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Timeekah Murphy

Source: Mark Hill / Mark Hill

After serving 12 years in the Army, Timeekah Murphy traded in her fatigues for a sewing machine and luxury fabrics. The designer, who launched her brand Alani Taylor in 2016, developed a talent for crafting signature genderless pieces that tied both high-fashion and street wear together.

Timeekah’s unique pieces have garnered the attention of lots of celebrities. From Beyoncé Knowles and Cardi B. to Karrueche Tran and Nick Cannon, the streets are talking about the latest designer to make waves in the fashion industry. HelloBeautiful chopped it up with Timeekah to learn more about how she got started, her aesthetic as an LGBTQ designer, and what’s next for the luxury brand.

Timeekah’s quest to stand out led her to develop the creative muscle for clothing design. “I started making clothes in 2010 when I was in the Army. I was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas and I didn’t want to look like everyone else so I taught myself how to sew. I would teach myself on the weekends after duty until it became second nature to me,” she said in an exclusive interview with HelloBeautiful.

After years of practice, Timeekah launched a clothing line named after her daughter, Alani Taylor. If you think her intricate designs blur the gender lines, then you might be onto something. Timeekah’s androgynous style is reflected in a lot of her pieces.

“I design based on myself. I am a masculine female that wanted to find a way to represent myself, not as a feminine woman or a woman trying to look like a man. I know who I am and I know how I need to look to feel comfortable. So I created a brand that has no boundaries or placed [people] in a box of what people say fashion should be. There is no gender in my brand. You’re either fly or you’re not.”

Timeekah Murphy

Source: Timeekah Murphy / Timeekah Murphy

While the Alani Taylor Brand caters to the street style aficionado, they’ve also entered the world of red carpet fashion. At this year’s Grammy Awards Show, rapper DaBaby created his own step and repeat so that his daughter and mother could walk the red carpet. His daughter was dressed in a gold gown designed by Timeekah. She’s also dressed Kash Doll, Karrueche Tran, but by far the most notable was Beyoncé Knowles for Black is King.

“I did a collab fashion show in 2019 called The Zenith Experience that Nick Cannon hosted for us, and we showcased a collection that caught the eye of Beyonce’s stylist Zerina, who we had worked within the past. She asked for the whole collection to be sent to her and she chose her favorite pieces and next thing you know our finale piece was on the big screen along with a few other pieces. It was mind-blowing.”

“Besides designing for Beyoncé and Cardi B. I’ve been able to work with other major people. I designed the full wardrobe for DaBaby’s music video Lonely, and Paris Hilton’s last project. Being able to be a part of something like that are highlights to me. I said once I designed for Beyoncé I’ve hit my peak. I just didn’t know it would be so soon in my career… So now I’m just having fun.”

 

Celebrity Sightings In Los Angeles - December 22, 2018

Source: Hollywood To You/Star Max / Getty

2019 MTV Video Music Awards - Roaming Show

Source: Kevin Mazur / Getty

Timeekah’s talent for taking complex fabrics and morphing them into gorgeous garments has set her apart from other designers. She’s in a league of her own. As she gears up for a successful 3rd and 4th quarter, Timeekah plans on ending the year with a bang.

“I’m in the works of starting my showroom in Atlanta and expanding my company The Zenith Experience. The mission is to help other creatives have a platform to show their gifts to the world. I want to continue to work with major people and building my portfolio in the industry. I have a collection coming out soon with Jah Cherise called KopyCat that’s going to be insane.”

You can keep up with Timeekah Murphy via her personal Instagram page. You can also follow her business account.

 

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