Featuring Nichole Champion interviewed by Jayla Pride
“A lot of Black women have this energy to them. You know that organic creativity, that natural creative glow.”
This past year, Black-owned businesses and independent artists have grown tremendously. Because of the support shown by the community, creatives are achieving some of their wildest dreams!
Here in Portland, Oregon, Nichole Champion is an up-and coming-designer. Through her platform and business, Urban Orange, she encourages diversity and artistic expression. To look into her journey, together we discussed Black women in the fashion industry. Here’s how everything went!
Jayla: Well, I liked to start off by talking about you Nichole. At GenBlkZine we really want to know what drives creatives like yourself. So, can you talk about what makes you an artist?
Nichole: What makes me an artist is that I really enjoy the way I can do whatever I want when it comes to art.
I like the fact that whatever idea that I have in my mind, I can bring it out into reality. With art, if I'm thinking about a design that I want to make, that involves crochet, I just kind of sketch it out. Then I just take my time and I put it together. I really like how versatile art is, like there's many different types that you can do.
Jayla: That’s really nice to hear! Knowing what makes us feel creative helps us be more in touch with our art.
Alright, to expand on our interview, I want to get into Urban Orange. Can you first give a statement on what your business is?
Nichole: I created Urban Orange back in 2019. I had launched on May 1st of that year. Urban orange is a crochet business where I hand-make clothes and accessories. For now, this is something that I do on my own.
Jayla: To build off of your statement, can you tell me what Urban Orange means to you?
Nichole: Urban orange is a name that I came up with when I was 12. The word urban is really appealing to me. And, I love the color orange because I'm obsessed with the sunset. When I was little, I had said those words together and I was just like, wow! That's a really dope name!
I've always wanted to be a fashion designer. And I told myself, “okay, I will be one.” When I finally launched my business, it had to be named Urban Orange. The two words just go together. Adding a butterfly to my logo shows how I feel about myself. My life resembles a butterfly’s life because before it becomes itself, the butterfly must go through many transformations.
I just feel like everything that I've been through, the growing pains and the layers that I’ve shed, resembles that life. Also, I have a really deep connection with butterflies. When I see them, they resemble my ancestors guiding me.
Jayla: I can tell Urban Orange means a lot to you! I understand when you talk about growing pains and peeling back those layers of yourself. As we get older, we really do transform into new people.
To expand on the concept of growing pains, Do you also experience this or stress while running a business?
Nichole: Yes, it can be very stressful because I do run everything on my own. At the same time I’m coming up with new ideas, making the products and then doing promotion. The recent holiday rush was a new experience. I did not expect my business to take off the way it did!
Marketing, designing, and customer service can be hard to manage all at once. It really can take a toll on me. And sometimes, I kind of have to tap out and give myself a break. You know, give myself time to rest and consider my mental health.
Being a sole proprietor is overwhelming at times. But I feel like it is worth it. I enjoy running and owning my business. There’s freedom to create what I want and run Urban Orange how I’d like. I wouldn't trade what I do for anything. The stress and growing pains that come with being a business owner is so worth it in the end. It's all a learning experience that makes me grow more as a woman.
Jayla: Thank you for sharing about your experiences! I’m glad that Urban Orange has helped you evolve and grow.
So before we end our interview today, I want to talk more about your work as a Black fashion designer. Let’s get into your creative process and journey.
Nichole: I can say that the creativity I use comes from my experiences. Like, I feel that it comes naturally to me. A lot of Black women have this energy to them. You know that organic creativity, that natural creative glow. We have this instinct to design and be innovative.
My spirituality and spiritual practices is another place where my creativity comes from. Starting my spiritual journey helped spark my imaginative side. I was able to just open my mind and my creativity became more accessible.
Right now is a good time to be a Black woman and fashion designer.
I just feel like a lot of people are now appreciating Black culture for what it is. And with the Black Lives Matter movement, this is the time for more creative existence.
Jayla: Definitely! This year, I’ve devoted more time to supporting new artists and appreciating their existence. Actually you’ve been a Black creative that I’ve been following for a while.
When your Fall/Winter Collection dropped, I was really proud to see it!. I also noticed that you used BIPOC models. How important is it to have diversity and representation in your brand?
Nichole: It's really important to me because when you think about the fashion or beauty industry, you just see white faces, you know? I want this to be something where I can contribute and incorporate my culture.
Reflecting who I am involves having diverse models. Like I said, who I am is the things that I stand for and the people that I want to work with. I want to get more into the fashion industry because I want more Black models, more Black designers, just more representation. We have to change the narrative and the structure of the industry. How we interpret beauty standards and the stigmas around Black people in the fashion world.
I feel like I want all of my models to be BIPOC because I want to break those stigmas. White people aren’t the only ones that can be models or have beautiful features.
Jayla: The representation we see in the media does have to improve and I’m glad that creatives are making space for each other! Like you said, the lifestyle industry should be diverse. Our magazine supports diversity and we’re glad to hear you feel the same!
Alright, this is our last question and I would love to know your answer. In the next year, what do you hope to accomplish?
Nichole: What I hope to accomplish with my business is to start getting into consignment. I want to get my products into local stores. Another thing that I would like to accomplish is creating a commercial for my business. That's something that I haven't done yet.
I ‘ve also been looking into dying yarns. I kind of want to play around to create my own type of yarn with my own colors! Right now I crochet, but using different fabrics and different techniques interest me too. Yeah, this year I want to expand my skills and business as much as I can!
Jayla: Ok, we see you! Innovating and exploring new horizons! I wanna wish you the best of luck for 2021. In the next 365 days, I’ll keep cheering you on!
Nichole: Thank You!
After our goodbyes, we clicked out of our zoom meeting to close the interview. Seeing the enthusiasm she expressed while discussing her journey left me optimistic. As we support existing Black creatives, we make space for new ones to come!