Pandemic aside, creating a fashion brand as a young designer is difficult enough but for Deja Brejae, her clothing label is simply a reflection of her own unique style and beauty.
Since then, the Los Angeles-based premium womenswear brand has continued to grow from strength to strength as their signature artful prints and cute cutouts capture the attention and style of women globally. Deja Brejae has been devoted to producing handmade designs that allow her supporters to love and honor their own unique beauty, a nod to loving the skin your in. With locally produced and distributed clothing pieces, the brand’s collection ranges from several unique tops, pants, and dresses.
We had the pleasure of chatting with Deja Brejae in regards to her designs, Black women being represented in fashion, and much more! Read our conversation below.
Tell us a bit about the brand and how you discovered your passion for clothing design?
I started Deja Brejae as a way to express my creativity and art to the community. Deja Brejae is a luxury brand that identifies with each individuals’ unique beauty in their truest form. DB label garments highlight and accentuate specific parts of the body that make important statements and most importantly make you feel seen. The brand was brought to life to serve an important role in the community when I felt we needed it most; excellent customer service, personable experiences customization, and welcoming to everyone.
I love your handmade designs and how they’re designed to accentuate beauty—how do they reflect you as a person?
My designs reflect the beauty in the people I may encounter on a daily basis and it recognizes that we are all different but confidently, we are all beautiful. Every day people are my muses. I have friends that are models, realtors, designers, nurses, artists, musicians, athletes, and moms/dads & I find them all extremely beautiful and talented. I love making people feel beautiful and giving them something they’ll always remember. I love sharing memories with people, my people reflect me as a person.
The support you’ve received is also very phenomenal. How does it feel to see people wearing your clothing and on the opposite spectrum, how do you want them to feel wearing your clothing?
For a while when I launched, I had it in my head that I wouldn’t see real progress until some time later down the line but I never expected to see people wearing my clothing so early on and really loving it. What makes me most happy are the emails and messages I receive from customers telling me how much they love it, the excitement they have about wearing it and the love & patience they give me in return. I want everyone that purchases from me to feel like they truly are wearing a custom piece that was touched, made, and designed by one woman and to appreciate the love that goes into that.
Can you talk us through your design process a bit—what are the key considerations?
My key considerations within my design process are mostly visual and all in my head. I see shapes, lines, and symmetry differently and I like to play on that.
What inspires your creative process and how do you see your designs evolving?
ME. I inspire my creative process, I struggled for a while on what I wanted to make for people and how I wanted to be seen as a brand. When I thought like that, it didn’t feel authentic so then I started going out with my friends and everytime I made something for myself to put on, people loved it way more and that’s when it felt organic. I’m my own walking billboard and as I grow & evolve so will my designs.
I think it’s very important for Black women to continue to break down barriers in fashion—what do you want young designers to take away from your work?
The more honest you are with your message and who you are as a person the easier it is to focus on the work that matters to you and cut out the distractions. Your passion and hard-work behind what you’re doing will speak for itself and your following will come but that can’t happen if you don’t know yourself. Spend as much time as you can with yourself. Don’t fixate on perfection!
What can we expect from you in the future?
Growth! Deja Brejae will expand into bigger, better things. I want to be a household brand so it doesn’t just stop at womenswear. Getting more involved in the community and bringing people together is very important as well so you’ll see us at events or throwing them in the near future.
Elsewhere in fashion, check out our interview with young fashion creative Kendra D!
