Ashley Sky Walker launched the Beyoncé-approved unisex T-shirt line after studying at Howard University and Central Saint Martins.
Author:Dhani MauPublish date:Jul 14, 2020Issa Rae's HBO series "Insecure" has exposed viewers to an area of Los Angeles that otherwise doesn't get much airtime in popular culture these days — at least not in such a complex and romantic way: South-Central L.A., which encompasses communities like Crenshaw, Inglewood, Baldwin Hills, Compton and Leimert Park, many of which are historically predominantly Black.
Walker, who attended the art-centric Fairfax High School , always had an interest in fashion and photography. He studied fashion merchandising at Howard University, a prominent historically Black institution, and took advantage of an opportunity to study abroad in London at Central Saint Martins. "I was able to gain a lot of great perspective, an international perspective, on fashion and the business of fashion and met some really cool people," he says of the experience.
"It has really always been on my heart to start a fashion line and throw my hat in the ring in that regard, so I decided to start Leimert Park Threads," he says. "I wasn't really sure exactly how or what exactly it was going to entail, but 'Colored' has been on my brain and it was just something I kept seeing in my head."
Another signature of the brand is its HBCU collection, for which Walker refurbishes existing merch from schools like Howard and Morehouse. It caught the attention of another powerful figure in Hollywood, stylist Zerina Akers, who works with none other than Beyoncé.
"We did not expect it," says Walker. "It's garnered lots of traffic to our website and has definitely helped with our social media following and in getting the word and the brand out there and really helping to spread our message. That kind of publicity, you can't really pay for."
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