Born in Alabama (1988), Kyana Lakotah Wilborn is a designer who is a recent transplant to North Carolina by way of Florida. She has always been interest in creating since a young child refusing bedtime until a project was complete. She developed a focus for fashion design in high school after using Goodwill finds to create costumes for scene from My Fair Lady for the drama club.
Kyana studied apparel design at the University of Alabama before taking an internship at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL in 2011. Being swept away by the magic she continued to worked in the Creative Costuming department before leaving in 2018 to pursue her passions for art, recycle design, and travel.
In 2015, participated in her first recycled fashion show “Trash 2 Trends” presented by Keeping Orlando Beautiful. She discovered a passion for challenging herself to creating ready to wear looks out of recycled materials. Participating yearly she went on to win “Most Wearable” in 2017 & 2018 for looks made out of plastic bags. One of her most rememberable designs is that of the Maire Antionette inspired dress called “Charlotte”. Made of maps, tissue paper, and bubble wrap a design that shocked audiences with its dramatic entrance, attention to detail, and not to forget the huge ship nestled atop the models head.
Wilborn loves to use vibrant color palettes and eye catching details to bring to life wearable designs with a feminine look and feel. She is a creative problem solver and has skills across all mediums and if she doesn’t know how she will learn.
Attraction to the creativity and innovation is not the only reason why she loves to work with recycled materials. Before finding her niche recycled fashion she was not as conscious to the amount of items being throw in the trash that could be reduced, reused, or recycled. One small change can make a big impact and she is doing what she can to make difference in world.