Meet R'Bonney Nola: Fashion Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with R’Bonney Nola and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi R’Bonney, we’d love to hear about a book that’s had an impact on you.
Right now Im currently reading A Room Full of Mirrors: A Biography of Jimi Hendrix. This book about his story goes into detail about how many years of playing different shows with lots of successful artists Jimi endured before finally reaching success. I find his story very inspiring because he went through so many hardships and people not believing in his talent before he made it big. Its showed me an incredible story of not giving up your passion even after so many failures.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a sewing enthusiast that fell in love with the craft about 10 years ago. I started sewing in highschool and just love exploring different techniques and making things with my hands. There are endless things you can do with fabric, and that excites me. I really just wanted to turn my passion into a career, because there’s nothing I love doing more. I studied Fashion Design & Fibers at UNT. Fast forward to now, I have been working on building my brand- R’Bonney Nola and selling pieces online. It has not been easy, starting a brand is huge learning experience and there is lots of trial and errors. What sells, what doesnt sell, sourcing materials, time management, building brand identity, etc- these are a few of the things I have been working on with my small business. One thing I’ve been diving deeper to focus on is using recycled/repurposed fabrics, or buying new fabric using the maximum amount of the fabric- including scraps- to create very minimal waste. As a designer creating minimal waste is a primary goal of mine, and I am so excited to explore and discover new ways of using fabric scraps or natural materials.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to thank the designers that have given me the opportunity to intern for them- Nicole Miller, Esé Azénabor, and David Peck. Interning for their companies has given hands on experience and valuable knowledge of how things come together behind the scenes. Each brand works differently, and I am grateful to have learned so much from them.