21 Exclusive: Tygerian Lace AS 22 Collection Caught Our Eyes in Washington DC.

Known for it’s bold colors and eye catching designs; TWENTYONE correspondent Gabrielle Jackson sat down with haute designer Tygerian Burke of Tygerian Lace to learn more about her and the inspiration behind her AS 22′ Collection.

When we sat down with Tygerian, she was just finishing up her latest collection in DC, where she she debuted her designs. This beautiful installation showcased live models, and mannequins with video accents.

What a show that was. With all those looks, how did you prepare for it?

Smiling, she answers,

“With a lots and lots ofpatience and being creative. I wanted to make sure our story was presented. We pulled back and asked ourselves what is important for us and highlighted that in each piece”

Intentionlly designed with every woman in mind, her collection is expertly woven to tell the the story of Tygerian’s heart and passion for clothing woment. Each item in the ensemble meticulously arranged to express her desire to see women in embrace their inner beauty.

Completed with an oval shape in mind, her clothing line is first sketched with the concept of a deconstructed heart. From their, the different pieces take shape. All arranged to represent her story of love.

With an optimistic tone in her voice she recalls,

“This collection was inspired by love. I’m in a really good space. I’m getting older, my kids are getting older. I am enjoying my life right now. I asked myself if I could travel the world, what would that look like? What would those pieces look like? This is why you see this collection today. It’s a little bit of everything, all the pieces of my heart.

The very first piece I created, Yvonne was a lovely black skirt. I am very much a water person and I was thinking about the beach and if I was there going to dinner with my husband, that’s what I would wear. It was my first piece in 2015, and that is where it began.

The theme of love has flowed through many of Tygerians collections. This year, her vision has grown as she shifted into a collection that shifts from just a love of the things her life, to looking at the concept of love glovally. Debuting 01/15/2022, her new All

Season 2022 Collection titled “ What Do You Stand For?”. Reflective of Tygerian’s love for her community, she boldly ask her clientele to stand for something that betters the world around them.

She explains,

“I’m in a place of peace and love. We all stand for love. Love is everything. We should see it in our relationsips, in our passions and in our lives. It’s how we can impact others. I want this collection to ask people how they can make change in the world. We can’t change the world in one day, but we can change it day by day. I want this collection to inspire people to impact the world.”

After a season of traveling and taking a brief break from fashion, coming home to Washington was the catalyst for Tygerian finding her voice again. Charlotte is a place of comfort that helped her to regroup and create again. The warm embrace of being home allowed her to take time to breath so she could de-stress to find the balance in her mind. Tygerian believes decompacting her life was vital to managing everything she had going on. Her latest collection has evolved as a result of personal growth and ability to take in the world without letting the industry get to her. Through this process she has become a better designer by understanding what it takes to maintain her happiness and the joy in just being herself.

“For so many years I kept myself in a box. I wanted to be mainstream, like every other designer out there. I am not afraid to take risk now, to take chances. Now when you look at my designs you know its me”

Learning a lot over the last 6 years, the most important thing Tygerian has learned is to love herself.

“As a young designer, you can get so occupied trying to do everything. How can I get this done? Wondering if I can get this done, timelines for this, deadlines for that. Just breathe and remember nothing happens when you are not being the best person that you can be and knowing that you have to take time for yourself. You have to take care of yourself. I remember many a night that I cried. It’s going to be ok. At the end of the day it all works out as long as you know that when you are at your best, you can put your best out there. Loving yourself is really what it’s all about”

Learning that Tygerian’s soul is even more beautiful then the garments she creates, we wait in expectation of next seasons expressions of her heart.