EMERGING DESIGNER

Bernard Holley

IN THIS FEATURE: Meet Bernard Fashion Focus

rom Sexy video shoots to high glam fashion on the runway, Bernard Holley takes fashion to the extreme. Creating unique and sexy pieces with accessories and even footwear to match, his designs will surely stand out in a crowd.

The son of Bernard and Edith Holley, Bernard, Jr. the youngest of five children, had stars in his eyes early on. While other boys played football, Bernard would rather go shopping with his glamorous aunt Alicia at the exclusive boutiques of the Bal Harbour Shops. There he found a fantasy world that allowed him to escape from the reality of being in a struggling middle class familiy. To see such beautiful clothes, shoes and accessories at high end prices where one piece was triple the amount of his families income, was a just a dream. While perusing through the shops, he often wondered, who could afford these things? Little did he know then, that one day he would be creating pieces that fit into that world.

While very young, Bernard was a budding artist, drawing and sketching. In the sixth grade, he began drawing his first fashion designs. Even early on Bernard could style his aunt for concerts and other events, picking out the perfect shoes to complete her Red Carpet styled outfits. His first attempts at sewing were pretty bad, but he could always charm the girls in his class to help him finish his home economics projects. His passion for styling blossomed and he became the "go-to" guy for style by the time he became a teenager. While in high school, three of his friends asked him to design their gowns which they had made by a seamstress since his sewing skills were not up to par. He enjoyed seeing his designs come to life. Because of his talents, Bernard was voted most artistic and most likely to succeed by his Senior class which was made up of Miami's many diverse cultures. He later attended International Fine Arts College and recieved a degree in Fashion Design. While there, Bernard stood out in his class, taking home the Avante Garde award for his final collection. After Graduation he began working as a stylist at a trendy boutique called Funky Sexy on South Beach's exclusive Lincoln Road. This company was responsible for the early looks for artists such as Britney Spears, Lil Kim, and Miami's own, Trina for magazine, television appearances and live concert performances.