We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alexis Lenae a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alexis , we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
Oh, this is a hard one lol.
From a young age I always struggled with confidence and insecurities. I struggle with my skin complexion, my size, my abilities.. I didn’t feel pretty enough or valued.. you name It, it was an issue lol! This wasn’t because of something my family did, It was just because I couldn’t see what they saw. It wasn’t until my late 20s early 30s that I really started to see myself in a different perspective.
One of the things that helped me gain and develop my confidence and self-esteem was the classic “fake till you make It” approach. I would give myself permission to present as the best version of myself or the version I aspired to become. By nature, I’m an introvert and typically shy, but I forced myself to show up like I did with my friends; I was bubbly, fun, always making people laugh, just an overall vibe. My friends can attest that I’m actually pretty hilarious, I was always too scared to show it to the rest of the world.
The other thing that I did was pursue and deepen my relationship with God. While the fake it till I make it was a great tool to get me started, my relationship with God is what really helped me to break down the walls of insecurity, and lack of confidence to become the woman that I am today. I Started to find scriptures in the Bible to use as affirmations that I spoke over myself daily, I would say things like I’m fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:13-14). I am made in God‘s image and likeness (Gen. 1:27), I am royalty (1 Pet. 2:9), I am beautiful (Songs of Songs 4:7).
The more that I started to speak them, the more I started to believe them, and the more it changed my perspective of who I was when I looked in the mirror. I am a firm believer that you are what you speak, so I chose to speak God’s truth about who I was and It developed my confidence and esteem in ways I NEVER imagined.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
To start, I am the executive assistant at an amazing nonprofit organization called Catapult Greater Pittsburgh. Our main focus there is achieving economic justice, and doing so by means of entrepreneurship, homeownership, trauma-informed financial counseling, and much more. I have been with the Catapult team since 2021 and It has been such a wonderful experience.
I am also the proud owner of the brand IMIHI where I am the visionary and designer. IMIHI, which is an acronym for I’m Made In His Image, is a bespoke womenswear brand that has a strong emphasis on plus-size fashion specializing in formal, prom, and bridal designs. I create one of a kind pieces that celebrate all of our clients unique beauty for their special occasion. My main goal is to provide every client that I have an experience that makes them look and feel first-class, confident and captivating, I absolutely love that God chose me to be in the industry that I’m in because it gives me the opportunity to create clothing that tells the story of who my clients are without them saying a word.
I am a self- taught designer who had no intentions on making clothes for other people, but clearly God had other plans. I designed a jacket/dress for a friend back in 2015 and from the point the brand was in motion. She posted It online and went mini-viral with thousands of people wanting to know how they could order one! I honestly could not believe It. From that point I learned how to create various designs, and discovered that I love to make formalwear. That love has awarded me the opportunity to created for proms, weddings, birthdays, funerals, and every other occasion in between. In 2022, opened my first showroom in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and I could NOT be more proud. I still feel like I am dreaming.
So what’s next right? Through my design journey I’ve learned that there are some things that I am more passionate about than others. This year I learned that I am growing to be in love with Bridal. I mean HEAD OVER HEELS for It. From the design aspect, to watching the love story of two people unfold, and creating something to commemorate that day and time; its.a beautiful thing. My love for It has grown SEW much, that I will be designing and launching my inaugral bridal collection in the 4th quarter of 2024.
When I am not designing for others, I am usually teaching others to sew and design. I started a sub-brand of IMIHI called “I’m Sew Ready” which is beginner sewing classes for children and adults (virtual and in-person). I have been teaching since 2019, and have had quite a few students go on to start businesses of their own. I took a pause on the classes over the last year as I transitioned into my Showroom, but I’m proud to say we are launching classes back up January 2024!
There are so many things happening for me as It relates to my business, I can’t help but to look forward to the future.
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?
1. Be a Risk-Taker In order to be an entrepreneur in any field, but ESPECIALLY in the industry of fashion, being a risk taker is necessary. You have to be willing to take a chance, make mistakes, try something different, get it wrong more than once. FEAR IS NOT AN OPTION in this game! I once made a collection and there was a particular design I just KNEW would be a hit.. It hit alright,, THE GROUND LOL! I mean not one person wanted It. Was I upset and discouraged? Yeah a little. However taking that chance gave me insight to know what I did wrong. While perfection is the goal, the PROCESS is what gets you there. Learn to be a risk taker. Try that new technique you found on Youtube. Post a new product and see how your audience feels about It. Try out that design you saw in your head and see if It works. This is the only way to grow as a designer, better understand your clientele. and grow your business as a whole
2. Be Patient
When the Bible says ‘patience is a virtue’ it means it! No matter what area or industry you are in, when you’re just starting out on your sewing or entrepreneurship journey, patience is required to be successful. If you’re learning a new technique, be patient swithyourself, and provide and room to grow in that area. Understand that you will not always get it right the first time you try It. You will make mistakes, but be patient in your process and know that you’ll get it right, Every time you attempt, you’re going to get better. If you know that your idea has potential be a multi-million dollar brand, be patient in knowing it’s not going to happen overnight. For many entrepreneurs the “overnight” success we see online and on social media was often a journey of close to 10 years. TEN YEARS. One month you may get $10,000 in sales, and another It may be $300.. That needs PATIENCE LOL! If you don’t think patience is needed to grow your BIG business, think again. Building takes time, so don’t rush It!
3. Willingness to Learn
I think that having a willingness to learn as a self taught designer was probably what helped me grow. I’m a firm believer in being forever a student, so there’s always something to learn. There’s always another option. As an evolving, fashion designer, it’s my responsibility to learn new techniques, new skill sets, even new ways of doing something I already know. I do this so I can produce the best quality products for my clients. This can be said for anyone going into entrepreneurship, not just designers. It is not an easy journey, especially when you are new to It. You have to have a level of openness to learn because that’s the only way that you, your business, or skill are going to develop and grow. So don’t be afraid to invest in your craft and pay for a classes to learn a sewing technique; invest in a business coach/mentor to learn from someone else.Had I not done these things, I don’t think that I would be where I am right now.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
The biggest obstacle I’m currently facing is trying to find help in my business. I’ve been looking for a solid seamstress, to bring on the team so I can take the load of myself. Right now, I am a solopreneur and do EVERYTHING as It pertains to the brand. As you can imagine that can become a lot at times. I have goals to expand my reach beyond locally, but it’s not feasible at the moment with just me managing every aspect of IMIHI.
Living in Pittsburgh, we don’t have any fashion design programs (The Art Institute we did have closed some years back); so trying to find seamstress for hire has been equivalent to looking for a needle in a haystack. I am now open to widening my search beyond local and maybe starting an apprenticeship to teach sewing and then hire my students. I pray that in 2024 God connects me with the right help whether they are here in Pittsburgh or somewhere else so that the brand can grow to reach Its highest potential.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.loveimihi.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/imihidesigns
- Facebook: Facebook.com/imihi412
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Sewcializewithlexx
- Other: linktree.com/imihi
