Alumni

Bella Ivory-Schekle

CEO, Ivory Clothing Co.

Bella Ivory-Schekle has had the desire to launch her own brand since she was 10 years old. After years of "being absolutely miserable" in corporate America, she made a pivotal decision to attend FIDM in her thirties to receive a Professional Designation degree in Fashion Design at FIDM. She debuted her denim brand, Ivory Clothing Co., during New York Fashion Week in 2015, culminating her lifelong dream. "Officially launching my brand on one of the fashion industry's most prolific events opened wonderful doors for my brand," she says. "Being a creative spirit and having the opportunity every day to do what I love feels my heart with great joy."

A day at her studio entails checking emails, studying analytical data from her website, processing and updating online orders, responding to customer emails, and taking account of inventory. "Depending upon the day and where I am in the development process of completing my premium denim collection, I may have to visit the factory, wash house, or dye houses, which means I will be in my car for hours driving from one meeting to the next," she adds. "The great thing about being a business owner is the guarantee that I will not have any mundane or monotonous days."

She says the technical skills, educational experience, and continued friendships she has with FIDM Alumni have all helped prepare her for a busy career. "My instructors expected nothing less than the highest standards of accountability from each student and that's probably the most important attribute that I have cultivated," she says. "Every student that I had classes with and alumni I have encountered are very talented and competent professionals, but what I have carried with me since graduating is growth through learning everyday, being diligent, ownership of tenacity, and being accountable."

Categories:  Fashion Design Alumni