Building Odara Emerald

They never tell you how hard building a brand can be. The late hours, long weekends, and moments between hectic schedules of everyday life, that I found myself immersed in.

What Sparked my Interest

Hi, I'm Kayla Louis, founder of Odara Emerald, and I'm building a lingerie line that I hope inspires you and convinces you to continue your dreams as well. I started this brand back in 2020 with not much but a phone, a camera, an old Singer Sewing Machine that my late grandmother had given me when I was younger, and a dream I knew I had to turn into a reality. I started at nine years old creating my first orange and pink cotton dress for a middle school friend of mines that my grandmother help me make. I grinned from ear to ear when it was completed, and my friend cheered me on as it was her two favorite colors. Four years went by, and I started out back in 2015 in high school participating in NAM Pageants and modeling school, Barbizon. I was hooked! I instantly knew I loved Fashion! I didn't just want to be in front of the camera but behind it. I loved watching creators visualize through me or other models the world they were trying to create.

Modeling and School

So after graduating high school I tried to go into fashion and business. I wanted to know the ends and outs of started and owning my own line. I attended University of North Texas for a year back in 2016 studying Business as I was unable to get into the fashion program as it was full that at the time. While I was there, I entered into my very first Fashion Show, where I modeled for other fashion designers and perfected my "Cat Walk Skills" while also getting signed to my very first modeling agency. Although, short lived (I was in the agency for only a year and resigned due to payment reasons) my heart never wavered in studying fashion and design.

The following year I attended San Jacinto College for two years and graduated with my associates in Business in 2019. And as a side gig, I started freelance modeling and began the process of building my brand in 2020 with the small items I had and dream of catering to the public for life. I was inspired by other black designers in creating a healthier environment in the fashion industry geared towards women of color (biases that even I faced in fashion) to broaden peoples horizons in what it truly means to design for women that are overlooked based on their color and size, especially in sexier environments like the lingerie sector of fashion.