Brooklyn Clothing Designer Happy Working Out Of Her Mom's Basement
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It's not where you get your inspiration, it's how you apply it; that's the message a Brooklyn designer wants others to realize.
Felisha Noel works out of her mom's basement in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, but by the looks and sounds of it, you would have no idea it wasn't a traditional designer manufacturer, CBS2's Reena Roy says.
The 32-year-old grew up in the building, but years ago, her mom turned it into a daycare and gave her the lower ground floor so she could run her clothing business, "Fe Noel," out of it.
"I watched her build this business from scratch, and now I'm operating, technically, under that business and making her proud," Felisha Noel said.
"She always had the love for fashion, for clothes," Sonia Noel, Felisha's mom, said. "I remember I had a nightgown, and she changed it into this beautiful dress and I couldn't believe it was the same nightgown she was wearing."
The Brooklyn designer started small, selling her clothes online right to consumers, but over the last seven years, her business has grown.
"I wanted to make beautiful clothes. I wanted to make people feel beautiful, and I had no idea that I could dream that dream," Felisha Noel said.
Her work has appeared in a number of fashion magazines. She's designed shoes for LeBron James' line and clothes for celebrities like Beyoncé and Gabrielle Union and icons like Michelle Obama, who wore one of her designs on a recent book tour.
"Barack probably hugged her in those clothes. Like, he touched our clothes. That is one of my most proudest moments," Felisha Noel said.
Now, she's expanded into Bloomingdale's, recently launching a line of clothes inspired by "The Lion King." She's proud to say the inspiration from it all came from the same place she started her company.
"Being able to be in Bloomingdale's and say that I am working in my mother's basement... It's a humbling experience," Felisha Noel said.
She wants other aspiring designers to realize you don't need much to dream big.
"I started with what I had, and that's what I respect most about this business. I made use of every little thing that was given to me," Felisha Noel said.
She says even as her business continues to grow, right now, she has no plans to leave her mom's basement. It's where she feels the most comfortable.
