Page 56 - Girls’ World (January 2020)
P. 56
Kamaria Warren:
your inspiration
so
The 10-year-old Georgia native is creating
products all girls can identify with!
hen Kamaria Warren was
W 7 years old, she started process is to examine my hair and is based off of me. The
to notice that none of the main surroundings so I can come other characters are inspired by
characters in the Barbie movies up with ideas of what I want a mixture of my friends.
she was watching or any of the to include. Next, I create a
popular characters she saw on Pinterest board that has the GW: Can you explain why it’s
T-shirts and notebooks had the important for girls of every skin
same skin color as her, so she colors I want to use and outfit color to see characters that look
decided to do something about it. options I like. Those ideas are like them on clothing, toys, etc.?
With her mom’s help, she created sent off to an illustrator who KW: I think it’s important because
Brown Girls’ Stationery, which then sends drawings back all girls deserve to have a product
features characters she wasn’t to me. After that, my mom that they can see themselves on.
seeing represented — brown girls, and I create mock-ups of I want kids to see my products
albino girls, girls with vitiligo and the characters on different and be able to relate to the
more. Now, three years later, her products in Photoshop to see characters. It upsets me to see
line is more popular than ever, and what we like best. that many major retail brands have
she’s telling Girls’ World all about it! GW: How are the designs missed the mark by failing to do
added to each product? that. I hope my line inspires other
GW: Hi, Kamaria! Can you tell us KW: We use a heat press brands to expand theirs.
a little more about Brown Girls’ machine to place the designs GW: Besides offering important
Stationery? on T-shirts and we print out and representation, are there other
KW: Brown Girls’ Stationery offers bind the notebooks ourselves. ways you try to make girls feel
book bags, notebooks, notepads, But when it comes to the other special who buy your products?
umbrellas, lunch boxes and other products, like the book bags KW: Another way we try to make
fun items. The products have and lunch boxes, we work with people feel special is by including
cute girl characters on them that a manufacturer to have them encouraging messages on lots of
highlight a variety of skin tones created for us. my products! For example, one of
so girls of all colors can feel them says “Blessed” and another
GW: Are any of the characters in
represented and beautiful. one says “Never Let Anyone Dull
your line based off of you?
GW: That’s awesome! How do you KW: Yeah! Our first product was Your Shine.” BROWN GIRLS STATIONERY (4)
make your products? a mini book bag with a character GW: Does seeing other kids
KW: The first step in my design named Zoe on it. She has curly wearing your merch seem surreal?
