Most girls grow up playing dress-uptrying on their mother's clothes and trying out their makeup. For senior Arielle St. Pe, however, fashion has always been as much about substance as it has been style, and approached as a means of artistic expression.
The apparel textile merchandising major says the creation of a clothing item from fabric and then combining it with other fashion elements is, in its essence, creating art and telling a story using the completed outfit.
St. Pe's approach and vision led the Brandon native to an internship with prestigious designer Ralph Lauren last summer in New York City. During her internship, she worked with the organization's creative director and creative stylist in putting together photo shoots and styling outfits on set.
Since returning from New York, she also has developed a line of handmade jewelry that combines vintage pieces, coins, seashells, and a variety of other elements to create rings, necklaces, bracelets, and hair accessories which she sells in local boutiques under the name Ocean City Gems.
"Being at Ralph Lauren helped me grow and develop the tools necessary to do what I love to do," St. Pe said. "It was great to be able to take everything I have learned at Mississippi State and apply it in a professional environment and now turn it into a small business."