Today we’d like to introduce you to Morgan Daniel.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Morgan. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Fashion has been in my blood since I was a little girl. What really got me into fashion was watching my mom sew a button back on to one of her blazers before work, and quite naturally I wanted to be like my mom, so I cut up a piece of one of my shirts, got a needle and thread and started making random stitches. From there, I started drawing, a talent I acquired from my grandfather and immediately wanted to become a fashion designer. One Christmas, my parents got me a project runway kit complete with drawing templates and a singer sewing machine with swatches of fabric and a whole bunch of embellishments. I still have a love for physically creating and still have a desire to own a clothing line, but as I got older and started dressing better, I started wondering about what other aspects there are in fashion and stumbled upon styling.
My first hand at styling was really a fashion show I was a part of my Senior year in high school, which led me to found the fashion club at my high school (not sure if it’s still running or not). The turning point for me was really when I started school at the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD). From a very young age, I knew I wasn’t going to an HBCU and I knew I wouldn’t be doing a “typical job”. In the course work for Fashion Marketing majors, we have to produce our own content 90% of the time and that’s really what started me doing and creating photoshoots regularly, beyond my class assignments. Currently, I serve as the Fashion Editor to SCAD’s digital fashion publication, The Manor, where I create my own content and oversee all editorial content that gets published.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
For the most part, it has been pretty smooth, it’s just been a matter pinpointing exactly what I wanted to do. Like any creative, I get in my head about concepts or about the level of execution of projects, but some of the best things happen on accident and that’s definitely been the case for some of my projects. When I first started at SCAD, I had to navigate by myself pretty much with finding models, sourcing clothing, and mainly creating a concept that hasn’t been done before, but I’ve acquired a pretty solid support system amongst my friends and family. It’s always important to have someone in your circle who can bring you back down to earth and that you can talk to when you feel like you can’t find the solution to a problem, especially when it comes to the art we create since we’re harder on ourselves. Like I said before, photoshoots and content creation are a great deal of the work for Fashion Marketing students, so in the beginning it was kind of hard figuring out how I would differentiate myself and for people to see who I am and what I do. What I will say is that if you’re passionate enough about what you do, then the challenges or the things you think that are challenging will start to be easier to overcome.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am my business. I’m a huge advocate for self-branding and selling yourself. Currently, I am a wardrobe stylist & creative director for any of your content creation/visual needs, whether that’s digital/print or films like movies or music videos. I’m known for coming up with concepts that might make you say “well why this?” in which I respond, “why not? It hasn’t been done before”. I’ve made it a personal goal of mine to have a well-rounded portfolio not only in the medium but also the representation which is why I use models who aren’t traditional model standards, either by skin color, height, or body image. I’m also known for having a video component go along with my photoshoots, just to immerse the audience more into the story that I’ve created, as every concept I’ve come up with has a story so that the models are able to get more into it.
The thing that I’m most proud about is my level of execution. I’m my biggest cheerleader, but also my biggest critic and doubter. No matter the project, I always execute the vision that I had and if not, we reshoot or it doesn’t get published. I will never sacrifice my vision and how it’s executed for the sake of anything. As an artist, representation matters and your work is a representation of you and what you offer and I only want the best. I’m also proud of the name that I’ve made for myself and the establishment that I’ve made in the past three years, which is crazy because it doesn’t even feel like three years! Quite frankly, what sets me apart is that I’m the tall, black girl in heels (I always wear heels) on campus who’s always on a photoshoot or video set and makes a statement every time.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I define success as inspiring others and sending a message through visuals that resonate with the audience. I get inspired by things daily either by Pinterest, a song, a color, a person- anything and I want to be that person for other people. I want to show that literally anything is possible if you want it bad enough – not to sound cliche, but it’s so true and you only get out what you put in. The thing that warms me the most is when someone is able to understand my vision and the story without me having to explain anything. When that happens, of course, I feel successful, but also when I see how many shares my posts about my work get on Instagram, that’s also gratifying for me since fashion, and art in general, is such a saturated space.
Pricing:
- Wardrobe Styling – $150 (for head to toe styling & sourcing)
- Creative Direction- $50/hr
Contact Info:
- Website: www.morganmckensey.com
- Email: morgan.mckensey@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/morganmckensey
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morganmckensey/
Image Credit:
The Tennis Court Shoot: Photographer- Kayleigh Mooreland, BTS Photographer- Kristina Pinero, Models- Asia Davis and Maria Motta; The Durag Shoot (houndstooth): Photographer- Morgan Kitchen, Models- Lauren Kenya and Michael Ogburu; Photo of girl in red tweed blazer: Photographer- Kayleigh Mooreland, Model- Sally Bloom; Photo of girl in green dress on steps- Photographer- Melissa Chilson, Model- Sophia MacMaster
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