Today we’d like to introduce you to Kayla Cochran.
Hi Kayla, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey as a fashion designer began at the early age of ten. Spending the summers with my grandma I remember shuffling through her overflowing closet packed with dozens of handmade dresses and outfits she designed for herself and others. She taught me all I needed to know about sewing and has continued to be my biggest influence. From this, I started off as many do by just reworking the things already in my closet into a brand new fit, but during the pandemic I decided to really explore and experiment with what all I could create and felt inclined to start designing my clothes for others. Now, I am working to create and launch my own website and release multiple collections for the upcoming summer and fall!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?Obstacles are bound to happen when starting up a business and my main battle was learning how to properly market my brand. Learning how to use social media presence as an advantage and truly putting my brand out there to gain traction is a continuous pursuit.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My designs kind of reflect my personality… spontaneous, so I’m always trying new things and coming up with different ideas which I think allows for a variety of women to have something they love. I specialize in designing special occasion custom-made dresses as well as swimwear and strive to become an inclusive brand that allows any girl to be the baddest in the room! My brand has had the opportunity to be a part of a fashion show so far and has been blessed with many vendor opportunities this coming summer. There’s a lot in store for Kaylist and this is only the beginning!
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
In order to see the change, you have to be the change is what I repeat to myself to keep going! So continuing to grow and perfecting your craft is imperative to see growth in your business. Growth can happen overnight or over a span of months but it’s important to continue working to better yourself and your art. This is a marathon not a sprint, so putting in extraordinary effort to get extraordinary results is vital and putting in minimal effort will hinder you as a brand.
Contact Info:
- Email: kayla.cochran64@gmail.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/Kaylist.co
Image Credits
Elijah
