This editorial is sponsored by Visa.
There’s no bigger boss move than showing up in a professional setting with the swag and confidence that comes from being your authentic self, and Undra Celeste New York is the fashion encapsulation of that mindset. The namesake small business describes itself as “the perfect mix of professional dressing and statement dressing,” but the grind and inspiration behind the brand is what landed this designer among the women-owned small businesses chosen to participate in the She’s Next in Fashion, Empowered by Visa – a campaign that provides cash grants and marketing support to 50 women-owned small businesses.
Tracing her roots to Guyana, where West Indian and South American cultures live in harmony, Undra Celeste, the woman behind the small business, has centered the eponymous small business and her designs around a celebration of authenticity, which she first witnessed in the women in her family as a little girl. It was from them that she learned one should always put her best foot forward when stepping out. Thus, the clothing she makes today is meant to stand out in an understated way and make it clear that, no matter where you come from, you belong exactly where you are.
When she left her home in Brooklyn to attend Howard University, she entered a world which mirrored the example set by her mother and the other women who impacted her childhood. “Style is such an intricate part of the Howard experience,” Celeste says. “We got dressed! The idea of getting dressed every day to be seen and heard while learning, connecting, and plotting your future motivated me to start this brand.”
The dream of launching a fashion brand may have started in college, but as a first-generation Guyanese-American, she first had to merge her passion for fashion with the traditional career path her parents had been encouraging all along. So, after Howard, she returned to New York and embarked on a 20-year career in corporate design and product development. Her time in that space armed her with invaluable industry knowledge and helped Undra identify an untapped market.
“I want to dress [the] everyday [woman] for the place she spends the most time in her life: her work,” the designer explains. “Women of color use clothes as armor in the world. At work we use it to self-empower and motivate. To make ourselves feel good in an environment that is not designed for us.”
The launch of the Undra Celeste line in 2016 was truly a full-circle moment for the little girl from Brooklyn whose entrepreneurial spirit manifested itself in the third grade, when she would sell samples from her mother’s Mary Kay kits. But without her Howard experience, or her time in corporate America, Undra might not have been able to home in on the purpose behind her brand.
“I am inspired every day by everyday Black women doing dope, extraordinary things,” she continues. “Whether she is just starting her career, is transitioning to something new or spent decades running the show; we as women understand the importance of showing up every day as our authentic selves.”
As she helps her customers better establish their place in the world, Undra is also using her small business to help foster a more inclusive fashion industry. Her collaborations with Harlem’s Fashion Row and her collaboration with Jordan Brand to create shoes made specifically for women have allowed her to join forces with other like-minded creators, while also forging a path for women still fighting for access and equity in the sneaker space.
Throughout her journey as an entrepreneur, Undra Celeste says Visa has always been a big part of her business, not only expanding the consumer-facing aspects of her company; but also serving as a valuable tool which she incorporated within her own financial planning strategy. So being welcomed into the 2023 cohort for She’s Next in Fashion, Empowered By Visa has been a full circle moment.
“The program allowed me to fund parts of my new store, set to open this year in New Jersey,” she shares. “I’ve also connected with some great influencers and we’re also doing a pop-up in September. It will be our flagship store and the support from Visa was necessary for it to come to fruition. They continue to show support and love to women fashion designers and business owners.”