A.J.: Your Favorite Fashionista

AJ is a fashion designer with a great deal of talent and flare. All of his work is 100% authentic and original which is not something that you often find nowadays amongst the fashion world. He has traveled and has gotten so much experience and I believe as an artist, experience gives you the best outlook. His work is fun, trendy, sassy, and fits the description of a diva if you ask me. While looking through AJ's profile, I saw that a lot of his work contained a wide range of exotic prints ( shoes and dresses). Definitely runway worthy!! A lot of the things that women look for as far as designs and the cut of either a shoe or a dress is definitely in his blueprints. His contribution to millions of peoples daily wardrobe will soon be appreciated and noticed. AJ is so creative that he will soon create his own lane and give a new definition to the word "Fashion". Good luck with all of your ventures! Sky is the limit, AJ.

I got the opportunity to speak with AJ and get some background:

1) What inspired you to get involved in fashion design? How long have you been doing it ? "I have always had a magnetic attraction to fashion and design, both separately and together. I find it really fascinating that the way we dress can reflect our current state of mind, our emotions. It is a way to present yourself to the world, and to make a bold statement without speaking a word. I’ve been drawing since I could hold a pencil in my hand. My grandmother tells the story about when she was babysitting me as a young toddler, she gave me pencils and paper to keep me occupied. She asked me to draw her an apple, and when she saw what I had drawn, she was shocked to see a very detailed drawing of an apple with a worm coming out of the side. So, I guess I’ve always had the inclination to create art. I never stopped, and so my interests in fashion and illustration eventually kind of meshed together on their own. It’s something that relaxes me and feeds my spirit."

2) Is this a career or a hobby? "It had always been a hobby of mine. Something to keep me from going crazy, something that came naturally to me. But I’m excited to say that right now, I’m working on making it into a career. I actually studied nursing after I was denied acceptance to the design school of my dreams right out of high school. I went on to become a nurse, and really enjoyed helping others. I found it super interesting but the mounting stress/anxiety took a toll on me and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was in the wrong field of work. I don’t regret it, because I learned so much about life on that journey. So one day, I quit my job as a nurse and flew to Japan/Europe on a whim to do some soul searching. On this trip, I realized that I was still meant for fashion and I moved to NYC not long after. I was just recently accepted to the Fashion Design program at FIT here in Manhattan and could not be more thrilled. Everything is happening in the right time and I am so elated to see what will unfold in the future."

3) What are your greatest strengths as a designer? "It’s hard to say, but I have been told that people enjoy the contrast of my interpretations of fluidity and movement compared to sharp, pointed geometric lines. I really enjoy creating new, crazy patterns and print work in my illustrations. I feel confident with my illustrative skills, but there really is so much more to know about fashion. I look forward to expanding that knowledge to create the best possible product for my future clients."

4) What should everyone expect from you this year ? "You should expect to see a lot more illustrative work on my Instagram feed. Also, expect to see garments coming to life as I learn more about the craft and skill of garment manufacture. I’m very excited, so please stay tuned. :)"

To see more work from AJ, follow him on instagram @neverontheground