreain Jovan – what should we know?
My brand is self-named Adreain Joavn. I’m a Fashion Designer, I specialize in high end ready to wear and evening wear. I can illustrate my idea, pattern it out and then sew my idea to life. I’m currently preparing for a relaunched later this June. I loved the time when fashion challenge what we considered to be fashion and everything was covered in romanticism. There’s a beautiful quote I read by Maya Angelou that has stuck with me ever since. “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” When I’m designing anything, my intent for the viewer or customer is to walk away with an experience that made them feel something. I care about craft, skill, quality, inclusion, and diversity. I want my brand to feel like you’ve just returned home.
Contact Info:
- Email: adreainguillory@gmail.com
- Instagram: @adreain.j
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adreain.jovan
Image Credit:
D’nia Defrance, Chadon M’be
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