FEATURED INTERVIEW SPOTLIGHT: Crystal Arinze
Meet Crystal Arinze Owner AND CEO OF Arinze Headquarters. The multi-talented entrepreneur, fashion designer, business owner and beauty expert, sat down with The Media Prince to talk everything Fashion, Life, Arinze Q and COVID.
TMP: What is fashion in your words?
CA: ONE'S FORM OF (X)PRESSION IN ITS MOST GENUINE FORM
TMP: How and when did you begin in the world of fashion?
CA: AS FAR BACK AS I CAN REMEMBER, HONESTLY ITS REALLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT I WAS ALREADY IN THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY. BUT OFFICIALLY CROSSED OVER INTO FASHION IN 2017
TMP: Fashion is a huge language here in the DMV, how does it feel to know that you are helping keep that language going?
CA: AS A DMV NATIVE IT FEELS GOOD KNOWING THAT I HAVE A PART IN KEEPING THE CREATIVE SPIRIT OF THE DMV ALIVE
TMP: What inspires you about fashion?
CA: THE CREATIVITY, VULNERABILITY, FREEDOM AND COMFORTABILITY IT CAN HELP CREATE. FASHION HAS BECOME A SAFE SPACE FOR ME TO CREATE AND FEEL INSPIRED TO SHARE MYSELF WITH THE WORLD
TMP: Tell us about Arinze Q, I am loving the line as well as the quality and details of everything.
CA: ARINZE IS MY LAST NAME WHICH ALSO MEANS "THANK GOD" IN IGBO (NIGERIAN) IN MY CULTURE. IT IS ALSO DERIVED FROM ARINZE QUARTERS THAT WAS FORMED IN 2017, WHICH ACTS AS AN UMBRELLA COMPANY FOR MY OTHER BUSINESS. I STARTED THE FASHION LINE AS A WAY FOR ME TO NOT ONLY EXPAND MY BUSINESS, BUT TO PUSH MYSELF INTO A NEW TERRITORY.
TMP: What has been the biggest misconception about creating a fashion brand?
CA: THAT YOU HAVE TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT FASHION FIRST IN ORDER TO CREATE A BRAND. YOU REALLY ONLY NEED TO BE PASSIONATE AND HAVE THE DRIVE TO LEARN WHILE YOU CREATE.
TMP: Launching in 2020 was both an amazing feat and of course COVID came and shocked us greatly, but you thrived and prevailed through it all, how was that experience not only launching, but doing this all during a pandemic?
CA: IT WAS DEFINITELY A ROLLERCOASTER OF EMOTIONS AND EXPERIENCES! ON ONE END IT DEFINITELY GAVE ME TIME TO DO A LOT OF RESEARCH AND PURPOSE SEARCHING BUT IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT WHEN IT CAME TO FINDING TANGIBLE RESOURCES OR VENDORS DUE TO THE FACT THAT EVERYTHING WAS SHUT DOWN.
"ArinzeQ, a clothing brand that focuses on the different forms of (X)pression while striving to elevate and inspire the community through creativity"
