University of Baltimore business student Tishawn Thomas, an Entrepreneurial Fellow and local fashion brand owner, will present Runway Revolution Season 3, an evening of bold and vibrant fashion, creativity, and storytelling, on Saturday, Aug. 16 from 5 to 7 p.m. at 120 W. North Ave., Suite 208. The fashion showcase will feature talented young designers as they unveil their capsule collections developed during a 10-week mentorship program led by Abisola Omoyele (Yelé) Oladeinde, a clothing designer based in Baltimore and the founder of the Yelé Stitches house of design.
Thomas, who is working on her degree in business, transferred to UBalt from Baltimore City Community College, where she earned an associate's degree in fashion design.
"During my time there, I had the opportunity to intern with Yelé. What began as an internship quickly grew into a mentorship. After completing the program, I continued to volunteer with Yelé due to my passion for fashion and community work. A year later, she officially brought me on as her assistant fashion designer. Together, we began teaching summer sewing classes for youth, which have been largely funded through community grants over the past few years."
Thomas says that Yelé "played a pivotal role in encouraging me to continue my education beyond my associate degree." Now, she is deeply involved in the Merrick School's Ratcliffe Entrepreneurship Fellows program and serves a treasurer of the UBalt Bee Skilled student organization. She plans to continue in the school's master's program in Nonprofit Management and Social Entrepreneurship next spring.
"Although I now run my own fashion brand, Black Butterfly by Aaicha, the heart of my work remains in service to the community. Both Yelé and I share a passion for empowering others through teaching and passing on skills that open doors to new opportunities.
"I am not a traditional student. I am a 38-year-old mother of six who never imagined
I would accomplish so much in just the past two years. Thanks to the support from
Yelé and The University of Baltimore, I've been able to grow as a designer, student,
leader, and community member, and I am only just getting started."
Learn more about Runway Revolution Season 3.