Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Jean.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Angela. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have always been the artist in the family. I have been performing pretty much my whole life. I also started designing clothes during my childhood. Being raised by a single dad with four sisters, money was tight and it seemed like we were always on the go. Getting us here and getting us there. My yearly wardrobe consisted mainly of my older sister’s hand-me-downs. I learned very quickly that if I wanted it to look “cool,” I would have to redesign everything. She might have always been the “on-trend” sister but I was the “one-of-a-kind” sister and still hold that crown till this day. 😉
I taught myself to knit dresses for my ferret and although there were not many intricacies to my designs, I was convinced I was going to be the next Chanel. Fast forward, obviously, I am not, but I have taught myself how to recreate Runway looks since I was always flipping through the pages of magazines gathering inspiration from the Runway shows.
Moving forward, I have worn many hats in the entertainment industry. I was modeling/commercial acting for many years in Miami when one of my jobs landed me a gig backup singing and dancing for one of Julio Iglesias’s world tours. My time with Julio was packed with unforgettable memories, but as we all know, the show must go on. Life moved forward and I headed to Hollywood to continue my musical journey. While performing any gig I could get, I started modeling and working as a body-double model as a side job, doubling for some of the most beautiful female celebrities like Sophia Vergara and Miranda Kerr. Shortly after, I landed my final musical gig and that was singing on tour with Tiesto for his first US tour. My first show, I sang in front of 30,000 people and quickly realized I have horrible stage fright! lol, who knew???
Luckily, my career change was right around the corner. Myspace.com had just sold and one of the founders, Brad Greenspan was moving into producing original content. This was when blogging was just becoming a thing. I was hired to produce and host one of the first online fashion networks called IFashionTV, as well as hosting over 200 segments for the Style Network. This set me on my path for what I am doing now, hosting my own channel for YouTube called RunwayDoneMyWay.
Has it been a smooth road?
I do believe these are all blessings steering my path, but if I had to choose one obstacle, it would be that I spent to much time working under the umbrella of other companies instead of starting my own channel when we were at the peak of the trend, It is hard to take a leap of faith when you have a secure paycheck to move into the unknown. I now make all my decision rooted in faith and not fear. 🙂
Please tell us about RunwayDoneMyWay.
My YouTube channel is a DIY lifestyle channel that teaches easy, affordable ideas for the girl on the go lifestyle. I started specializing in recreating Runway looks from pre-owned pieces. It has grown into revamping pre-owned home decor pieces and the most recent series I launched on Friday’s is called Faith Filled Fridays. On Friday’s, we work on revamping our minds and spiritual bodies. This has allowed me to engage with my subscribers on such a deeper level that I feel is much needed in the world today.
I am most proud that my channel teaches and inspires a fashionable way to recycle clothing and home decor pieces! Quick fashion fact: The fashion industry produces 10% of all humanity’s carbon emissions, is the second-largest consumer of the world’s water supply and pollutes the oceans with microplastics. What’s more, 85% of all textiles go to the dump each year. This is why I LOVE what I do; it truly became my purpose in life. My motto is Refresh it, Style it, Love it!
Design and craft have and will always be a passion of mine, so I recently launched a company called Denim Done My Way, which can be found at DenimDoneMyWay.com. It is a craft kit collection geared towards girls ages 5+. It consists of self-adhesive trims and fabrics for them to easily embellish their clothing. The best part for the parents is that there is No Sewing, No Iron, No Glue, which equals NO MESS!
What sets me apart is that I never follow the masses. I stick to what is true in my heart and what I feel my purpose is and that is creating a sharing economy through upcycling clothing. I don’t just talk the talk; I walk the walk. My entire wardrobe consists of shopping pre-owned on THREDUP, POSHMARK, or calling my friends asking them to let me know when they are cleaning out their closets. 🙂
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Sorry ahead of time, Miami Beach, but no, it is not a good city for what I do. My love for the city of Miami always brings me back. My heart is here and there is nowhere in the world like Miami.
With that said, Miami needs way more fabric stores and way more consignment stores. Cool ones like CrossRoads and Buffalo Exchange that can be found all over California where girls can sell and trade clothes. They need to be located in Miami or Brickel, where the trendier groups live. It needs to have parking so girls can pull up, park, and conveniently sell their clothes; the stores need to have fashion-forward buyers selecting good quality, on-trend pieces. Shopping pre-owned in stores like Crossroads and Buffalo Exchange in California is like treasure hunting. I always find the best stuff for 1/3 of the price!
Contact Info:
- Website: DenimDoneMyWay.com
- Email: runwaydonemyway@gmail.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/RunwayDoneMyWay
- Other: Youtube.com/RunwayDoneMyWay
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