About Us
I became inspired to start up this brand and clothing line as a tribute to my late grandmother Irma Jean who passed in June of 2021 and with my remaining grandmother Ivonne Zabibu. Throughout my childhood we would frequently visit my grandparents on my dad's side and with spending time with my Grandma Jean I subconsciously picked up on a lot of her work around the house. From embroidered pillow cases, to the knitted chair coverings over the couch, my Grandma Jean was a woman of many talents and expressed her creative artistry wherever she went. I didn't find out that she was a costume designer and seamstress for years, interests in interior design and décor, an eye for fashion and fabrics along with a fascination with photo albums and images capturing all of the emotions in the moment. On the other hand, my Grandma Ivonne had a large cultural influence on my interest in fashion. My Congolese family has been known for their "Dress to Impress" mentality by redefining fashion trends with addition of African fabrics. Seeing these differences in fabric textiles, colors, patterns, styles and shapes between Europe, U.S., and Central Africa peaked my interests in combining the cultures to create something timeless and versatile.
At the ripe age of 9 months, my parents placed me in a variety of "Most Beautiful Baby" pageants and different contests in hopes of getting me signed as a child model. I completed a number of pageants and won a lot of them gaining the attention of some big agencies across the country as we traveled. From the age of 4 or 5 I was signed to an agency and worked different bookings for large companies like "Oriental Trading Inc." and a variety of other products such as wedding apparel, educational magazines, informational videos for store promo and other fun projects like small commercials. Since I was a baby I've essentially been in front of a camera and being able to get the modeling experience I have at such a young age it gave me the confidence to continue pursuing it seriously as a young adult. Due to financial hardships and the strain traveling put on my family, I stopped modeling at the age of 13 and by that point I'd had bookings in New York City, Los Angeles, Omaha, Chicago, Indiana and many other states cross-country. My interest in modeling and photography in the fashion industry peaked during these times because I usually modeled clothes, accessories or props and often had to interact with strangers during these projects.
I learned to sew in junior high by making a small cheetah print bag and although the bag wasn't well constructed and broke apart I still enjoyed creating it and knew I would take a similar class again. I began making my own clothes in a sewing class I took as an elective in high school. At this time skater skirts were the hottest thing and I didn't have the money to get a pair so instead I used my class time to pick out a fabric and create my own skater skirt that I wore for my 16th birthday. I loved this skirt so much I had to make another one with a different fabric type and this time the foundation was strong because these skirts are 8+ years old and are still in great condition! It was in these moments that I realized I had a niche for fashion and sewing, and although for years I lacked the accessibility to a sewing machine, I set clothes aside that I said I would "work on" during the years and now, these pieces are finally ready to make their debut to the world.
Irma2Ivonne is more than just myself or either of my grandmothers but rather a combination of the three. I've taken my life experiences from cultural backgrounds to subconscious observations and found a way to connect them to each other as one. This brand is my way of expressing my creative artistry in a variety of forms in which my talents persist. I've never believed in the notion of "Finding One Career", I believe that as a creative I have the capability to expand my interests in whatever area and when that craft is perfected it can become another avenue for income. This brand is my way of connecting with both of my grandmothers through fashion, modeling, photography, art and other creative outlets while adding a pop of color to the evolving fashion/modeling/creative community. It is my hopes that every person that wears my garments will feel their most confident, body positive and know that they are just as unique as the clothing on their bodies.