Say hello to a few faces from Interform’s EMERGE II designer cohort.

WORDS / JULIA M. TRUPP
ILLUSTRATIONS / LUPITA ALBARRAN

SHAMIRRA CLARK
Little Rock
@shamirradanielle | @richieclarkclothing

The Richie Clark lady is resilient and resourceful. “They are like fire in every way: warm, alluring, and to be respected,” says Shamirra Clark, founder of Richie Clark Clothing, a name that plays on the name of her grandmother, who bought Clark her first sewing machine. Clark’s initial pull into fashion came from watching movies as a child—now as an adult, she goes back and watches her childhood favorites to help connect to her creativity. 

Aside from her love of film, Clark also gets inspiration from taking walks and observing the greenery and color combinations of nature. Over the years, Clark has created her own brand and fashion line, which she showcased in Northwest Arkansas Fashion Week in spring 2018. She has learned to balance her workload and work with, not against, herself, which has also helped her find her tribe in the fashion world.

“I am excited to see what is next for me; my heart is pulled to contribute to the healing of my community. Figuring out how Richie Clark can contribute to the betterment of the mental health of the African-American community is important to me.”