Today we’d like to introduce you to India Charles.
India, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
God presented me with my gift and made me aware at the young age of 11 years old. This was also how old I was when I moved to Dallas, Tx from New Orleans, La. I had no choice but to attend a new school in a new state due to a catastrophic event that had damaged my entire life.
When my family relocated, we didn’t have much leaving us to go to donation sites and anywhere that would give us things until my mom was able to figure it out. We often visited flea markets where I remember it always being so busy so everyone would split up. It was there I experienced the feeling of being able to pick out my own clothing, and it was great because I needed new clothes for school. After being in and out of school for half the year, my mom had decided that Dallas was a better option and I ended my fourth-grade year at an Elementary school in Garland, Tx.
It was there I attended a school that would allow me to express myself more by wearing what I chose to which was convenient due to me approaching my early teen years. This was new for me because I was used to attending Catholic schools where everyone is told to dress a certain way and everyone looks the same. There was no identity, however, this was all that I knew. Don’t get me wrong I definitely dressed my uniform up and even had my name stitched into my vest and button-downs.
But this experience allowed me to play with clothes and learn how to make things look good. For the next 3 to 4 years, I experimented with various looks and styles that by the time I made it to high school, I had my own identity. My mom, family and friends and I had made it in Dallas, they all supported my fashion habits and visions, and would always ask me for my fashion advice. My older brother was entering his last year in high school and would always have me pick out his outfit for the next day, and my mom would always give me money to shop. For every new school year, she would take me shopping to make sure I was getting great pieces at an affordable price. Me and my friends would always talk about our new clothes and potential outfits for the year.
I took a sewing class with hopes of becoming a fashion designer and soon realized it wasn’t necessarily the route I wanted to go but I knew that fashion had always been my calling so I stayed in the class and figure I should attest know how to make my own pieces. It would still be a part of the process right? In addition to taking a sewing class, I also joined a fashion club that would meet up after school and discuss nothing other than… FASHION. we would create more clothing and exchange clothing with each other, but the club didn’t last very long. Most of the members were upperclassmen and once they graduated there wasn’t enough members to keep it going. I would still dress in my favorite pieces and even became known around the school for being able to dress and always having the cutest things. If we had the best dress award show, I’m sure I would have won that. I was pretty popular with everyone because I did sports and at my high school, you had to be a part of something if you wanted to be known. This helped with getting my style out there even more. I got my first sewing machine and this allowed me to make clothing at home. Shopping was always something me and my mom would do together, and I would even wear her clothes at school, hah. Growing up with the start of social media and technology, it was easy for me to show off my personal style to family back home, and friends I had made in Texas that may not have even attended my school.
After graduating high school in 2014 and sitting out a year to really figure out what field I wanted to go into I decided to attend a College in Downtown Dallas for Fashion/Design for four years earning my Bachelor’s in Merchandise Marketing/Management May 2019. It was there I made connections, and they even helped me get internships with some of there biggest names in Dallas. I did fashion & trade shows, tv shows, and advertising photoshoots. This is when I decided to start styling, and would do it for extra money. I also worked retail while attending college and worked my way up from Visual merchandiser to being a GM. This gave me a lot of insight on product development to actually being on the floor, marketing, budgets and being able to strategize in an unpredictable field. Finishing School I realized I wanted to be more on the business side of the fashion world so I stepped into the buying field. I began interning for boutique owners where I gained more insight into trade shows and working market. I learned everything from negotiating to purchase orders & etc.
Currently, I’m still working as a GM but I also have launched my own styling service where I want to help people that aren’t quite sure of how to put things together or that may need just a little bit of help with finding their personal style out. I also help with styling for lifestyle events, photoshoots, editorial concepts, etc.
Has it been a smooth road?
I would say no, it hasn’t always been smooth for me because I’m my worst critic and I do feel that I’m hard on myself a lot of the time. I am always wondering about what I haven’t done instead of realized how much I have done. I do struggle with not being able to always have inspiration and would get really stressed out about it. I have learned that nothing should be forced though, and this always gets me through knowing that things will come to me in due time. I also read magazines daily and scroll through Instagram which gives me a great amount of inspiration in addition to everyday streetwear.
The fashion field is always evolving quickly, so I’m constantly having to stay on top of things when it comes to new trends, colors, fads, styles, and even the economic changes as well, but I am an intellect so doing research has never been something I would feel forced to do.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
India Le is more than providing style at an affordable price. It is also fashion consulting, editorial, personal & wardrobe styling, closet cleanout & organization, and fashion knowledge to those that want to be stylish and fashion-forward.
India Le is my brand, but India Le is also my name so with that being said, I have to operate very cautiously in whatever I do to put my name into. When I am approached by clients, the first thing I do is listen to them. I think that when speaking about style not everyone realizes that style is one’s own personal vision or manner of doing something therefore not everyone will have the same style. What works for you today may not work for the person standing next to you, and that is where I come in. I listen to my clients and understand what they wanting and give them just that however, I am making it more fashionable for them.
Granite there are clients that may not know what they are wanting at all and I can help with that as well. I’m willing to learn who they are and as a person and their comfort zones and go from there.
I pride myself on being able to offer remarkable style while working with any budget.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Dallas is a great place for someone starting out because it is constantly growing and it allows you to grow with the city. This city is located in a state that doesn’t fall far behind New York and California on a top 5 list. You just have to be motivated and believe in yourself enough to put yourself out there and know that you have something worth wanting. There is access to so many businesses and startups right under your nose in Dallas.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 469-612-2039
- Email: indialestyle@yahoo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indiaa.le/
Image Credit:
Viraha Haze Photography, FEH Studio
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