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; and 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 DONROSE; 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, her senior 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."

Fashion world, beware - her game is already strong.