Artist Spotlight: New York Fashion Designer Amina Kane
New York Native Fashion Designer Amina Kane Is Going To Be Big As y’all know I’m always on a constant search to find amazing talent. This artist spotlight goes
New York Native Fashion Designer Amina Kane Is Going To Be Big
As y’all know I’m always on a constant search to find amazing talent. This artist spotlight goes to Amina Kane. She is a 21-year-old college student and fashion designer.
A couple of minutes on her Instagram page is all it took to convince me she is going to be big. Her talent is great and I only imagine what she will bring the fashion world in the future. I had the opportunity to interview her and want the readers to make sure they follow her and check out her clothing line!
Enjoy the read and a huge thanks to Amina Kane!
Please give an introduction to the readers and let them know who you are and what you do.
Hi, I am the one and only Amina Kane and the creator of visualzbymina. I’m 21 years old and I live on Long Island, New York. I’m currently in college for marketing at Suffolk Community College. On the side, I also take Fashion Design classes to improve my skills in the sewing area. When I started my brand last July I wasn’t sure what I really wanted to do. I started to sell du-rags then, later on, progressed to making clothes and that’s when I bought the first sewing machine that I still use to this day.
Once I started making clothes and putting my logo on T-shirts that’s when I got the opportunity to be in a fashion show. I got this opportunity 4 months into my business and this is something that I’ve always wanted to do since I was a little kid. After I got this opportunity I started to get more motivation to put more clothes out and really start taking it seriously. Here I am almost a year in and I’ve accomplished so many goals and I can’t wait to see what else is to come for VBM.
When did you first get into fashion? What attracted you to it?
In middle school, I was really into watching fashion tv shows like Project Runway and America’s Next Top Model. I really loved how they created these crazy, new looks and how they brought them to life in pictures or videos. I loved seeing other people being creative and just able to do anything they want.
When I was younger I also had to go to summer camp so I decided to take fashion design and we were able to create designs on the computer and learn how to sew. In the program we created whatever we wanted and had to present it to the class, this inspired me because I saw that I had the freedom to create anything I want with no restrictions which I love about the fashion industry.
After I finished this program I had my mom get me into design classes because I really wanted to learn more about sewing and there I created my first handbag and skirt. I’m happy I started young because I still remember everything after I stopped doing for a couple of years.
I saw your fashion has been included on runways. What type of pressure does that bring you? Its also an amazing accomplishment, how did it feel to watch your work be modeled in front of you?
When I got the opportunity for the fashion show, I had 5 months to get ready and decide what designs I wanted to include. I don’t think I felt much pressure until it came to rehearsal because this was my first time doing this and I wanted to make sure all the models were fitted correctly.
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I was really more excited about the fashion show than nervous because this is something I’ve always wanted so I was ready to get started. Once the day came and I saw the models come down the runway I was extremely happy and grateful I got this experience also meeting B.Simone who hosted the fashion show. It gave me more motivation to just keep going with my brand.
Fashion is one of the biggest money makers in the world by far. How much is making money motivation for you?
Yes, making money is a plus and it also motivates me to keep going just cause I know that there are people who love my work enough to spend money on it. I love fashion so even if I wasn’t making money from it, I would still do it for fun.
A lot of designers are solely motivated by profit. Do you think that the fashion world suffers from money-hungry designers?
I would say yes because the work they put out would be sloppy and not original. I feel like they wouldn’t care about the quality of their work as long as their making money from it. Apart from being a designer, it’s also about being creative and putting out your best quality work.
What are the biggest fashion trends of this year so far? Does anything stand out to you in particular?
The biggest fashion trend I’m noticing a lot is reflective wear. I haven’t seen one brand that hasn’t made something with reflective material. It definitely stands out to me just cause it’s so eye-catching and I actually plan on making a few pieces with reflective materials as well.
All your clothing is handmade. How long does it normally take for you to complete your pieces?
It really depends on what clothing piece I’m making but it could take between 1-3 hours depending on how fast I work. For example to make one bikini it could take 1 hour and 30 mins.
Everyone knows making clothes is a huge part of the process. What are some things people tend to overlook the work that goes into being a fashion designer?
I would say finding good quality fabric and also the long hours of sitting at a machine just making pieces back to back. There have been times when I sat at a machine for 6-8 hours just testing out designs before I put them out, it’s pretty exhausting. I’m pretty sure people think it’s easy to come up with designs and just bring them to life.
Also, the fabrics I use, I’ve spent a whole day on the computer looking for what fabrics stand out to me the most. Fabric is also very expensive so you could be spending $100-800 depending on how many yards you buy. Any designer you see pricing their designs at high prices is because of the cost of material and how much work is going into those pieces.
Getting models is such a vital part of promoting your clothing line. How hard is it to find people who are willing to do photoshoots?
I’ve honestly given up on finding models for my brand(haha). I’ve done a lot of photo shoots for my brand in the beginning and it wasn’t hard to find models but getting them to come on time was always a problem. I do appreciate all the models I worked with they have helped my business a lot. Right now I’m modeling my own clothes, I have a few friends that have taken pictures in my bikinis and they help me promote my business.
What do you have in store for the future? Anyway, you can give the readers a sneak peek!
I just recently met someone who has a connection to a group who do amazing fashion events so hopefully, I will be apart of another fashion show this summer. I also plan on selling my clothes at flea markets or trade shows in Manhattan for anyone who lives in New York.
Last but not least please give your shoutouts! Also, tell people where they can purchase your clothing!!!
Shoutout to all my supporters, I really do appreciate every single one of you! To all the black young designers, I say keep putting your designs out someone will catch it. Just don’t give up and keep chasing your dreams! You can also follow my brand page on Instagram @visualzbyminaa and my website is www.visualsbymina.com.
