Today we’d like to introduce you to Leanna Blake.
Hi Leanna, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
From the very beginning… I knew it was up to me.
Not because life was easy.
Not because anyone handed me opportunities.
But because even as a child, I understood that the life I imagined would only become real if I created it.
Choice by choice. Day by day. Breath by breath.
My childhood wasn’t gentle.
I faced ups and downs that could have broken me, but instead, they pushed me into a world of imagination.
And in that world, I found my refuge.
Drawing. Creating. Seeing beauty where pain lived.
My art wasn’t just a talent it was my armor. My protection. My lifeline.
As I grew and moved to Florida, people saw something in me, my style, my swag, the way I carried myself.
That confidence wasn’t born from ease; it was born from survival.
It was the young girl inside me saying,
“I believe in myself, no matter what the world says.”
In 2005, I stepped into styling professionally.
People asked me to style them because they could see the vision in me.
Fashion became the bridge between who I had been and who I was becoming.
Every mall, every store that didn’t reflect my vision pushed me deeper into sketching my own designs.
The paper became my runway… and my promise to myself.
Then life delivered a turning point, one that came with pain but also transformation.
With the state’s help, I moved to Atlanta in 2010 after a difficult domestic situation.
But instead of breaking, I rebuilt.
I taught myself how to sew. I learned fabrics. I studied the business of fashion. I studied purpose. I started a cleaning business to fund my dream. Every dollar I earned became an investment back into PulchrCouture.
Back into the woman I knew I was destined to become.
And then… in 2022… everything changed.
On November 13, 2022, I had one of the biggest moments of my career, one of my Biggest Fashion Shows.
A moment of triumph. A moment where my dreams walked the runway.
But the very next day, November 14, 2022, I was in a devastating car accident. My parents were told I would be paralyzed… like Superman. That I might never walk again. That the woman I had worked so hard to become could be gone.
And while I was fighting for my life, unconscious, my husband at the time… was upping my life insurance death benefits, hoping I wouldn’t survive. He was also kicking my children out of our home.
When I was released from the hospital a week later, I was told that he hadn’t paid the mortgage in almost over a year,
and that I was about to be kicked out of my own home. And yet… through all of that… I learned to speak again.
To walk again. To feed myself again. Every basic thing you take for granted, I had to relearn.
But I did it.
Because I am a warrior.
Because God always has the last say.
Because no betrayal, no accident, no challenge can define me if I refuse to be defeated.
And through that storm, I found even more strength.
I found clarity.
I found courage.
I filed for divorce.
I reclaimed my life.
I reclaimed my home.
I reclaimed myself.
Today, I stand before you as Queen Glitterati — Leanna Blake:
Fashion stylist. Creator. Designer. Author. Inventor. Investor.
Award-winning in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
But more than that…
I stand as a survivor.
A woman who refused to give up.
A woman who turned pain into purpose.
A woman who walked again… spoke again… lived again… when the world said she wouldn’t.
My message to you is this:
Your story does not end where your pain begins.
Your struggle is not your identity.
Your imagination is not an escape, it is a blueprint.
Your faith and your resilience can carry you through the impossible.
When you decide to rise, when you refuse to be defeated,
God, the universe, and your inner warrior rise with you.
I am living proof.
If I can overcome everything meant to break me,
so can you.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I was very unhappy as a child and faced many ups and downs.
I often escaped into my imagination to cope with the world around me.
I had to be my own protector from a very young age.
I struggled with self-doubt and had to learn to compete only against my own fears.
I had limited resources to pursue my vision.
I had to work hard to establish credibility in fashion and styling from a young age.
I went through a difficult domestic situation with my ex-husband, which forced me to relocate—first to Florida, and later to Atlanta.
I had to rebuild my life multiple times after each move.
I often didn’t see the fashion I wanted in stores, which pushed me to create my own designs.
I had to fund my fashion dreams while running a cleaning business.
I taught myself how to sew, understand fabrics, and study the fashion business on my own.
After my Big Fashion Show on November 13, 2022, my life changed forever.
On November 14, 2022, I was in a severe car accident.
My parents were told I might be paralyzed, and I faced life-altering consequences.
I had to relearn basic functions—walking, speaking, and feeding myself.
While I was fighting for my life unconscious, my husband at the time increased my life insurance benefits, hoping I wouldn’t survive.
He also kicked my children out of our home.
When I was released from the hospital, I discovered he hadn’t paid the mortgage in nearly a year, and I was at risk of losing my home.
I filed for divorce after the accident while still recovering from life-threatening injuries.
I had to overcome doubt, fear, and trauma from multiple life-altering events.
I balanced motherhood, my career, and my own healing at the same time.
I rebuilt my independence, emotionally, financially, and professionally, despite betrayal and hardship.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I chose artist/creative because creating has always been central to my professional life.
I specialize in high fashion, serve as a creative director, and work on red carpet events. One of my proudest moments was designing a blazer for a male songwriter that he wore to the Grammys. My career reflects how dedication, artistry, and business skills can transform a vision into a thriving, multi-faceted professional journey.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Being a New Yorker, one thing I notice in Atlanta is that sometimes people focus more on appearances or wanting to be “somebody” without putting in the hard work. Back home, we’re direct… if we like you, you know it; if we don’t, you know that too. When it comes to business, Atlanta has amazing energy and talent, but I do wish there was a little more authenticity sometimes.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pulchrcouture?igsh=MTNzZ2U1cDk3c3Zweg==
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@queenglitterati?_r=1&_t=ZP-91XVBAxvMFz
