Cheslie began designing in elementary school. She remembers asking her grandmother for some fabric to make an outfit for her favorite teddy bear. Her interest developed into a passion as she grew older. In college, her grandmother gave Cheslie her old Singer sewing machine. “First, I used it to alter various articles of clothing then I made my very first skirt. My journey continued during my junior and senior years in undergrad as I made a line of 5 dresses with a $1,500 grant awarded by the Honors College at USC (University of South Carolina).” Cheslie has since designed gowns, cocktail dresses, fur vests and more.
Cheslie describes her design aesthetic as sleek, sexy and chic. She is motivated by her search for peace. “My life and all of my commitments and obligations can sometimes be quite hectic. The feeling of walking through a fabric store and dreaming up new designs or sitting in front of my sewing machine at night listening to the muted whirring as my garments take shape is incredibly calming,” she says.
Cheslie lists Michael Costello, Zuhair Murad and Olivier Rousteing as her favorite designers. The most unique thing she’s ever designed was a black velvet pantsuit with a tulle skirt attachment for a pageant in which Cheslie competed. “. I was playing the theme song from Harry Potter on the piano and wanted an outfit that would fit the song. The outfit had a whimsical, bewitching sort of aesthetic while still being a beautiful outfit.”
If Cheslie could design for anyone in the world, she would pick Beyoncé, “Because… well, she’s Beyoncé.”
