Feature Friday: Chic by Choice

Within my experince in college I have encountered many talented individuals but none as talented as these two. Shanelle a Textile Apparel Merchandising and Management major, and Melissa an Accountant major both had a strong passion for fashion, and both displayed a confident yet chic style. Of course two girls from New York are going to be stylish, while most are forced into what trending, these two were Chic By Choice. Being college we all had conversations about starting a brand, and making a strong presence within the fashion community, and after graduation we where going to take the fashion world by storm. And we Have.

   So of course they are the first to be mentioned for Feature Fridays. Chic By Choice is their brand that they started to express themselves creatively. Initially they started out making earrings and transitioned into designing clutch handbags that offer versatile styles that can be dressed up or down which is the beauty of their products. They aren't your typical "girly girls" and they love comfortable clothing along with sneakers. Their style direct reflects their brand, and every time I see Shanelle and Mellisa, its always a joy to see that them rocking their own brand, like I.

At this moment right now Shanelle and Melissa are getting ready for The Ultimate Trunk to launch  Chic By Choice, and the new Summer/Spring Collection. I had only a few questions for the dynamic duo, starting with a little piece of what their brand is about, and their goals.

".....Chic By Choice has products to offer a wide range of women with a sense of style. We recently launched our Spring/Summer collection and we are focusing on building our brand. In the long run we are planning on branching off into all areas of accessories and becoming a household name. We hope to inspire those who want to do something different but are hesitant on taking the initiative to do so. You never know what can come from it...."

Q.Where do you see Chic By Choice in 10 Years?

A.In 10 years Chic By Choice will be a household brand offering a wide range of products eventually branching off into different areas of the accessory market such as jewelry, men's and children accessories. We plan on opening a store front where we are based in Brooklyn,NY. We will be heavily involved in the community focusing on our youth; serving as mentors and help encourage the younger generation to follow their dreams because with belief, determination, and hard work anything is possible. 

Q.Name a few artist/designers that inspires/ motivates you all?

A.We both listen to a lot of music mainly hip hop and R&B. Some artist that generally motive us are J.Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Drake Pharrell, and Jay Z. We portray where we come from and who we are through our designs as they do with their music. As far as designs are concerned we are inspired by innovative brands such as Marc Jacobs, Kate Spade, and Celine. They all are not afraid to take risk with styles, color, and overall execution of their designs.  

Q.Name a current trend that you agree, and a trend that you completely disagree with?

A.Floral prints, pastel colors and holographic colors are some color trends that have been spotted this season and we agree with them. As far as looks, Kimonos and athletic footwear are becoming more popular adding coolness to already fashionable looks. We don't necessarily disagree with a specific trend at the moment  because we haven't seen anything that consistently looks bad. 

Q.What is your opinion on social media, and does it play an important role to your brand?

A.In our generation social media holds a very important role as far as keeping everyone updated on what is trending. With Chic By Choice just starting out we actually wanted our friends/followers to be apart of our journey every step of the way. We currently have our blog http://chicbychoicethebrand.tumblr.com/, Instagram and twitter @chicbychoice were we keep everything completely open from how we come up with our designs down to joining us while we go fabric shopping. 

Q.How do you use Instagram as a form of advertisement, artistic outlet, or networking.?

A.We use Instagram as a form of advertisement by posting new styles that we offer and updates on our line in general. We look through fashion related hashtags for possible inspiration along with tagging our photos with the same hashtags which brings forth networking opportunities.