[INTERVIEW] BRITTANY BYRD

Brittany Byrd dyed her brows pink, drew over her tote with crank markers and recently designed Lil Uzi Vert’s tour merchandise.

The LA-raised creative moved to New York to join the elite at Parsons Design School, majoring in Strategic Design and Management. She’s currently working on releasing her own fashion line, ‘Levent – Merch Run 001’, set to drop in the fall. The merch is far from the usual start-up gear such as tees and caps; the designer intends to release a collection of diverse, hand-crafted items with Japanese influence. Her Instagram page is fast becoming a go-to for organic combinations of thrift shop must-haves and luxury statement pieces.

B is also well-known for her ride-or-die relationship with rising rap artist Lil Uzi Vert. The fashion designer recently featured in his music video for ‘Money Longer’ in which she’s taken hostage and of course, (after a fast gun chase at the rally), is rescued by young Uzi.

We caught up with Brittany to talk spirituality, her upcoming projects and the importance of knowing yourself…

When did you begin styling?
I started mad young while I was in high school, people were telling me all the time, “You dress so crazy.” To me it wasn’t really crazy because it was myself but I had an early interest in fashion so I actually started sending out emails to different people I wanted to intern with and then one publication answered me back. It was a start up magazine at the time called Kode Magazine and I worked closely with the editor Alan Troy and became the fashion director of that magazine for two years. From there I did mostly editorial work and freelanced for other publications and I liked it. Then I did some personal styling too but they’re two completely different ones. I like editorial way better than personal styling.

What is the difference between fashion and style?
Style is identity and fashion would be the intention. I’ve always loved sneakers just because that’s what was comfortable to me. That’s what made me feel cool regardless of other girls. In New York I would wear the same clothes I would run the streets in all day vs. the club going girls who are in there with spandex and heels on… I’m like “Yoooo, that’s cool for them but I’m going to rock out this way.”