Ayana Ife is a fashion designer who creates modest clothing for underserved women, helping them feel beautiful and comfortable in styles that empower and represent their values. She aims to find creative solutions for each client, dressing women of all sizes. Ife hopes to provide a modest variety in the fashion industry that has previously been missing in the apparel market.
Ife graduated from Textile Merchandising and Design at Middle Tennessee State University and later earned her master’s degree in Brand and Business Management with a concentration in Industry Fashion from Politecnico di Milano in Milan, Italy. She worked as an intern under designer Zac Posen in Manhattan, New York. After graduating, Ife starred on Project Runway and debuted her collection at New York Fashion Week. Ayana is a bridal consultant at her Atelier in Pennsylvania and is also working on a sustainable sportswear brand for modest consumers that is set to debut in 2024.
Ayana Ife came to Bucknell for a few days to speak on her life experiences and how her unrelenting passion and vision led her to where she is today. Ife met students at an informal lunch gathering, engaging in conversations about fashion, values, career, and vision boards. She attributes much of her success to curating these boards, visualizing what she wants for her future and where she hopes to go. Ife spoke about how her visualization transferred into reality, working through each element of her vision board. Students responded by sharing their goals and asking for tips when considering their own futures. One student shared some insecurity about not feeling like they had truly accomplished anything, but Ife reassured them that their process is a part of the journey, promising that accepting the present moment is an important part of personal achievement. She concluding, saying that becoming one’s own hero is about following your dreams at your own pace, visualizing the future while also accepting where you are.