Olivia Rocquemore – Senior Thesis Project 2021

Major: BFA Fashion Design

Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland

I was born in Oakland, California, but raised in Baltimore, Maryland. I discovered my interest in fashion design in 2009 when a friend invited me to New York City during NYFW. It was then that the world of fashion drew me in, and a month later, I enrolled in a community college to begin my design journey.

My collection was created to celebrate non-binary folx who will not allow themselves to be placed into a box. With both feminine and masculine features within my collection, I felt that it was a way to show that clothing truly has no gender. 

For the fashion film showcasing my collection, I wanted to showcase the softness and vulnerability of Black people. With our current climate, I felt that it was rare to see this – creatively, or otherwise – which encouraged me to develop the concept in hopes of celebrating it.

Photographer: Nicole Anthony, @nicoleanthonyphoto
Stylist: Tiffany Lau, @styledby_tl
Model: Raynel Lynn, @baenell
Videographer: George Almanza, @georgiealmanza