For the bride-to-be who wants a new alternative to the traditional bridal party look, Gnarly Casual is ready to say yes with its optimistic streetwear aesthetic that will carry you through your wedding day, and beyond!
Founder Shaleia Jamerson, in her eye-catching Saturday look, captured my attention that day when we first met in Virginia. Then as it happened, she stated with joy that she indeed had her own fashion brand called Gnarly Casual.
Jamerson describes the brand as definitively optimistic and its ethos is to challenge clients to be themselves and embrace their individuality. Creating memories that remain for a lifetime is also a core value that Shaleia holds close to her ever-widening vision, not only for the company but in her own life, too.
Gnarly Casual has the right mix of verve and audacity. And with Jamerson at the helm, she is ready to turn the page on the old and begin a new chapter in the bridal industry where streetwear gains a new spirited foothold, forever transforming the bridal party’s traditional ‘get ready with me’ looks.
To find out more about the visionary talent behind this emerging fashion brand, check out our interview below!
The following interview has been edited lightly.
- Photographer: Masuf Ahmed
- Models: @ghostflamingo | @im_imama
What is the story behind your brand’s name?
When I was given a project to develop a business plan in high school, I came up with the name “Gnarly Casual.” Gnarly Casual was an interpretation of my lifestyle in my teenage years. I was a skater at the time so “Gnarly” was inspired by the skaters and surfers’ lingo. The “Casual” part comes from my nonchalant persona. Nothing would bother me, I was always focused on my dream world. I was mostly interested in skateboarding, art shows, concerts, fashion, and traveling around that stage of life. The slogan for the brand is “Embrace your individuality” and I aspire for everyone to be their true, authentic selves in all forms of life.
Who do you consider to be a mentor either in the area of design or business?
My biggest inspiration is Pharrell Williams. I love his ability to transform his creative mindset into any field of work. It can be fashion, design, architecture, music, and many more. He is not just one human, he is limitless. I watch a lot of interviews and Ted Talks on YouTube for guidance and inspiration. My favorite interviews to watch are Pharrell, Tyler, The Creator, Lancey Fouxx, Mac Miller, Jay Shetty, Jaden Smith, Nardwaur, and many more. The Ted Talks have a reoccurring theme of business advice and different perspectives on life. I love to hear everyone’s life story because it is never the same. We all play a special role in this life and it’s best to follow your passion. You will never regret it.
How do you keep yourself pushing towards the new next in your design aesthetic?
I receive a lot of ideas at the beach, art galleries, concerts, and parks. The beach is the perfect environment to meditate and imagine. The best concert I went to was Travis Scott. He has the best music to get hype and rage in a mosh pit. At home, I watch movies, read books, and paint, which allow design ideas to flow to me. The books are usually focused on business, while the movies can range from cartoons to Quentin Tarantino films. I love how movies from the ’90s have that hazy, red tint to them. It gives a nostalgic feeling of living in that era.
What are your thoughts on sustainable & ethical fashion?
Sustainable fashion will be a never-ending topic in the fashion industry. Our world is consistently developing more waste on the planet. We all have a lot of extraordinary ideas and want to show everyone, but it is all waste. When we are able to develop eco-friendlier products as a necessity for every field of work, not only fashion, then we have a solution. The cost of it should be the same price as a non-sustainable product. I’m not fully aware of the costs of production for eco-friendly materials, but it has to be an affordable alternative. I love how Gucci created a sustainable leather called “Demetra.” It shows how there is a way to create a sustainable product, we just have to keep discovering new ways to make it accessible to everyone.
Your brand idea was conceptualized from a high school entrepreneurship class. Why was fashion the route you wanted to take instead of any other form of business?
I always used fashion as a form of self-expression. When I was in high school, we had to wear uniforms so you are constantly trying to figure out a way to standout. I usually wore colorful hoodies, Good Wood necklaces, beaded bracelets, and skate shoes. I didn’t get interested in Nike until I went to college. My favorite skate shoe was the Supra Skytop II. This is the 2012 – 2016 era, so my style was inspired by Lil Wayne, A$AP Rocky, Kanye West, and Justin Bieber. It’s a funny mix of people but they had the best style in my mind.
How do you want people to feel in your clothes?
I want people to feel comfortable and happy in every GNARLY CASUAL piece. I will always have colorful designs to create a feeling of bliss when it is worn. It is very versatile so you can wear them anywhere you want to go. I always receive feedback from clients stating they love how soft the shirts feel. I was very focused on having a shirt that was soft and durable, so it’s always exciting to hear about it. In the future, I plan to add a business casual collection to the brand. I love wearing suits whenever I have meetings and business runs. It makes you feel like you are getting things done, while you are getting things done.
How has moving to New York changed your life?
The move changed my life completely. Living on your own in a different state pushes you completely out of your comfort zone. I was never the type of person to start conversations with people I didn’t know and now I make new friends every day. When you have a business it’s easier to use it as a conversation starter. It usually starts off as someone complimenting me on my outfit, then I start talking about my brand. The way I start conversations is by asking “You look very creative, what do you do?” The answer is always something extraordinary. I have met lead singers of bands, restaurant owners, film directors, robot developers, and many more.
Then I moved to Jersey City in 2022 due to the rent increase in New York. I love the people in Jersey City. There are a lot of young creatives in different fields of work. The art and music scene is very special. Everyone’s style is completely different but we come together to have fun, create, and party. There is going to be a huge release of music artists the world will soon know about. Shout out to Lue Beige, Gypsy Tears, El Mora, Sir Synthesis, Yung Steezi, Suo, 070 Phi, and Enjae.
Lastly, I want to highlight PG County in Maryland. I perceive my hometown as a kingdom of successful African Americans. This is where you will see everyone dressed in the best sneakers and best outfits to go to an event. We are very driven people and I love that about my city. Shout out to MOODI, Artsy Hippiee, and Dez.
What kind of brand partnerships do you see in the future for Gnarly Casual?
In the future, I envision GNARLY CASUAL collaborating with every industry. I love everything about life, which is the reason I don’t want to only collaborate with fashion brands.
It would be fun to collaborate with hotels and airlines since I love traveling. I would love to collaborate with music festivals to highlight local artists in every city. A well-known artist will be the headliner to inspire the local artist to stay focused on their passion. It will have local vendors selling their items while local musicians can perform.
It would be really fun to collaborate with Lamborghini. I love the futuristic design of the Huracan. Because I enjoy interior design and architecture, it would also be interesting to collaborate with an architect to develop the furniture and storefront for the brand.
I want to partner with a vegan café in the future and open locations globally. When you are living a healthy lifestyle, it connects you to your soul, and your energy increases. Lastly, I want to partner with study abroad programs to talk about the importance of traveling and how to find funding to travel.
Who is your dream client?
My dream client is Pharrell Williams. The project will be to create an experience. The experience will be a pop-up event for a new collection. The collection will be super colorful with a summer theme. The event space will have a lot of three-dimensional art with music ranging from upbeat raps songs to indie rock music. The texture of the furniture will have polyurethane foam so you can sink into it to the experience sensation of sitting on a cloud at the beach. The best things in life are memorable experiences. My goal in life is to leave an impact to inspire everyone to follow their dreams and connect with each other.
What do you look forward to in the next five years with your brand?
I’m excited to create new items for the brand, collaborate with different brands, host travels events, and distribute the Gnarly Sails Overseas Scholarship to high school students. The plan for the brand is to design products for the world to enjoy and develop opportunities to connect the world together. You have to leave your environment to discover who you truly are. This will allow us as humans to really understand each other. We all have different backgrounds which makes life exciting to learn more about. There are delicious foods to taste, electrifying music festivals to experience, mind-blowing nature sights to see, clear waters to swim, and many more! I want to truly fulfill the goal of connecting us together. We are one.
Tell us about Gnarly Sails Overseas and how the idea originated?
The Gnarly Sails Overseas Scholarship is a scholarship to help fund high school students to study abroad. When you purchase a GNARLY CASUAL item, 15% is donated to the scholarship. The plan is to release it in September this year and award $1,000 to five high school students. It will be a high school within PG County, Maryland. Once the students arrive back from the trip and I receive feedback on their experience, the number of students receiving the scholarship will increase. The ultimate goal is to distribute the scholarship to 30 students every year.
The idea originated from my experience of traveling in high school.
Every year in high school, my grandparents took me to a different country. I’ve been to Hong Kong, Paris, London, Peru, and Toronto. In my last semester of college, I studied abroad in Barcelona. I was there for the entire month of January living with an amazing Catalan woman and her dog. She cooked a lot of Spanish dishes and taught me about their culture. It was fun to experience the Three Kings Parade and watch the joy on the kids’ faces while they were tossing their letters to kings. The highlights of the trip were hiking two hours at Montserrat, creating fudge out of real cacao at the Museu de la Xocolata, dancing at Flower Power in Ibiza, and rapping Travis Scott for Karaoke at the Obama Café.
This experience made me realize that if I can survive living in a different country, I can handle New York City on my own. This pushed me to save up money to make the huge move to the Big Apple. I believe everyone will have a brand-new perspective on life whenever you travel to a new destination. It can be for a long or short period of time. Your mind and body is in an environment that you are not used to, so your perspective on life changes. You realize the laws are not the same in different countries, the food is fresher, the oceans are clearer, and the languages have more depth. I want people to experience the moments I had through traveling. Every story will be special.
Why should brides choose Gnarly Casual as an alternative to the traditional bridal robe looks?
Brides should choose GNARLY CASUAL for an optimistic look. A wedding is a super special moment and it’s best to have fun preparing for it. The comfort and versatility of the items allow brides to feel worry-free when getting ready for their special day. The colors create a euphoric feeling of happiness so the day will be naturally uplifted with positivity. All of the photographs will exuberate bliss of a memorable moment of your life.
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