Department of Fine and Performing Arts

Shamika Gary

Je Marie

Thesis Statement

The name of my collection is Je Marie. Je Marie came from a mixture of my middle name Jeanette, combined with my daughter’s middle name Marie. The name seems perfect for this collection since it is a Mommy and Me collection. A mommy and me collection is a fashion line that a designer puts together that has matching outfits for the mom and small child. This collection is inspired by femininity, summer tea parties, mother/daughter cuteness and all things pink. My vision for this mommy and me collection is to empower mother and daughters and foster great mother and daughter relationships through fashion. My inspiration for the Je Marie collection came from my love for cute matching mommy and me fashion. My daughter looks up to me in many ways, with fashion being one.  She always wants to wear what I am wearing, as many little girls do that admire their mom.

During my research for this collection, I noticed that there are not a lot of fashionable mommy and me clothing on the market, especially luxury. Although, there is a growing trend of mommy and me fashion. Celebrities such as Beyonce, Teyana Taylor and the Kardashians, just to name a few are seen rocking the red carpet and other nice events with matching mommy and me outfits. Some fashion designers that inspire me are Fe Noel for her vibrant colors and patterns in fabric choices in her luxury resort/vacation wear and John P. Ataker for his evening wear that has a very feminine & historical design aesthetic. Many of his garments are classical pieces that can be worn in centuries to come. I want to incorporate classical pieces that are timeless but with a younger and vibrant feel to my mommy and me collection. Another designer inspiration that I drew from for this collection was Elie Saab’s mommy and me collection from the year 2016. Elie Saab did a fashion show in New York that was specifically for mothers and daughters. There were luxury matching outfits that can be worn for any special occasion.

  • Shamika Gary grew up in Baltimore City streets, surrounded by the city’s modern art on the walls, graffiti on buildings and urban fashion of city dwellers. Shamika was always a creative person that marched to the beat of her own drum. Her style in her fashion designs are classical silhouettes and shapes with bold colors and patterns in her fabric choices. Although she gets her inspiration from everywhere such as nature and other fashion designers, she typically draws inspiration from her 9-year-old daughter, her love for African history and culture, and social injustices. Some of her favorite fashion designers are Fe Noel, Claude Kameni and John P. Ataker. You can see the inspiration from the fashion designers that she admires in her latest mommy and me collection called Je Marie. The Je Marie collection was inspired by her daughter; it is fun, bold, timeless and feminine.