“To whom much is given, much will be required.” Words from Luke 12:48, words that designer and third-year FAMU student Mikayla Smith are all too familiar with. Hailing from Baltimore, Smith has been, as she says in her own words, “chosen” to share her gifts, her talents and her vision with the world on her own terms.
The dynamo hasn’t always been fashion’s next “it” girl. Smith started out her freshman year at Florida A&M University as many young people do: starry-eyed and determined to succeed. After realizing her declared major of biology might not be something she wanted to pursue, Smith started seeking other options and landed in the School of Journalism & Graphic Communication. As the semester came to a close Smith was a little bit happier, but something still wasn’t right.
“I switched to journalism, but I was like, I’m OK. This isn’t for me, I’m just doing what [other people] think is right,” Smith said.
As the semester came to a close Smith began seriously considering how she wanted to live her life. The Christmas after her first freshman semester, Smith used her Christmas money to buy a sewing machine. She had practically no experience sewing, but Smith was determined to see what she could do. Imagine her surprise when she not only enjoyed herself, but was actually happy with her first pieces.
“Ever since then, [my passion] grew. I was like…, ‘Yeah, this is what I love doing.’ That’s why I feel like it’s important to try new things to find out what you will end up liking. And I had no idea that [fashion] would be something I see myself doing forever.”
Practically exploding with creativity and brimming with new confidence, Smith threw herself into her craft and only became more passionate as time went on. Soon Smith was back on campus tailoring, creating, and designing for not just herself but her peers as well. At first, Smith planned on saying low-key, working through direct messages and just doing a little bit here and there. However Smith’s talents were evident and she was very much in demand.
After much urging from her customers and friends, Smith’s brand, Remixed Threadz, was born.
Immediately Smith received an outpouring of love and support that even she didn’t expect. Her page got hundreds of followers overnight, and her first mini test batches were extremely well-received.
So with a few successful launches under her belt, Smith couldn’t wait to get started on her big one. This is how her one-of-a-kind, handprinted “The World Is Yours” hoodies came about. Smith wanted something that everyone would think was ‘fye,’ and would want to wear. She spent weeks coming up with a design, teaching herself how to screen print, and figuring out all the other things no one tells you about when getting started.
“At first, it was hard, but I overcame that fear of even putting [Remixed Threadz] out and … receiving the love that I did made me feel 10 times better,” she said. “Cause it’s like, damn like people genuinely fuck with me. Like, wow! People are really rooting for me, and it’s not just in my head.”
As for the future? Certified free-spirit Smith is not completely sure. She does plan on pursuing a degree in fashion design, but outside of that there are truly no limits. However Smith’s passion and talent is palpable, and with a mind full of ideas she is sure of one thing.
Whatever comes next is sure to be something that you’ll never expect.