Girl Power: Designer Santia McKoy Is Empowering the Next Generation

Every March, we celebrate the brave women who have gone before us, the women we are today, and look ahead to the women of tommorow. Prior to the establishment of Women’s History Month in 1981, female fashion designers were already blazing their own trails empowering women with style and poise. These fashion trailblazers used their creations to defy the norms of what a woman should be, allowing them to find their own path to self expression.

Santia McKoy stands out as a shining example of this through her artistry and inspiration. Her award-winning designs reflect a deep appreciation for life’s beauty, instilled in her during her humble upbringing in Haiti. For Santia, fashion is not just about making clothes; it’s about creating speaking to her clients’ souls and making them feel beautiful from the inside out.

Santia developed a love for fashion from a young age. During her childhood in Haiti, she spent hours working in her family’s clothing store where she first learned how to sew. It was a passion that would ultimately shape her career, inspiring her to create unique styles and designs that tell her client’s stories. Her latest collection, Bella, is a tribute to her youngest daughter Isabella and her beautiful spirit.

Balancing motherhood with a career can be tough, but for Santia it’s the fire that fuels her work. Her three daughters, Aliya, Adrianna and Isabella, inspire her every day. “I am filled with a sense of strength and security when I think of my family. Without Adrian, my husband and business partner, and the unconditional love and support of my children, I would not be where I am today.”

Santia has reached many coveted career milestones with her daughters by her side. “I remember grabbing my daughters’ hands tight and doing our first-ever walkout during my fashion show. The cheers and applause were so loud! I was so happy to have them by my side.”

Santia does not only want to be a leader in business, but a role model to her girls. When girls can readily see women rising, on their terms, it spurs their ambitions and inspires their future. “I want to bring up daughters who are capable of doing the same thing, or better, for themselves.” Just like working in her parent’s clothing store inspired Santia’s career, Santia has inspired her daughter to follow in her footsteps. Adrianna has inherited her mother’s love for fashion and dreams of becoming a designer in her own right. She often sketches her own designs for Santia to make. “She is a mini star in the making. She is a ball of energy known for her infectious smile and contagious laugh.” Adrianna celebrates her seventh birthday on March 4^th, a date she shares with her grandfather.

Santia pours her heart and soul into each piece, creating clothing that speaks to her clients and makes them feel beautiful from the inside out. Santia’s goal is her clothes to embody the beauty that lies within each of us, reminding us to let our inner beauty shine brightly on the outside. “I do it for the culture, I do it for every single shape, age and size. We celebrate diversity of everybody, because everyone is equal.”

Santia’s unique perspective on fashion draws inspiration from around the world including her Haitian and African inspired collection. She reinvents trends from the past with a modern and contemporary feel adding her unique spin to breath new life into classic styles from the seventies, eighties, and the nineties. Every aspect of Santia’s designer bridal dresses, gowns, and men’s suits are custom-made and carefully crafted. From the bold colors to the fabrics and the threads, her dedication and attention to detail are evident in every stitch and fold.

The foundation of the family-run business and the core to their success is that they continue to strive to be the best in everything they do. Working with her family, Santia points to this pivotal time of new growth for S&M Custom Design. Looking back at her remarkable career, Santia is proud of how far she’s come and how much her work continues to speak for itself. Her aspirations for the future include opening physical locations throughout the United States, Haiti and Jamaica.

By refusing to follow conventional standards, female designers like Santia are shaking up the industry. Designing with their instincts and emotions, and always holding human values above all else. This represents a paradigm change in the fashion industry. Her designs inspire us to embrace our uniqueness and let our inner beauty shine. She reminds us that fashion is not just about clothes but about creating art that speaks to our souls and makes us feel beautiful from the inside out. She is showing her daughters the importance of girl power, raising them to be confident women and leading by example that there is nothing girls can’t accomplish.