By L’Rae Celestine
Photo courtesy of Edward Denton
This summer, I got accepted into a fashion program called Designer Kids To L.A. This program was created by James Mayes, owner of a popular luxury streetwear brand in New Orleans, Emline. Designer Kids To L.A. was inspired by a trip James took in middle school called “Kids to Africa,” an essay project for six different schools in New Orleans. Two kids from each school were chosen, and James was one of them.
This trip stuck with James throughout his life, giving him the idea to create Designer Kids To L.A., paying homage to the trip he took when he was younger, while also reinventing it with a unique approach. Around late April, I saw a post made on James’ Instagram, introducing the Designer Kids To L.A. program, and I was highly encouraged by my mother to apply.
The application process consisted of a 500-word essay explaining your interest in the program, what you hope to gain, and how you plan on using your creativity to impact your community. We also had to submit a small portfolio, most recent report card, and a recommendation letter. On June 1st, I found out I was selected for the program. This shocked me because only eight students would get accepted, and I wasn’t sure if I would be a part of that select few.
“When I found out I got accepted, I was really excited,” McDonogh 35 High School senior Jerrod Watson, who was also accepted, said. “I knew it was more than just a trip. I was getting a chance to meet other creatives, learn more about fashion, and see how far I could take my brand.”
One requirement of the Designer Kids program was to create a clothing brand. Before the L.A. trip, there were multiple meetings and workshops at the Emline store to get help with starting our brand, along with coming up with a brand name. We also were able to hear the origin stories of other popular New Orleans clothing brands such as The Loyalty Club, Wyvesh, and Made In The Hood.
Shortly after our last workshop, it was time to go to L.A. Our trip took place from July 20th – 24th. When we arrived, the first place we went to was a clothing manufacturer called Clothesminds. This L.A.-based manufacturer specializes in cotton blanks, working with brands such as Satoshi Nakamoto, Adidas, Enfants Riches Déprimés, Calvin Klein, and popular Los Angeles restaurant, Marathon Burger.
At Clothesminds, we took a tour of the warehouse, seeing how screenprinting, distressing, and packaging of clothes gets done. We also made the patterns for the clothing piece we wanted to make during our trip. Among the group, the clothing pieces made were T-shirts, hoodies, a denim shirt, and a faux leather jacket.
On the first day, we also visited Zip-Up, a store in the Fashion District of L.A. that sold fabric and appliques. This is also where we found out about a tote bag contest that was going to happen on our final day of the trip. Before boarding our flight to L.A., we were given black tote bags along with a book called The Fashion Manual. This book was gifted to James during the beginning of his career in fashion. It’s filled with almost everything you need to know about fashion and building a brand, which was very helpful for a group of teens who were currently building their own brands.
The L.A. trip consisted of visiting many other clothing warehouses, as well as a corporate brand office. One of the most memorable places for me was a dye and denim wash house. We were able to see the start and finish of stone-washed denim, a process done by washing denim jeans with pumice stones, giving the jeans a faded, lighter appearance than the dark color of raw denim.
Another place that stuck with me was Centric Brands. Centric Brands is a private corporate entity that specializes in design, marketing, and product management. The most prominent brands Centric works with are Favorite Daughter, OFF-WHITE, Joe’s Jeans, and Hudson.
I personally enjoyed visiting Centric because I was able to see unreleased clothing pieces and also hear from employees about how the process of how clothing goes from a sample to a product that’s ready to be sold.
“My favorite part of the trip was definitely going to the denim factory,” Salmen High School senior Italy Shief said. “Since I’m starting my own denim clothing brand, it was really cool to actually see how denim is made and learn more about the process behind creating clothes.”
“My favorite part was watching the kids’ experience everything. Of course, being in L.A., visiting different places, and enjoying the city was great, but seeing their reactions made it special,” Designer Kids chaperone Edward Denton said. “Watching them get excited about the Fashion District, discovering new things, bonding with each other, and just enjoying an experience they’ll probably remember for the rest of their lives—that was the best part for me.”
“My favorite part was visiting the factories and watching the students experience everything for the first time. I loved seeing how curious, excited, and inspired they became as they learned more about the fashion industry,” Designer Kids chaperone Megan Clay said. “I also enjoyed watching everyone create TikToks and seeing their personalities come alive. Those fun, genuine moments brought us closer and made the entire experience unforgettable. I returned home feeling just as inspired as the students and even more committed to supporting their growth and helping this program continue to impact young designers.”
After three days of learning the ins and outs of the fashion industry, we went to Universal Studios and Santa Monica Pier for a well-deserved “chill day.” On the fourth and final day, we had our tote bag contest. All of the chaperones reviewed our bags and after 10 or 15 minutes, the winner was revealed.
“I definitely did not expect to win the contest. When I won I was in shock. Just seeing everyone’s creativity when it came to their bags it was very well executed and well drawn.” Edna Karr senior Kaiden Banks said. “I didn’t know how to draw, so I just tried a new approach and made it eye-catching, and the judges liked how it came together.”
A few weeks after the L.A. trip, we were invited to WWLTV for a news segment about the Designer Kids To L.A. trip. Two weeks after that, we were invited to city hall to get recognized by the New Orleans City Council for our hard work and participation.
Overall, this trip was really an eye-opening experience. Being given the opportunity to experience the fashion industry at my age is something a lot of people aren’t able to do, and I’ll forever be grateful for this trip.
“Being around so many creative people showed me that everybody has their own story and their own way of doing things,” Shief said. “In ten years, I see myself just getting out of the Air Force and using the skills and experiences I gained to build the next chapter of my life. I also see myself growing my own denim clothing brand and continuing to work in fashion and photography.”
“You have to really believe in what you’re doing,” Watson said. “Having an idea is one thing, but actually putting the work in is what matters. The experience made me want to take my brand even more seriously. I just want to keep growing and build something that lasts.”
“I have a deeper understanding of how manufacturing and material costs work, and I’m much more confident in the idea of my own brand with the knowledge the trip has given me,” Aubrey Smith, senior at Hebron High School said.
“It was confirmation to what I have always thought. Do what you can to leave your mark/legacy in the world. You never know who’s watching or who you will inspire to be even greater than you,” Mayes said.
