Featured Fashionista Friday

Today's featured artist/fashionista is Mariama Bramble, my collegue and creator of Etsy bowtie shop Brownbelle. Mariama has a totally unique style when it comes to fashion. I love that she's not afraid to try new styles, especially here in an office full of pinstripe suits! Mariama's Brownbelle bowties are all hand made by her from recycled vintage ties in all kinds of interesting fabrics, and are definitely way more fun than any store-bought bowtie I've ever seen.  

Mariama is inspired by everything including people, places, and music. She often comes up with ideas at work, which she always writes on post-its to remember for later. She makes things other than bow ties to get ideas, and loves spending time perusing fabric stores here in Boston and in New York City and Providence for interesting fabrics. Mariama got her start after she applied to be part of the SOWA Open Market in Boston. She didn't think she'd get in with the couple of bowties she had created, but she did and quickly created Brownbelle. It's been challenging and exciting for her as the business has grown, with so little time on nights and weekends after her full-time job. But Mariama loves the challenge and is excited that it has taken off so well. I wanted to share part of a Q&A that she did for another site - it's a great answer that is so inspiring.

Question: What does the future hold for Brownbelle?
Answer: There are infinite possibilities, but I see bow ties and accessories specifically for the ladies in the near future. Beyond that I just want to continue to create things that people dig, and push my boundaries creatively and as a business owner. A year ago I would have never imagined that I was capable of doing anything like this; I’ll never underestimate myself again.

www.etsy.com/shop/brownbelle