Small hands wielding a pair of scissors and Elmer’s glue, young Amaria Bankhead, a current USM student, stood over her dad’s shirt that would soon no longer be in one piece. Putting on the yellow quarter button up, it fell past her knees. Carefully handling her scissors, she began to cut the fabric into pieces, wearing the shirt while she worked. With her bottle of glue, she pieced it back together. Six-year-old Bankhead now stood proudly in her newly personalized dress, featuring a one shoulder sleeve.
“I didn’t even have a needle at that age,” said Bankhead. “I was just using superglue or Elmer’s glue for years, cutting up all the old shirts my dad gave me.”
By second grade, Bankhead knew she wanted to become what her mother told her was called a fashion designer. Styling together a long, floral dress, belt, little platform heels and a church hat to match, what began as a fun childhood experiment, blossomed into a passion for fashion.
“When I was younger, I did a lot of DIYs,” Bankhead explained. “I was doing easy stuff with fabric glue or hand stitching. I never used to create anything from scratch; I didn’t understand patterns. Then one day, it just clicked.”
Growing up, Bankhead was enveloped in a life of elegance and grace that was influenced by her grandmother, who was always dressed to the nines. This left an undeniable mark on her young mind that would follow her throughout her journey. She soaked in the essence of couture, high fashion and sophistication.
Now at 20 years-old, these are implemented not only into Bankhead’s designs but what she wears every day. Currently, she is developing her own fashion brand, A-line Allure, and carving her way into the industry.
“Fashion is my ability to express my personality,” Bankhead said. “It’s how I want people to view me.”
Just like any other talent or hobby people center their lives around, Bankhead has had to spend a lot of time learning and growing in her field. Patience has been a constant companion throughout her career. Each bead, each sequin, each stitch was carefully sewn by hand before getting her first sewing machine at 16 years-old. Through this, it is abundantly clear how much love she has for her work. Her willingness to labor over every detail sets her work apart, bringing to it a profound sense of timelessness.
“Fashion is not something you can just throw together,” Bankhead explained. “I draw out all of my sketches before I make them. Before getting my sewing machine, I would sit down and hand-sew all the beads on. You have to love it.”
Understanding her clients is just as important to Bankhead as understanding the materials she works with. Each sketch shows her dedication to her craft. It is clear in each of her creations that she is committed to her work, never letting her individuality go unknown.
“Amaria is like a candle; she burns herself up to give others light,” said Chassidy Hughes, a client. “She’s super hardworking and dedicated to her craft, and it shows through her fashion pieces and the gratitude of her customers.”
Before she had any clients, though, the designer was constantly creating pieces for her own wardrobe. Bankhead’s senior year prom dress that she made stands out as a core memory. Her I-can-do-this moment washed over her when she put on the dress along with a sense of empowerment. Her ability to overcome hardships and still be able to create something remarkable is reflected through the bright red velvets, long lace train and shining gold accessories all taken from her imagination and brought to life.
The encouragement and praise she received from her teachers and classmates fueled her desire to create this piece and reinforced her knowledge of what she was capable of.
“I did that, and nobody could tell me that I didn’t do that,” she proudly recalled.
Now, after almost two years of professionally pursuing her career, Bankhead has truly expanded her skills, becoming better every day. She reflects on her past projects, noticing things she could have done better. It is not hard for her to recognize that she has gotten better from an already impressive start.
“Amaria is an extremely talented and hardworking individual,” said Nygell Bradley, a friend. “I honestly believe that she can accomplish anything that she puts her mind to.”
It is hard to miss the evidence of hard work, passion, determination and self-belief through everything Bankhead creates. With elegance as her muse, Bankhead illuminates the world with her creations and continues to leave her mark in the world of fashion.
USM’s Amaria Bankhead making strides in fashion world
Claire Cadle, Multimedia Journalist
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October 15, 2024
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