Simone Shanae’s grandmother was gifted fabric from Africa over 30 years ago from a merchant seaman family friend. The fabric depicts a map of Africa with different shades of green, brown, blue and black with printed images of children. “To me, it shows the origin of who we are as Black people.
It’s a literal map of Africa, the Motherland. The kids crying on the fabric is symbolic of all of the oppression, racism and discrimination that we’ve experienced over the years,” Shanae said. Miracle is fitted by Simone Shanae, Sunday, May 5, 2024, at ARC Take 2 Studios in West Ashley.
Story continues below The 21-year-old attends the Atlanta campus of the Savannah College of Art and Design where she is pursuing a degree in both fashion design and business management. Her grandmother, a seamstress, was part of her inspiration for becoming a fashion designer when she auditioned for the Charleston County School of the Arts. She submitted three sketches of a handmade garment to get into the program.
Her grandmother helped. Years later, that fabric was gifted to her — which she used in a fashion show she was designing. Her brand, Steezy By Shanae , was worn by the first models to walk the runway, each with a piece of that fabric at the third-annual Gullah Gala Fashion & Music Experience .
Simone Shanae, a SCAD Atlanta student uses her sewing machine on an outfit she will use for an upcoming show Sunday, May 5, 2024 at ARC Take 2 Studios in West Ashley. Shanae goes by her design.