Meet Faith Crawford | Visionary, Designer, & Stylist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Faith Crawford and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Faith, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
So to remain truly fulfilled in this life, I believe that one must continuously pursue their passions and continue to make space for like-minded individuals. For me, I’ve always envisioned myself doing something creative, whether it was designing, styling, even modeling, I’ve always seen it. I think there are an endless amount of reasons why I chose art over tradition but the main one is because I genuinely couldn’t see myself taking up anything else. There are plenty of other careers I’ve actually sat down and thought about and I almost convinced myself at one point that I would actually be happy doing it, however, my heart always led back to what it loves most and that’s the arts. Don’t get me wrong, any career can be just as fulfilling as a career in the arts, I just think It depends on the specific individual and their specific passions, interests, and purpose. For me, art is more than just a career but more so a community of innovators, visionaries, dreamers, artists, so on so forth. The most beautiful thing about this creative community is that you don’t have to color in the lines to be considered an artist or creative but more importantly it’s about what makes you and your art special. Ultimately, art and all its forms is a huge advocate of individuality and that’s genuinely what keeps me coming back.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art has honestly been rooted in my expression which I’ve noticed to be constantly evolving. I find so much beauty through the things that I make and I believe it’s ultimately a way for me to voice my struggles, my success, and all my experiences that lie in between. My artistic journey has been steadily revealing my true abilities and creative skillset.4 I realized in 2019 that I genuinely wanted to pursue fashion and entrepreneurship full time and during the same time I decided to turn my hobby of designing clothes into a business opportunity. The principles behind my brand focus on individuality, self-expression, and community. I wanted to use my ideas to highlight the beauty and uniqueness of every individual while also creating a sense of community through my designs and concepts. The start of my journey as an entrepreneur has come with a lot of challenges including financial management, learning how to market and promote, and managing my time as a business owner. Being someone who hasn’t previously been responsible for these different aspects of business, it was undeniably a challenge to balance the workload and professionally present my ideas to the world. However, the challenges faced were warranted and have ultimately prepared and equipped me for my future business endeavors. As I continue to embark on my journey within the world of art, I am sure to continue developing new skills and different, innovative ways to communicate my ideas to my consumers and counterparts. As people continue to stumble across my brand and observe its growth, I want to continue to convey the importance of individuality and identity within this constantly evolving world.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My favorite spots in my home city, Pittsburgh, PA, would be the Strip District, The Point, and E Carson Street. These are a few of my favorite places to visit during the summer especially because they are culturally saturated. There are plenty of small shops and boutiques around the city that overall help add to the cities ambiance. During the summer there are plenty of events like the Three Rivers Art Festival, Car Shows, Pride, and even Rib Fest, so I assure you when visiting the right places in Pittsburgh, you are destined to have some of your best experiences.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to God, my family, and my friends forever. I am me because you are you. My love runs deep for each and every one of you. To my baby sister… keep being great beautiful! You inspire me tremendously, I just know you will accomplish great things in your life. Keep being you, I love you forever. To my mom, thanks for being my backbone at each and every given moment throughout my life. To GM, thank you for all your kind and wise words, they have kept me steady. To my father, thank you for always pushing me to be a better person and encouraging me to continue to stay true to myself. To Ms. Cookie, thank you for guiding me through life when I needed guidance most. To my grandma, Don, thank you for being my ultimate creative inspiration and to my grandfather, Bob, thank you for always making sure I was steadfast on my way. To my grandfather Edward, thank you for teaching me tough love and even my sarcastic ways. To my cousins and friends, thank you for sisterhood and laughter, my childhood memories, and my forever-long friendship. I love you all so dearly and am blessed by the highest to have you in my life. Mostly thank you to the most high for gifting me with talent and passion that runs so deep. I thank you for all the successes and failures experienced in my past, the ones I am enduring now, and the ones yet to come.

Website: https://auracollectveglobal.com/

Instagram: @auracollectveglobal @faithdaicon