Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Orinthia Carter of Marietta

Orinthia Carter shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Orinthia, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What are you chasing, and what would happen if you stopped?
What I’m truly chasing is the woman God created me to be, the better version of myself who walks with strength, grace, and divine purpose. I’m chasing the alignment of faith and ambition, because I know the foundation of everything I do must be rooted in my relationship with Him.

Right now, I’m chasing my future, my higher self, the version of me that God has already designed. I’m chasing my business, nurturing it into a legacy that carries not only my dreams but also the vision my grandmother once held in her heart. Her dream, her love, and the sacrifices of those who came before me will live on through the impact of my work.

I’ve realized that if I lean only on Him, if I put Him first, then everything, my business, my growth, my vision, will unfold exactly as it’s meant to. Just as Jeremiah 1:5 reminds us: “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I set you apart.”

But what would happen if I stopped?

If I stopped chasing, the vision God placed inside of me would remain only a dream. The seeds my grandmother planted would never grow into the garden she imagined. The sacrifices of those who came before me would be left unfinished, their hopes unfulfilled.

If I stopped, I would silence the voice of my higher self, the woman God created me to become. I would step out of alignment with the purpose He set apart for me before I was even born.

But the truth is, I cannot stop. Because what I’m building isn’t just for me, it’s for the legacy of my family, for the women who will come after me, for every dreamer who needs proof that faith and hard work manifest destiny.

Stopping would mean letting fear win. But I wasn’t created for fear I was created to walk in faith. And so, I keep going.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Orinthia Carter, Founder and Creative Director of Orinthia Design LLC, a luxury couture fashion house specializing in bespoke bridal gowns, couture eveningwear, and custom garments designed to reflect the highest version of one’s self., if you can imanage it wre can creat it.

What makes Orinthia Design unique is that it is more than a brand, it is a legacy. My journey began generations ago in Jamaica, where my great-grandmother passed her artistry down to my grandfather, who opened the first tailor shop in our family. Today, I honor that vision by weaving heritage, craftsmanship, and divine purpose into every garment.

Each piece is a work of art, hand-beaded with Swarovski crystals and pearls, adorned with intricate lace, and sculpted from fabrics sourced across the world. But beyond technique, my mission is spiritual: to create garments that embody grace, power, and purpose. I believe fashion is not only about what we wear, but about how it transforms us into who we are meant to become.

Currently, I am expanding the reach of Orinthia Design across the U.S. and internationally, partnering with brides and clients who seek not just couture, but legacy. My vision is simple yet profound: to design garments that reflect your higher self and to leave an imprint of elegance and purpose for generations to come.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
What I Believed as a Child That I No Longer Believe

As a child, I believed I was unloved. When my mother married my stepfather and moved to America to create a better life, leaving me and my siblings behind, my heart translated that sacrifice as abandonment. As the oldest, I carried the weight of responsibility for my family, but deep down, I carried the lie that I was not worthy of love.

For years, when I looked in the mirror, I only saw fear, the little girl who believed she wasn’t enough. But God had written a different truth over my life. As I drew closer to Him, opened my heart to forgiveness, and immersed myself in His Word, I realized my parents did the best they could. I also came to see that my stepfather has been a true blessing, a man whose qualities I now pray for in my own husband one day. And even in the moments I felt unseen, I know now that God never left me.

Scripture reminds me: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness” (Jeremiah 31:3). The love I once thought I lacked was always there—it was God’s love, steadfast and unshakable.

Today, I no longer believe I am unworthy. I know I am chosen, set apart, and deeply loved by the One who formed me. I am no longer the scared little girl staring back at me in the mirror. I am a woman of faith, clothed in grace, strength, and divine purpose.

Extremely proud of the woman I am today because all those trials and tribulation everything that I taught was to ruin me have made me who I am

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
What Suffering Taught Me That Success Never Could

Suffering taught me faith. It taught me to trust God more deeply, to put nothing and no one before Him, and to anchor myself in His Word. It pushed me to fast, to pray, and to be still, reminded that He is God, and that He created me with purpose.

Suffering revealed that pain is not the end, but the beginning of transformation. Through pain comes rebirth. Through trials comes refinement. Suffering showed me that success without struggle is shallow, because it is in the breaking that God does His greatest rebuilding.

What success could never teach me, suffering did: that life will bring pain, but if I hold fast to who He is, I will rise from it stronger, wiser, and closer to the woman God designed me to be. Suffering is not my enemy, it is part of the journey, shaping me for the legacy I am called to build.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes, the public version of me is the real me. My social media reflects both my personal and professional life. I share my morning routines, prayer, meditation, yoga, Pilates, gym time, and hiking because caring for my body and soul grounds me in discipline and purpose. I also share my family, vacations, and glimpses of my love life, because I want my clients to see the woman behind the brand.

Of course, social media only reveals pieces of our lives. While my family may look perfect in photos, we are a work in progress, and in due time, I pray we’ll continue growing into that perfection. For me, authenticity matters. Behind the gowns, the photoshoots, and the business, I am simply a woman walking in faith, learning and evolving, just doing my best.

My website is focused on only on my brand, but my social media bridges both worlds. It allows people to know me not just as a designer, but as a daughter, a partner, a friend, a gardener , a hiker and the woman i am becoming. I am not perfect, but I am becoming the woman God created me to be.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
Am I Doing What I Was Born to Do—or What I Was Told to Do?

I believe I am doing what I was born to do. Out of more than 40 cousins, only two of us carried on the trade, the vision the gift. Myself and my younger cousin, Sanjay. That in itself feels divine, as if this calling was placed on me with intention. If I don’t continue, my great-grandmother’s legacy, the seed she planted ,would fade. I believe it is my job to make her dream a reality. Everyone before me did their best but i do believe God is calling to make what we all thought was a hobby and we love is actually our legacy.

Many of my aunts, uncles and mommy has worked for major fashion companies that influence the world in design , and while their paths are successful, mine is different. I chose not to simply follow a company, but to honor the dream , the passion my great-grandmother has that has been passed down to my grandpa he raised seven kids and built a business. i love what i do but i dream of only to create gowns that reflect one’s higher self, the true reflection of what a person is.

For me, fashion is more than fabric—it’s transformation. Every gown is a reflection of survival, resilience, and the love that God placed within us. When a woman steps into one of my creations, she is not just wearing a garment; she is stepping into her higher self, carrying every chapter of her story with grace and power.

This isn’t what I was told to do—it’s what I was born to do. It’s legacy. It’s purpose. It’s faith in fabric, stitched into every piece.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://orinthiadesign.com
• Instagram: orinthiadesign
• Facebook: orinthiadesign
• Other: tik tok
  orinthiadesign

Image Credits
Sashoy Pitts
Kyrie
Sean East
@thesakuramuse
CARLEY DAVID
@ jacqueline.h
Lauren Sutton
@courtneyalexiss
Orinthia Carter
Nadine
Tracy A. Bourgeois
Charles Bourgeois