Meet Cierra Boyd, the self-taught designer behind the brand FRISKMEGOOD. Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, Cierra learned concepts of design from her father and by watching YouTube videos. She attended Ohio University in 2017, majoring in retail merchandising and fashion product development, and she is now working on her masters in the Business of Fashion at LIM college in addition to running her brand.
Cierra Boyd founded FRISKMEGOOD as a brand dedicated to producing handmade, upcycled pieces. Cierra was recently presented with the challenge of using materials outside of fabrics for a design competition in her city and then, it came to her…and her sneaker corset was born.
I’m quite intrigued by the concept at hand. Did you come up with the idea by just deconstructing a pair of shoes? Also, how does the creation process work?
I came up with the idea for my first design competition in my hometown this February called FashionMania 2k19. I had three challenges and one of the challenges was to create a piece without using any fabric. The pressure was really on because I signed up for the competition with only a month to complete all three challenges and I was so stuck on the “no fabric challenge”, and I was starting to stress out about what I wanted to do. One night while I was brainstorming, I had Vice playing in the background and an episode came on about a guy who reconstructed sneakers into gas masks came on and I was instantly inspired. I emailed one of the judges to ask if shoes would be okay to use and she said yes. From there I started deconstructing the shoes to see if I could make a top but it ended up looking better as a corset instead. As far as my creation process, I usually go thrifting for shoes or get shoes donated to me from friends and family. I shop for vintage runners because I love that 90’s-2000’s athletic aesthetic. I give each corset their own individualized feel and try to use as much of the shoe as I can in order to waste as little material as possible.
When I came across your Instagram, I immediately thought this is so freaking dope. Like who would of thought of making sneakers into corsets? Why the decision to use sneakers and other shoes?
I use sneakers because I’ve always had a passion for upcycling since I began taking design seriously. I used to have to work with the resources I had when I first began designing because I couldn’t afford the fancy materials I really wanted. My attic was my main source for upcycling pieces because it was almost like I had a thrift store in my own home. My first prototype for the original shoe corset was created using my dad’s old white sneakers he wasn’t using any more. I think its important to recreate something that’s doesn’t have any use to someone anymore and turn it into something that someone else would love again.
Do you sell solely through Depop? Is a website in the works?
As of right now I am selling my merchandise solely on Depop because most of my sales consist of people who find me on there. I am launching a website in 2020 solely dedicated to my upcycled designs. There will be a full inventory of my shoe corsets and more. I have tons of editorials in the works to be able to provide the best aesthetics possible for my new site.
“I can’t rely on the fast fashion giants of the world to make a change in the way we create, it is up to emerging designers to lead the way for the design world and really try to problem solve about how we can make a positive change in the future.”
-Cierra Boyd, Designer of FRISKMEGOOD
What’s the story behind the name “FRISKMEGOOD”?
After graduating in 2017, I was so overwhelmed with the post-grad blues because I had such a hard time finding employment. I desperately needed a creative outlet with purpose to express myself. My dream was to be a fashion designer and own my own clothing line. The only thing that was stopping me at the time was figuring out a name for my business. Then it hit me, FRISKMEGOOD. I had been using FMG as my social media tag since starting my Instagram. I got the name from listening to a Rihanna song called Rockstar, the lyrics say, “Make sure you frisk me good, check my panties and my bra.” When I realized my brand identity had been right under my nose the entire time, that’s when FRISKMEGOOD™ was born. My mission was to express my personal style while staying true to goal of sustainability. With limited funds and resources, I had no choice but to work with things that already existed to create something new.
I noticed in your Instagram bio a phrase that states, “sustainable fashion from the future”. Can you elaborate more on that?
I like to think of my clothing line as a revolution for the future of design. As of right now, I am a one-woman business and I take my time hand-making each corset one by one and using the resources in my neighborhood to create a more sustainable reality. I can’t rely on the fast fashion giants of the world to make a change in the way we create, it is up to emerging designers to lead the way for the design world and really try to problem solve about how we can make a positive change in the future. So when I say sustainable fashion from the future, I am referring to taking antiquated fashion concepts and revamping it into something refreshing with a futuristic street feel to it that also reduces our carbon footprint on the planet.
Who would you love to see rocking one of your corsets?
Two people I would absolutely love to see in a corset are Rihanna and Rico Nasty. Of course, Rihanna is a huge inspiration and influence for my line. I came up with the name for my business from one of her songs, so it would be an absolute honor if she wore one of my corsets. She’s such a boss and I’ve always admired her and what she does to support other women of color. I also love Rico Nasty’s style. I feel like she’s one of the most fashionable upcoming female artists and I feel like it would be so perfect on her. I also love that she’s paving a way for other alternative female rappers. Her music is also super relatable to me, she’s definitely one of my favorite artists right now.
What are the plans for Frisk Me Good in 2020?
In 2020, I have plans on growing FRISKMEGOOD™ into a globally known brand. I have some really dope projects and designs I plan on releasing next year involving recycling shoes and other materials that may other wise be wasted. I’ll also be putting on my annual spring, summer, and fall fashion shows as well as traveling to other shows next year. I hope to gain more recognition as an eco conscious emerging designer and over all grow as a brand that values sustainability. I want to take upcycling to the next level in 2020 and come up with new ways to innovate in the world of fashion.
It doesn’t get more sustainable and creative than this! Visit her Depop shop here.