Thanks to that opportunity from Oxford Fashion Studio, within a month of her graduation from MICA, Nikki Hendricks ’ 17 (G.F.A.) launched Nikki Hendricks Designs, LLC, and began to talk business with buyers in Washington, D.C., New York, Paris, and Milan.

Hendricks took a road less traveled to find her way inside the fashion world one could say, it's made all the difference. At MICA, she chose to major in General Fine Arts versus Fiber - the major many of her fashion designer peers chose - because she "preferred the freedom of a more general exploration of her artistic work." She took a garment design class to help her participate in the 2016 Annual Benefit Fashion Show ; curated her own pop-up fashion show at MICA; was picked as the Fall 2016 Featured Designer for D.C. Fashion Week, thanks to a few models that advocated for her work on their own accord; and she used her internship at Baltimore's Catwalk Boutique to connect with a manufacturer that helped her produce The Blends, thesis project that earned her a spot at the New York and Paris Fashion Weeks.

Hendricks pulls from personal experiences and intentional examination of her identity as a black, female artist. Her desire to build equity and understanding within her community drives the concepts of her bold, geometric and symbol-laden designs.

The Blends was a culmination of her exploration - a visual representation of input she culled together from friends, family members, models and others in her community during a series of interviews on race, religion, gender and sexuality. 

I want the materials I use to reinforce the concept of my work - an exploration of race and gender ideologies that document my own journey and observations," Hendricks said.

The young designer says she's taking her success in stride. "I still have a lot to learn," she said. "I want to step up my game."

world, beware - her game is already strong.