Southern Creative

Cedric Brown takes on the fashion world

Cedric Brown, 25, is a creative soul. The visual artist and fashion designer has even received international recognition. In 2010, his painting “As the Twig Bends, So the Tree,” was selected for permanent display in St. Petersburg, Russia. His elegant apparel walked the runways at New York Fashion Week.

Flashback a few years, the Atlanta native had an ambitious dream but needed help to get there. “I’ve been scribbling women’s fashion designs on paper since I was a toddler. My mother who raised me all by herself had a unique sense of style. That’s how I really developed my passion for fashion,” shared Cedric. “By fifth grade, I knew I wanted to be a fashion designer.”

In high school, he took art classes and won several awards. Later, he graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design with a BA in Fashion Design, and completed internships in New York and Hong Kong.

His hard work and talent paid off. He got freelance work with a popular children’s clothing line getting amazing professional design experience. “That’s when I decided to follow my passion and start my business, Cedric Brown Collections,” Cedric said.

He enrolled in Operation HOPE’s Entrepreneur Training Program, which is supported by State Farm, after his cousin went through the program.

“My cousin saw I wanted to start my own business, but I wasn’t completely secure with the concept of running a business,” Cedric explained. “I immediately loved the program. I learned everything from how to structure and run my business to how to market and obtain capital.”

“I was surrounded by entrepreneurs along the same path. We all learned from each other, just as much as we learned from the program.”

Read more at https://newsroom.statefarm.com/entrepreneur-atl/#BjV3apDthlL1fyTo.99