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

WORDS / JULIA M. TRUPP
ILLUSTRATIONS / LUPITA ALBARRAN

CRYSTAL LA’SHAY
Texarkana | Nashville
@crystallashay_designer | FB: Crystal La’Shay

Crystal La’Shay grew up watching her grandmother sew and make custom clothing for her school programs. She was so fascinated with how fabric could be transformed into clothing that she started making clothes for her dolls. After earning her degree in cosmetology and education, La’Shay rediscovered her love for design and entered local fashion shows. Her success encouraged her to pursue education at Arkansas Fashion School in Little Rock. 

Much like her grandmother, La’Shay’s design inspiration mainly comes from fabric itself. “Most of the time when I see fabric, I envision that fabric can be made into walking art pieces that I create.” Her drive has led her to teaching sewing and design practices at local colleges and as an early childhood educator, networking with Arkansas designers as part of the Interform cohort and showing her 2019 S/S collection at New York Fashion Week.

As for what’s next for La’Shay? “We will be focusing on building youth programs in the arts, in my local areas as well in my hometown, teaching and encouraging kids to be creative in their own way.”