The Indie Grinder: Introducing Makysha Barksdale

Ladies and Gents – Miss Makysha Barksdale and her entire world of supporters are pleased to introduce – BW Collectiv

Many of us know and love Miss Kysha for her style, her amazing bubbliness and genuine loving spirit – not to mention her status as a dancer and bringer of the party.
But her efforts as a professional fashion maven (yeah, I said it) – have been unbelievable. I am EXTREMELY proud to be the owner and chief rocker of one of her original – originals… and we are so proud of her progress since she dawned on LA… #ChiTownSalute

This is just the beginning… here’s a taste of what it takes to do what she “do” so well.

So – Just Who IS That Girl?!

Los Angeles has a pulse, and Makysha “K-Boogie” Barksdale has her finger on it. A Chicago native, she was hand stitching and draping clothing before taking a costume course at The University of Illinois at Chicago. To further her fashion knowledge she made her home on the sales floor in 1997 with major retailers, such as Marshall Field’s (Now Macy’s) and The Gap, Eager to learn, she left corporate retail to sharpen her couture knowledge and sales expertise in independent clothing boutiques, which exposed her talent as a stylist.

After College, her path leads her to the world of music. In 2001, she launched Groundwerks, Inc, her first venture into music marketing & promotions. In time, K-Boogie caught the design bug again. Using promotional t-shirts, she crafted unique apparel by hand. She was soon spotted in her creations at various events around town. By 2005, design was no longer a hobby, That summer she was chosen by the Apparel Board of Chicago as one of the top emerging designers for the annual “Chicago is Red Hot” Fashion Show. At this time, BOOGIEWEAR was created to showcase her unique, hand crafted apparel.

2008 marked her transitioned from music back into design and styling. Leaving her roots behind, she set her sights on Hollywood. Los Angeles proved to be the perfect incubator to hone her talents. Within her first month in California, she secured a position as wardrobe assistant on the hit foreign film, Ijé, which would go on to become the highest grossing film in Nigeria for 2010. In 2009, after her first solo fashion show, BOOGIEWEAR, acquired its first retailer, Runway Boutique on LaBrea. To garner more exposure, K-Boogie began designing accessories for the brand. The following year, B Store on Melrose, picked up the brand’s accessories and bag collection. The partnership with B Store introduced the brand to Japan in the summer of 2012.

Fall 2012 BOOGIEWEAR expanded with the inception of BW Collectiv. BW Collectiv is now the home for BW Apparel and BOOGIEWEAR Accessories, as well as a service-based division for wardrobe and styling. Her accessories have been worn on American Idol. She has also dressed Angela and Vanessa Simmons (Run’s House on MTV and owners of Pastry Athletics), Melanie Fiona (Grammy nominated artist), and Lalah Hathaway (Grammy nominated artist). Her wardrobe work can be seen in productions for Issa Rae Productions, Black&Sexy TV, KickScream Entertainment, and Picture Quality Productions to name a few. Although her work is gaining more exposure, with BW Collectiv, K-Boogie stays true to the passion and ideals that make her hand made pieces so unique. Her philosophy is simple: “Style isn’t something you wear, it’s something you own!”

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