In 2021, the Fashion Prize is committed to bringing unrivaled opportunities to our fashion design competitors by creating pathways to career advancement and artistic mastery. This past Monday we were fortunate enough to sit down with LaTasha Henderson-Robinson, half of the VonRay team to talk industry, maintaining a sense of identity and more before she met with our amazing designers competing for Fashion Prize glory.
Before you hop into the interview, here’s a little about this week’s dynamic fashion-preneurs! VonRay, a husband and wife team composed of Dennis & Latasha Henderson-Robinson, has over 10 years of Fashion Styling, Design, Film, Mentoring and Production experience. Their work has been featured in publications such as Heed Magazine, Marie Claire, Urban Ink, Beyond Classically Beautiful, Stylish Curves, Lane Bryant’s Blog, Just Jared, Eclec Magazine, Huffington Post (Style) and more.
Tasha, half of this dynamic duo, was a part of the cast of Project Runway Season 15, that premiered on Lifetime. Project Runway is an American reality television series and competition that chronicles the journeys of fashion designers as they compete with each other for a chance to win huge prizes, and hosted by model Heidi Klum. Now that you have the dish let’s get into our exclusive interview with Tasha of VonRay.
Want to know more about Steven? Of course you do. We had some burning questions that Google couldn’t answer. Check out his interview below and tell us you don’t love him as much as we do.
Fashion Prize: Tasha, let’s say that I am someone incredibly interested in fashion but has never ever picked up a thread and needle before. What in your mind are the most important things I should know and who, what or where should I be looking for a place to start?
Tasha: Start by defining what your design aesthetic will be, what audience you want to target. I would most definitely advise you to study the marketing posts and advertising of some of your favorite brands; study the trend and way they are advertising. In your studying, don’t mimic what you see, but take what you can and be inspired to create in your own way. Honestly, a lot of designers don’t know how to sew, there are very few who design and sew but sewing alone doesn’t make you a designer. What makes you a designer are the things you think of and create, if you can’t execute a design on your own, team up with someone who sews (a seamstress or cutter/fitter or tailor) and come up with a concept while allowing them to lead in execution. Generally, I would advise new designers to learn how to sew so you’re able to create your own samples and more. If your finances and time allows for you to attend classes or school, all the better, but if not you can still totally be a self-taught fashion designer. There are so many ways to learn: grab patterns and study them, take your favorite pieces of apparel and dissect them and YouTube, it’s free and a great tool in your belt. I can keep going but this is a pretty good start!
Fashion Prize: Was there ever a time as a designer you felt discouraged? How did you overcome feeling that way and what advice would you give to another creative going through something similar?
Tasha: Yes indeed, at times I have grown discouraged but I always have to come back to my “why,” why am I doing this. I also think about my passion for fashion and when I get to that place, I take time to think about the lives I have touched through my gift. My best advice is to walk away from that drawing, cutting table or sewing machine. Start thinking about why you started in the first place, even pick up a doll and look at their tiny fashion and go back mentally to why you loved fashion as a kid! Pray, pray, pray and push harder!
Fashion Prize: Everyone knows you were a featured designer on Season 15 of Project Runway, and an amazingly talented one at that. Was the experience anything like what you expected or could have prepared for, was it completely different than you thought? What would you tell a designer currently looking to do something similar to Project Runway?
Tasha: Project Runway was hard because we worked around the clock and had cameras on us the majority of the day, other than that, I loved working with Tim Gunn, Heidi Klum, Zac Posen, Nina Garcia and other guest judges! Tim was nothing short of amazing, he was our fashion godfather and taught us a lot! The show was great and a lot of people got to know my story and personality, that was beautiful for the brand! If you decide to audition for Project Runway, the key thing is to be your “unapologetic self”, introduce the judges to you and your brand. Let your personality shine through and show them what you got. If you don’t get in the first time, keep auditioning. The learning experience alone is so worth it, I have fashion sisters and brothers everywhere now!
Fashion Prize: You have been a designer for 10+ years and have accomplished so much. Other than being on Project Runway when did you know you “made it” and if that moment has not happened yet what are you looking forward to experiencing in your career?
Tasha: In my well over 10+ years I still haven’t had a moment where I felt like I made it. We’ve had several moments where others might say we made it such as Randy Jackson wearing our pendants on his last season of American Idol and many others wearing our apparel, being on Project Runway and several other shows, winning a few awards, traveling to showcase on different runways and being featured in countless magazines. But we still have a long way to go to get that “aha!” moment. Maybe when we get a Kanye West collab, or work with dope artists like SaintJHN or have a manufacturer to provide good paying jobs for the impoverished then maybe I’ll feel like we made it! With that said, I’m so grateful to God for all of the accomplishments thus far and I know we’ll be blessed with many more opportunities to help others in the future.
Fashion Prize: Let’s talk about personal style and industry. You’re someone who is not afraid of bold patterns and combinations; where do you get your personal style inspiration from and does that inform what and how you design or are you more sensitive to what is popular in the industry and follow those trends?
Tasha: To be honest, I am not a trendy person, trends play out. I love bold prints, monochromatic color schemes, crazy footwear and accessories. Music influences my design aesthetic, I can dig up an old album and envision a full collection from that. I am also heavily influenced by “testimonies”. When I hear someone’s story of overcoming difficulty it helps me to create in different ways. As far as my personal style, I wear what I like. I love wearing the t-shirts I create with bold messages, they’re conversation starters. Of course, a good sneaker, I started sneaker designing at the age of fifteen with Dada Footwear, so sometimes I build a look inspired by shoes.
Fashion Prize: Ok, fun question. You get to design a gorgeous Met Gala piece for a fashion icon currently alive or passed away. Though the theme for 2021 has yet to be decided, let’s say it’s “rebirth.” Who are you designing for and why?
Tasha: Rebirth, that’s a dope theme! I would design a look for SaintJHN or SZA and I would make a conventional look fused with upcycled denims. I’d choose them because they are both free spirits who hover above the muck with their music and personal style. Kanye West would be another individual I’d design for. I’d use his various album art and print them on a wing paired with some fly Yeezy sneakers. For his actual outfit he’d be dressed in a traditional kaftan look and the accessories would be insane. The design would show his growth personally and how he can overcome anything!
Fashion Prize: What are the hopes for the future of your brand and who it can impact?
Tasha: My hope for VonRay Designs is that we go international and are known for creating “Fashion with a Cause”; we give half of the profits we make to people in need. I’d like for us to own a few manufactures domestically and internationally so we can afford to employ and pay folks fairly as well. Additionally, expanding our creative programs and helping to rebuild neighborhoods in need. This is all a part of a plan to affect economic growth and empowerment to better people’s lives.
Fashion Prize: Last question! You’ll be speaking to our Fashion Prize competitors this week, who much like yourself are working to find their own voice within the fashion world and are seeking to create brands that resonate not just with their local communities but the world. What do you look forward to sharing with these designers?
Tasha: I look forward to encouraging them to stay true to themselves and to never settle until it feels right for them and being totally real with them about what they should expect as they take their own journey into the fashion world.
And there you have it folks — the one and only Tasha Henderson of VonRay Designs! She’ll be with us this Sunday, February 28th at 3pm. During this exclusive event, she’ll impart industry knowledge and inspiration to Fashion Prize 2021 competitors and help prepare them for the road ahead to the Fashion Prize finals. Only designers registered for Fashion Prize 2021 may attend. Designers who wish to participate can register at prizefest.com/fashion.
Fashion Prize — part of the Prize family of competitions which includes the award-winning Film Prize and Food Prize — is a fashion design competition where designers compete for a grand prize of $2,500. Competitors are required to participate in mentorship and networking programs to gain insights and inspiration from industry professionals and elevate their career opportunities. Registration for the competition is open now. Designer’s fashion collections are due May 31, 2021. Read the rules and register as a designer at prizefest.com/fashion.