I Study Fashion: Celasia Griffin-Brown for Product Development!

"Hello my name is Celasia Griffin-Brown and I Study Product Development!"

For those of you who do not know, Product Development is the complete process of bringing a new product to the market. With fashion, this includes making a garment from scratch, cutting patterns, and creating creative patterns. It starts with the actual sketching and designing of the garment.

Celasia is a humorous Capicorn! What a stylish room!

From Brooklyn to Beverly Hills, California, this fashion student majoring in Product Development at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, California graces everyone with her personality, style, and exclusive language. With the name Celasia Griffin-Brown, Ms. Brown took time out of her busy schedule to give Ridiculously Favored an inside look into her life for our new "I Study Fashion" staple!

Let's get lost in her world and join her on her journey for the moment! Check out the interview below!

Celasia showcasing her Ladies Man style.

Ridiculously Favored: How were you introduced to fashion?

Celasia: I was introduced into fashion without knowing it. When I was younger, I went to a Jr high school that required all students wear uniform. I hated uniform! And I hated looking like everyone else. As a way to stand out, I started matching my sneakers with my cardigans or my hoodies. From there, I found myself coordinating whole outfits on my off days. I think that’s how I got introduced into fashion.


Ridiculously Favored: What school or schools are you attending or have you attended?

Celasia: I currently attend the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Downtown L.A as part of a one-year program. Before attending FIDM, I attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, New York.

Ridiculously Favored: What do you like about your school?

Celasia: What I like most about my school are the classes. I feel the classes are really dead on with the career path that the major leads to. Everything is current and very hands on. You’re always working with your hands. Whether it’s taking notes or doing an activity. There’s never a dull time in class.

Ridiculously Favored: What is/was your major and why did you pick it?

Celasia: At FIT, my major was Fashion Merchandising Management. I chose that program because I was interested in learning the behind the scenes work of what makes a store a store and how to effectively merchandise clothing when buying for big and small department stores. Now at FIDM, my major is Merchandise Product Development. I chose that major because it really gives you the best of both worlds in terms of design and business. I have designed garments that I never thought I would be able to design without being a design major. It’s a perfect blend.

The beginning stages of an garment Celasia constructed.

Ridiculously Favored: What degrees do you hold?

Celasia: I hold an A.S in Fashion Merchandising Management. By the end of September I will have my A.A in Merchandise Product Development.

Ridiculously Favored: Who was your favorite professor at school and why?

Celasia: My favorite professor at FIT  was my American history teacher Mr. Weisman. I loooooooveeeed him! I loved him because he was great at his job as well as being a real down to earth teacher. He told corny jokes and always had a story. I had his class from 6pm to 9pm one day a week and I went to every class for the whole semester. Plus, history is my favorite subject. My favorite teacher at FIDM was my Apparel Process II teacher Ms. Allen. She’s so sweet and patient with all her students. She encouraged all her students to be creative when creating patterns. Ms. Allen is just a kind soul with a great spirit. I have come to appreciate professors such as these.

Ridiculously Favored: What was your most favorite class?

Celasia: My favorite class so far is Classification and Line Development. For the entire quarter, the class was split into 4 product development groups who were in charge of creating a line for Zara. In this class, I got to be really creative with my designs for the menswear collection. We gave presentations every week and conducted the class as if we were real product developers. It was a great learning experience and made me realize that I might want to pursue product development as a plan b.

Celasia uses a dress form to construct a garment.

Ridiculously Favored: What do you love about fashion?

Celasia: What I love about fashion is that it’s forever evolving. The constant change keeps it interesting and keeps opportunities for us fashion folks flowing.

Celasia's Ladies Man style.

Ridiculously Favored: Describe your fashion style.
Celasia: I would describe my fashion style as a “Ladies Man”. It’s my way of calling myself a tomboy. I have been a tomboy since I was a little girl. As I grow older, I like to switch it up more often but my go to outfits are always masculine.

Ridiculously Favored: Do you have a favorite fashion icon?
Celasia: Yes I do. My favorite fashion icon is Pharrel. I loveeeee his aesthetic from over the years. He introduced me to street wear.




Ridiculously Favored: Where do you get most of your inspirations from for your designs?

Celasia: I get most of my inspiration from random people in the street as well as the new flock of fashion bloggers that have invaded Instagram.

Ridiculously Favored: Who is your favorite fashion designer?

 Celasia: I don’t think I have a favorite designer. I like some a lot, but no favorites.

Ridiculously Favored: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Celasia: In 5 years I see myself with a husband and kids. I also see my boutique for upcoming designers flourishing and being a big success.

Ridiculously Favored: Would you consider yourself living out your dreams?

Celasia: At this current moment, I don’t consider myself living out my dreams. I’m still in prep mode. I’m prepping myself for my dreams. I have a few more years before I can say that I am.

Ridiculously Favored: What are you working on currently?

Celasia: I’m currently working on my second degree and an internship at Kyle by Alene too in order to gain real life experience of running my own boutique.

Ridiculously Favored: On the fashion calendar, what event do you look forward to every year?

Celasia: I look forward to fashion week and all the street style post of everyone attending.

Ridiculously Favored: Who are your fashion influences?

Celasia: My fashion influences really vary. But for the most part my grandmother, my boyfriend, and different male street wear bloggers are my biggest influences.

Ridiculously Favored: What is/was you favorite thing to learn about in school and why?

Celasia: My favorite thing that I learned about in school was Illustrator. I love illustrator. I’m terrible at sketching and drawing so this program helps me utilize my creativity and allows me to designs my own looks.

Ridiculously Favored: How far in school do you plan to go?

Celasia: I plan to go up to my B.A or B.S. No masters for me. The plans and goals I have for myself doesn’t require it.

Ridiculously Favored:Do you think this image is true? Why or why not?

Celasia: Haha! I think its pretty close. I think its pretty close because unless you’re actually a fashion student, you don’t know what its actually like. Its not as glamorous or easy as it looks. Also, it gets pretty darn frustrating! But it’s worth it at the end of the day.

Ridiculously Favored:Describe yourself in five words.

Celasia: Ambivert, Humorous, sensitive, boyish, and curious

Ridiculously Favored:Describe your first day in fashion school.

Celasia: Wow. This was so long ago. All I remember is sitting in class wanting to leave because it was so nice outside and everyone was just so stylish. I wanted to people watch and scope out different styles and potential friends. haha

Ridiculously Favored: Did you stay on campus or commute?

Celasia: (Pertaining to FIT) I stayed on campus at the all girls dorm across the street from the school my first year, then moved to the upperclassmen dorms a few blocks away.

Ridiculously Favored: What were your roommates like? How was your dorming experience?

Celasia: My roommate my first semester was cool. We didn’t really talk much. She had her friends and I had mine. She was very respectful and down to earth though. My roommate the second semester was fun. She was my friend at the time. She was also very anal and sensitive at times, but she was still a good roommate overall. Now, my roommate my entire sophomore year was THE BEST! She cooked for me, she stayed up late nights with me, and she partied with me. She did everything with me. I guess that’s what happens when you room with your best friend. Overall, my dorming experience was pretty great. I met a lot of great people that I would not have, had I not stayed on campus.

Celasia is pictured with her bestfriend and former roommate Asha at their FIT graduation! Gorgeous ladies! xoxo

Ridiculously Favored: What motivated you to attend school and pursue a career in fashion?

Celasia: My love for wanting to be a famous wardrobe stylist kind of motivated me to attend fashion school and pursue a career in fashion. I knew I didn’t want a regular 9 to 5 when I got older and fashion was my way out of that.

Ridiculously Favored: What areas of fashion are you interested in? Do you feel that you can do anything that is related to fashion?

Celasia: The area of fashion I'm mostly interested in is the business aspect. I have my own aspirations of owning my own boutique. I think I can do anything that is related to fashion except work retail during the holiday season. Haha

I definitely agree with that! Who wants to work retail during the holiday season?! No one, right?!

Celasia is truly a gem and hard-worker when it comes to being unique and loving the skin she is in. I just love her and I hope my Ridiculously Favored readers enjoyed learning about Celasia in our new "I Study Fashion" staple. 

Check back for more insight on the lives of REAL fashion students and enthusiasts! They are fabulous!

Here are some more photos of Celasia and her awesomeness below!

Celasia rocks a short mushroom cut, classy cleavage romper, and black booties.

Celasia lounges on a hot red  car, a girls best friend, while enjoying a drink in the lovely weather.

Selfies by Celasia.

Photo taken by TeArra, the owner and founder of Ridiculously Favored, during one sunny NYC afternoon outing. Location: The Fashion Institute of Technology campus. Styling on them.

Thanks for tuning in readers.

Leave comments and let me know what you think!

-TeArra <3