Today we’d like to introduce you to Amenta Bonita.
Amenta, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I always had an interest in fashion but I never imagined I would become a designer. I come from a background where the art or anything creative is not looked as a professional or stable career path. But I have always enjoyed everything creative. From music, to art and fashion, I have a habit of throwing myself into things I love.
In high school, I was the favorite friend to go shopping with because I was great at putting together outfits. I did not even know what a stylist or a silhouette was at the time, but I had a natural understanding of what looked most flattering.
Originally a singer/songwriter + graphic designer, I started looking for other ways to use my creative talents to earn a living. I learned how to make jewelry and was asked to do a fashion show one day, this turned into a whole lot of fashion shows.
It was after college when I started altering my clothes. I suddenly noticed all my pants and skirt hems getting tattered from scraping the floor. Often, I would gather my hem when walking… like a princess holding onto her dress train. LOL. I also had a habit of buying larger sizes, because being curvy meant the top fit but the hip area would be tight. I went from making alterations to sewing my own clothes. One day I decided to take a sewing class and the rest is fashion history.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Definitely lots of struggles. Fashion is an extremely competitive industry and also exclusive. A good designer is proficient at sewing, draping, patterning, sketching – once those techniques are established then things like taste level, creativity and ingenuity play a part. The next level for an emerging designer after those basics include styling, knowledge and understanding of trends, marketing and networking. Networking plays a key role in overcoming barriers that exclude but there are things like prejudice, racism, personal preferences/taste and favoritism that also affect visibility. Fashion is also a very expensive hobby/business and quite time consuming as well. So to be a designer you have to be very invested in yourself and have confidence to continue on despite these obstacles.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I use Fashion to express my ideas of beauty as well as share cultural values and history. My work is inspired by indigenious cultures with a focus on motifs found in nature. I take design cues from symbols, language, cultural practices. Art is both the process and motivation for me. I enjoy creating designs for fabric and clothing, and I love to incorporate embroidery, objects like bells and other crafts like macrame into my work.
A lover of all things creative, I also founded Tribe X Museum (a 501 (C) 3 organization) in 2021 with the mission of exploring and preserving cultural connections between society, fashion, art and music; through the production, documentation and exhibition of works.
What makes you happy?
Being able to express myself in any creative form makes me happy. I think art is something that is in my blood. I have a natural inclination to make things pretty or colorful in a way that is aesthetically appealing. Being myself… seeing an idea come into physical existence, is very rewarding. Its work that brings both a sense of peace, stability and purpose to life.
Contact Info:
- Email: afroluxtrap@gmail.com
- Website: www.afroluxtrap.com
- Instagram: afroluxtrap
- Other: www.tribexmuseum.org
Image Credits
Shaun Coffman
Sylvia Akingbade
Larcia Lens
