Klektik
Fashion designer Sigourney Hunter, talks persistence in pursuing her dream, as well as her first time at NYFW.
By Zuza Gaboush
Eᐧclecᐧtic- Deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources.
Where you come from and the adversity you face does not define you. Sigourney Hunter is living proof that following your dreams, believing in your vision and staying true to yourself can help you achieve your highest aspirations. A fashion designer and creative from Pensacola, Florida, Sigourney has big plans for her brand, Klektik, in fashion and beyond.
From her bright and eclectic instagram, to her vibrant and colorful fashion designs, it’s clear that heads turn when a Klektik statement piece enters the room. Sigourney’s pieces are imbued with her bubbly and loving personality, representing wild and unique concepts in the form of a giant puffer jacket with license plates, or a shirt and skirt made completely from ties. Despite being raised in a small military and retirement town, Sigourney has always been different. From constantly getting in trouble at school for violating dress code to being overlooked and not taken seriously for her fashion ideas, she has always been a creative who is now pursuing her passion for fashion all the way into New York Fashion Week. While a majority of Sigourney’s work highlights positive motifs and messages such as self-love and healing, she has faced heartbreak and obstacles that inspire her to push even further.
“I gave up on a dream a long time ago, because so many people had told me no.”
The day Sigourney was scheduled to attend NYFW, she received troubling news about her brother’s arrest. “I was really excited for NYFW and then that [arrest] happened, so really, [during] the best time of my life, I was really just holding onto so many emotions. But so many people approached me at that event and they were like, ‘you need to keep pushing, and you need to keep going and going.’ And I was like you know what? I'm ‘bout to push out my brand.” Other obstacles arose in the fashion industry for Sigourney as well; being a young, black woman alone poses its own challenges. “I get this experience more with guys in this streetwear life; they act like they want to help you out, but they actually try to steal your ideas, and that done happened to me plenty of times. Now, I’m very defensive of who I work with and who I allow to share my ideas with, because I just don’t want… people [to keep] getting more credit for my work than I am.” After NYFW, Sigourney was determined to introduce her brand to the world. Sigourney has always had a love for Atlanta streetwear, so the Atlanta Streetwear Market seemed like the perfect place to debut Klektik. The idea for her brand name started in a college group. “...we chose our name as ‘Eclectic’ and I had looked at it... it’s basically a different diversity of characteristics, and that's me. I liked how the dictionary broke it down as Eᐧclectic and that’s [why]... my brand’s gonna be Klektik. And it’s gonna be standing for the future of fashion. So that means you can never put Klektik into any kinda category, because I’m gonna try and touch base on every category fashion is and make it an art.” Since then, Klektik has become a hit and kept expanding, with Sigourney pursuing her dream and pushing the limits of what she can create with fashion. She followed through on her childhood dream of moving to New York from Pensacola, and feels that she has been able to find a more like-minded community and afford herself more credit and confidence in her work.
“If you knew me before I moved to New York, I was always sleeping on myself. I did fashion, but always underneath someone else's shadow, and then they got the credit for what I was doing. I got tired of that, and I was like, you know, I’m really gonna stop sleeping on myself and just push myself as much as I can.”
Sigourney’s journey with her brand, Klektik, has been an inspiring one of self-love, confidence and determination. Especially on her ReLove collection, Sigourney was able to heal and love herself through her artistic process of creating and curating.
“I wanted something that would bring back… art and… brightness into the collection. So when I did think about the ReLove collection, the first thing that came to mind was doing summer camp. …it was called Reworked, ReLoved, Recycled… Even though I was heartbroken doing it, and it was a lotta days I just sat there crying about some situation- I just wanted people to understand, you have to re-love yourself. I felt like doing that process, I had to learn how to re-love myself.”
When asked why she decided to pursue streetwear fashion, Sigourney replied:
“I just love streetwear. I just feel like you can just be yourself and it just makes it fun.”
Sigourney is proud to see other girls from her hometown following in her footsteps and maintaining the same vibrant, unique individuality that she faced so much adversity for. She wants other people who are coming up in places less accepting of creative and out-of-the box fashion to feel confident and inspired. “I just wanna… use my platform to inspire more people. Especially my hometown, we don’t get that… so for me to make it out and make it to New York and for some of the people from my hometown to call, you know, and tell me that I give them hope- that’s all that I try and use my platform for.”
Her advice to younger people trying to pursue their dreams is this: “Just keep pushing through. Some days are rough and some days are not. Trust me… my first photoshoot for this ReLove collection- it was like a story in a movie. I thought I was getting Punk'd! I really did. It was like everything hit me at once... Just keep pushing through because… you will learn from it and the best thing is that you’ve learned from your mistakes and you know not to do it again.” Sigourney’s plans for the future of her brand include seeing her name and work in the middle of Times Square and a collaboration with the legendary fashion designer, Pharrell. “Now that Pharrel took over Louis Vuitton, I definitely wanna work for Pharrel. He’s always been an inspiration for me growing up, and I like that Pharrell was an underdog for years… And I like that the underdog is winning. And that’s kinda how I see myself, as an underdog. And underdogs always win cos they stay true to theyselves.” Sigourney is a testament to the will and determination it takes to pursue one’s dream, and the love that she is returning and receiving from her community now will only push her and Klektik farther. We’re excited for what Klektik holds in store for the future.
For more visit: www.sigourneyhunter.com
