Chantel Booker has always seen herself as creative. It was no surprise that her creativity would land her somewhere big… the Big Apple!
“I’ve always been different,” said the 4th year Apparel & Textile Design student. “I even had an art-based curriculum in high school.”
But she wasn’t always into fashion design. As a student at Detroit’s Cass Technical High School, she was on an automotive design track. She originally envisioned herself designing the color and trim of car interiors, until she created her first clothing piece.
“Learning more about apparels and textiles and being in the classes and producing actual designs is when I was like this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”
Booker entered a contest for Michigan State A&T Design students. Her task– to design a clothing item that reflected why she thought Michigan State was great. Her dress design won her an all-expenses paid trip to New York City for the 2018 Fashion Week.
“I was actually asleep when I won the award,” she said. “My friend called me and was like ‘You won!’, so that was exciting to wake up to.”
Booker used the opportunity to network with MSU alumnus and other contest recipients from across the country, as well as attend many of the shows that went on throughout the week.
“I met young, black people who were in many different fields. It was so inspirational because some of these super successful people are only a couple of years older than me.”