I first met Desiree at a graduate school mixer in the summer of 2014. I was so nervous and she was so kind and welcoming. We found that we were taking all the same classes and quickly became fast friends. Desiree was my pillar of stability and support during the two years of graduate school. Whenever I'd stress (which was most days, let's be honest...) she would immediately help me and make everything seem so much easier to figure out. We bonded on the shared experiences of loss, passion to make the world a better place, and fashion. In fact, Desiree is an award-winning scholar in fashion. She probably won't tell you, but she won a Best Paper award at the International Textiles and Apparel Association Conference, which is the biggest in our industry. Desiree cares so passionately about fashion sustainability and making our industry fairer and more ethical and I admire her so much! She is an absolute gem of a human and I am forever grateful to know and love her. Please enjoy her amazing interview.
What is your job title?
I am a Consumer Lending Business Analyst at a Credit Union.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
I am in the Consumer Lending Technology department (small team – 11 of us total), and we manage the Loan Origination System (LOS). The projects that I work on impact the Credit Union as a whole, and it is fulfilling in that I learn something new every day. It is never boring.
What is the most difficult part?
It is difficult for me at times to turn off “work mode” and stop working past 5:30pm each day. Another difficult aspect is saying no to my management team. They have many project requests they want me to complete promptly, which would mean halting my current projects. It is at my discernment to tell them if I have the bandwidth or not. But, to not let anyone down and to not be seen as less-than or incapable, I have a tendency to take on more than I am able to. It has been a work-in-progress, but I am not more confident in my abilities and confident with my voice to say if and when I will complete a project. It is a great feeling.
What can we do to better uplift and support Black women in our workplaces, universities, and communities?
In workplaces, having Black female representation in high positions (management, VPs, etc.) or business-critical roles, and not just supporting roles, would be great for employee morale, loyalty, and retention. To be able to go to these women for support, advice, or to confide in them with any concerns you may have would mean and do so much in regards to support. We wouldn’t feel alone or that our voices are unworthy to be heard.
For universities, having Black professors (male and female) that I can possibly relate to through our shared backgrounds and/or experiences would have made for a more fulfilling academic experience. Through mu entire academic career, I recall only having one Black female professor, and she was for my undergraduate marketing class. There was no representation within any of my programs.
Within my family, my grandmother was seen as the head of my family, the unconditional love, strength, and backbone of the family. I feel that most families within the Black community can say the same. Grandmothers, mothers, or even just the oldest female siblings are expected to be unwavering pillars of strength; holding everything together and finding ways to make everything work, no matter the situation.
How can we be more sustainable in fashion?
I believe the key to being sustainable in fashion, or any industry, is being more conscious of our consumption habits, and companies being more transparent with their business practices. Being aware of the entire life cycle of the product we purchase, beginning in the field or factory to store shelves or your front door, to its eventual disposal. We as consumers are so far-removed from the impacts of our purchasing habits that we don’t understand the environmental or ethical implications. That $5.99 blouse from Forever 21 has a heavy carbon footprint, and is riddled with unsafe working conditions, worker abuse, child labor, and unsafe working conditions – most of which is unknown to the regular consumer. It should be public knowledge available to every consumer which companies participate in unethical business practices so that we can be truly informed when making our purchasing decisions, no matter the industry. With this information, only then can we begin having the conversation of a more sustainable fashion industry overall.
How do you overcome tough moments in life?
In the past, I overcame difficult times through pure willpower. I’m not sure where the energy to pull through came from but I’m quite sure I relied heavily on family and friends. In understanding that it was not the end of the world, although everything seemed to be crumbling around me in those moments, holding onto the notion that the moment was temporary and would not last may have also assisted in getting me through.
Now that I am older, having done a lot of personal growth, I now label these moments as opportunities for growth and learning. I try to uncover what the lesson that needs to be learned, leave the emotion behind, and move forward. I also practice mindfulness and make a point to be present. So, if I feel anxiety coming, I do some breathing exercises to ground myself in the present moment.
What have you learned about yourself the last five years?
With reflection, I’ve realized that I’ve gotten through some of the toughest times in my life. It’s only been a year or so since I have come to understand the type of person that I am – someone who is cheerful, goofy to ensure those around me smile, smart, strong, and caring, just to name a few. For so long I would focus on the things I didn’t have or the person I felt I wasn’t. I didn’t see what others saw in me and never believed the positive and loving things they would say about me.
Why didn’t I have any faith or confidence in myself? Why did I see myself as such a lowly and unworthy person? With reflection, it is easy for me to see that I didn’t love myself and that I cared far too much of what others thought of me. One of the greatest things that came into my life within the pas year was the realization that I no longer wanted to feel that way about myself and that I needed to do some inner work to discern where these negative thoughts were coming from. Since the beginning of this journey of self-discovery, I have come to realize I am capable of accomplishing any- and everything I set my mind and, through this work, I am healing myself mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. It is a daily labor of love and monitoring my thoughts and emotions, but I am the happiest, calmest, and most confident I have ever been and I expect nothing but great things from myself in the years to come.
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