Ms. Black Kentucky is on a mission to inspire others, showcasing her talents on the pageant stage and in the fashion industry while doing so.
Louisville native Ciara Johnson had her unique outfits displayed at the Ms. Black Kentucky pageant — the first she’s ever competed in — last October. These days, consumers can purchase them on Shein, an online retailer with over 80 million active shoppers nationwide.
For Johnson, who started working in retail at age 17 — 16 years ago — and phased into content creation, modeling and design after graduating from college in 2013, it’s all a dream come true.
“As a young girl, my grandmother poured into me creatively; we would visit her house and do all kinds of arts and crafts,” Johnson told theGrio. “Ultimately, she is the one who taught me how to sew and gave me my first sewing machine.”
The wife and mother of two said her “love for fashion grew” from her grandmother’s gift, and “fashion became a means of self and creative expression for me,” as she grew older and into her own personal style.
Having her pieces available for purchase on the Shein website is made possible by Shein-X, a program that aims to make the fashion industry accessible for up-and-coming creatives.
The Ms. Black Kentucky title holder said her sister, a fellow Shein designer, referred her to the program. Johnson handled the designs, and Shein took care of everything from marketing and advertising to production.
“Everything we create is showcased and sold on the Shein website, where we have access to millions of customers worldwide,” Johnson shared. “I have launched two collections with Shein and hope to continue creating more with them in the future, [possibly a spring or summer line].”
Johnson’s giant leap into the fashion industry and entry into Kentucky’s Black pageant world — where her platform is advocating for women’s empowerment and instilling confidence in young…
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