This Black History Month, we’re championing the extraordinary Black entrepreneurs at the heart of our creative community: from workshops featuring Black trailblazers during Creatively Classes to content programming that spotlights intrepid Black creators, including Maxie.j.

With a reputation for always being the best-dressed in the room, fashion designer Maxie.j got used to being the guru all her friends would come to for fashion advice. Wanting to share her sense of style with a broader audience, she founded her own brand, Ellaé Lisqué, launching with a ready-to-wear dress line crafted to make women feel sexy, fabulous, and sophisticated. Hailing from Inglewood, California, the self-made entrepreneur founded Ellaé Lisqué as an e-commerce brand in 2014 with a small collection of only six dresses—the line has since grown to a multi-million dollar company that caters to women of all shapes and sizes, priding itself on inclusivity.

Aside from its online presence, Ellaé Lisqué has a showroom in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles. The brand has hosted annual fashion shows since 2015 and has been featured in Milan, Paris, and New York Fashion Week. Maxie.j’s styles have been worn by celebrities such as Saweetie, Bebe Rexha, Summer Walker, and Keisha Cole, among others. With her latest, innovative designs and upcoming projects like a “Fashionaire Academy” master class, Maxie.j continues to break barriers and is set to take 2022 by storm, one body-skimming sequin dress at a time. 

You can check out more of their work here.

What is the first creative project you remember? 

My first creative project was the very first fashion show I put on by myself when I started my brand. That was my first major production and it was all me.

Describe your aesthetic in three words.

My brand aesthetic in three words would have to be prominent, classy, yet daring.  

What was the most fulfilling collaboration you’ve worked on?

The Lexus collab was the most fulfilling for me because it was about my story, where I come from and what I’ve built over the years. The campaign was geared towards inspiring others who were coming up in their respective fields. 

What’s one creative project that taught you something fundamental about yourself?

The fashion show I had on my 34th birthday had 1,000 attendees and showed me the influence I can have on the culture. I still can’t believe I brought out that many people and was the only brand that was featured.

Do you think creativity is something you’re born with, or something you’re taught?

I think everyone is born with a talent or a gift from God of some sort that makes you creative in your own right.

What’s the last dream you had?

The last dream I had was that I grew Ellaé Lisqué to a billion dollar company. Periodttttt. 

One hundred years from now, what do you hope people write about your work?

I pray that 100 years from now, people remember my work as the best high-end, affordable brand they’ve ever shopped! Being known for high-end pieces that are actually affordable without compromising quality is truly what my brand represents and I never want to lose that.

What advice would you give fellow Black creatives/entrepreneurs just getting started?

Don’t worry about the competition. Focus on doing the work to the best of your ability. Don’t worry about how many people are doing exactly what you’re doing because Whole Foods isn’t worried about Trader Joes. Get out there and do your thing no matter how saturated you feel the industry may be. Make them see you over others and let your work speak for itself. 

Follow @maxie.j on Creatively

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