We had the good fortune of connecting with Rebecca Shakespeare Armstrong and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rebecca, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?
Some of the most important lessons I have learned so far from my business is always to be willing to learn something new when it pertains to bettering your business. Do not let your distractions move in inside your head because you will overthink everything. And I also learned to not give up on making new connections even if it’s uncomfortable. Shoot your shot!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
For me, fashion is not just about creating clothing – it’s about weaving stories. My designs are infused with a sense of nostalgia, taking inspiration from my faith, Jamaican heritage and love for the 80s and 90s. I am passionate about bringing my illustrations to life and creating wearable art. When creating works of art, my desire was to spark conversations amongst onlookers who may have forgotten the impact of individuality and self – worth. Taking time for deepening the process on how and why people present themselves the way they do in the public eye is what I want people to know about my brand. That is what Beyond Fresh with RJS is all about.

When it comes to where I am in my brand now, it has NEVER been easy, and I am still overcoming various obstacles, yet I have found myself to be more driven, determined to give God glory through my gifts.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friends were visiting me, I would take them to Soul Secrets downtown Cincinnati for breakfast. We would stop at my shared design studio so they can see new products I have available. Soon after we would go to shop at some local bookstores like Friends of the Library. For some other shopping options. For a dinner, I would take them to Element Eatery, so they have a variety of options to choose from depending on what they want to eat! If we still have time for other excursions, we will take them to either an art gallery or somewhere that has live music.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
From a young age, I wanted to be a designer. I was inspired by my parent’s style. My mother taught me how to piece together different clothing items and style different body types. My father would make crafts all the time and made his stylish hats by hand. My family overall has been very influential in my life. To my husband Jamal and our bright children that keep me on my toes to my supportive best friends who have prayed many prayers with me and weathered quite a few storms with me in my adult-life, have kept me encouraged. I can honestly say, I have a pretty great group of people, I now call my loved ones ranging from college professors, peers, friends and industry mentors who make up my village. I am forever grateful to them.

Website: www.beyondfreshRJS.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/beyondfreshshop

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-shakespeare-armstrong-1294aa82

Image Credits
Photos by: itolduso productions LLC., Shakespeare Design and Drew Jackson

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