We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Andria Riley. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Andria below.
Andria, so glad you were able to set aside some time for us today. We’ve always admired not just your journey and success, but also the seemingly high levels of self-discipline that you seem to have mastered and so maybe we can start by chatting about how you developed it or where it comes from?
My self-discipline comes from truly having a passion to create fashion and build my business. My goal is to be a successful and world-renowned fashion designer. I have a vision for myself, my family, and my business. I understand that I need to make sacrifices now to benefit myself later. Being a small business owner means that I will have to make sacrifices to stay disciplined. As a fashion designer and creator, self-discipline to me is creating a schedule and being determined to meet my deadlines. Meeting deadlines helps me stay on schedule and not be overwhelmed with my tasks. Another example of having self-discipline as a self-funded entrepreneur is putting any funds I make back into my business to continue to create. These are a couple of examples of the many sacrifices I’ve made to continue to be self-disciplined and focused on reaching my goals.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My name is Andria and I am the fashion designer and founder of Jori Yelir, a luxury womenswear clothing brand. I’m originally from a small town in Louisiana called Port Sulphur and currently reside in Los Angeles, CA. I have wanted to be a fashion designer since I was a child. In high school, I was given the opportunity to bring my junior prom dress design sketch to life which motivated me to further my knowledge of design by attending and graduating from Louisiana State University’s Fashion Design Program. While attending LSU, I was able to intern for a fashion designer during a summer in New York to learn more about the industry. Although I graduated in fashion design, the majority of my knowledge and experience comes from learning while creating after graduating.
I design and create statements, stories, and experiences for women through clothing to help them look and feel their most confident selves. When designing, I typically think about how I can boost a woman’s confidence through the power of clothing and design. I believe that when you look good, you feel good. I enjoy using multiple design techniques to sculpt and manipulate fabrics.
Jori Yelir is a women’s wear designer clothing brand that focuses on building confidence while delivering a luxury experience and quality pieces. We create edgy, bold, and daring designs inspired by geometrical shapes. The name “Jori Yelir” comes from my middle name (Jori) and my last name (Riley) spelled backwards.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Three qualities that helped me throughout my journey are being persistent, patient, and having the willingness to learn. There are many ups and downs within the entrepreneur journey. Keeping my focus on my goals helps me stay positive and persevere through any obstacle. Learning is a part of the journey as well. There are always new skills and technology to learn that will help you grow and develop.
Skills that have helped me throughout my journey are being able to design, draft patterns, drape, and sew. At the beginning of your entrepreneurial journey, you may not have the funds to outsource everything. Knowing how to create my designs from start to finish allows me to create my pieces in-house and take the funds that I would have spent on outsourcing and use them on photoshoots, marketing, etc.
My advice to anyone starting their journey as a fashion designer is to be patient with yourself and understand that things may not happen when you want them to but it will happen as long as you are persistent.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
We are releasing new designs and collections this year and are looking for models, photographers, videographers, and influencers to collaborate with. This is an exciting time and we would love to connect with other creators. You can reach out to us on Instagram (@joriyelir) or email us at [email protected].
Contact Info:
- Website: https://joriyelir.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/JORIYELIR
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joriyelir
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@joriyelir
- Other: Personal Designer Page: @by_andriariley on tiktok and IG
