Fashion Designer Shaquita Garcia Preaches Importance of Authenticity
Shaquita Garcia, owner + designer at AART NYC, says no matter what you do, it can seem like your market is saturated with folks doing the same thing. But the reality is, no one does what you do exactly the way you do it. And we’ll say it again. No one does your thang like you do! And that, Shaquita says, is why authenticity is so important to small-business success.
In today’s mini-feature, Shaquita opens up about why she started her own fashion line + why we all need to stop comparing ourselves to other people. This woman is a FORCE, and you must follow her and all her projects on Instagram at @theemodernhousewifeny!
Tell us about your business!
My name is Shaquita Garcia, and I am the owner and designer at AART NYC. AART is a brand meant to empower others to dress out loud and unapologetically. It’s meant to effortlessly give others the opportunity to be free to wear what they want, when they want, without judgment.
What inspired you to create your own fashion line?
AART is actually my second attempt at a clothing line. I started my first line back in 2014, where I designed a series of circle skirts in different patterns, prints, and mediums. I’ve also shown collections at NYFW and my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. I started my own line after leaving corporate fashion design. I often felt that I was constantly being placed in a box when I designed for someone else. Starting my own clothing line allowed me to be the boss, and now I get to say how crazy or out of the box the clothes will be.
What is your biggest piece of advice for small business owners who are trying to find their way?
My biggest piece of advice for small business owners trying to find their way is to stay true to yourself. In the age of social media, it’s so easy to get stuck in a web of comparing yourself to others’ success. But the reality is, their success is based on them, and your ultimate success will be based on you. Whatever you may be selling—whether it be clothes, houses, or insurance—every market is saturated with people who seem to be doing the same thing you’re doing. That’s why it’s extremely important to be your authentic self. The success will come because of YOU.
Follow along with Shaquita’s journey through motherhood, modeling + small business ownership at @theemodernhousewifeny!
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