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Lenese Calleea👠👑💋

@lenesecalleea

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Designer|Educator|Entrepreneur|Chef
@lc_apparelconsulting
@blacknfashionmedia
@calleeavateininc
@blackgirlzdesignerclub

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Nobody tells you that the business you built to set you free can become the thing that cages you.

I remember sitting in my car after a long day, engine off, phone buzzing in my hand. Another client message. Another post to film. Another fire to put out. I didn’t pick it up. I just sat there, too tired to move and too guilty to rest.

That’s what burnout really is. Not just being tired. It’s losing the part of you that remembers why you started.

I used to wear the exhaustion like a badge. Busy meant important. Overwhelmed meant committed. If I wasn’t drowning, I wasn’t working hard enough.

But hard work alone was never the answer. I was building a life that needed me in every single moment, and calling it success.

The shift came when I stopped asking, “How do I do more?” and started asking, “What should I stop carrying?”

I built systems. I let AI handle the repetitive work. I let people help. And slowly, the weight came off.

Getting my time back didn’t just make me more productive. It gave me room to breathe. To think clearly. To be present at dinner without checking my phone. To actually enjoy what I built.

Peace isn’t something you earn after the grind.
It’s something you design into your life.

You don’t have to burn to prove you’re committed.

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The layers, the body, the bounce! 😍🔥 A good sew-in will NEVER go out of style! 💁🏽‍♀️✨

💕 Spice Up Your Sew-In! 💕
Enjoy 10% OFF Select Sew-Ins and step out with a flawless look! Whether you love layers, volume, or a natural finish, we got you covered! 😍

📍 Classic Beauty Studio | Brooklyn, NY
💇🏽‍♀️ Stylist: Riah Cbell
📲 Book your appointment today! Link in bio!

#SewInHairstyles #LayeredSewIn #sewinextensions #brooklynhairstylist #riahcbell

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#ThrowbackThursday to October 2020 — six years ago, in my newly opened studio, doing something that has become such an important part of who I am: teaching. 🖤✂️

In this private draping class, we were starting with the foundation—blocking the fabric before you ever begin draping. Understanding the grain, balancing your muslin, and preparing your fabric correctly may seem like small steps, but they make all the difference in how a garment ultimately falls on the body.

Looking back at this moment is special because I was really beginning to hone in on my teaching style and realizing just how much I loved helping others understand their craft—not just showing how to do something, but explaining the why behind it.

Six years later, teaching is still one of the most fulfilling parts of my journey. From private classes to college classrooms, I still get excited watching that lightbulb go off when someone finally understands a technique. 🧵✨

The spaces may have changed, but the mission hasn’t: learn the foundation, understand your craft, and build from there.

#FashionEducation #Draping #FashionDesign #Patternmaking FashionInstructor

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Your dream life isn’t as far away as you think. ✨

Sometimes we’re waiting for more money, more resources, more connections, more experience… when the truth is, you may already have enough to START.

Just like creating a garment, the vision comes first. Then you take what’s in front of you and begin building—one stitch, one decision, one opportunity at a time. 🧵✂️

Creatives, stop waiting for everything to be perfect. Use the tools you have. Trust what you know. Learn what you don’t. And CREATE the life you keep dreaming about.

You already have more in your hands than you realize. 💫

#CreativeEntrepreneur #DreamLife #FashionDesigner #CreativeJourney #MakeItHappen

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Introducing The Culture Closet 🖤♻️

For this Closet Confessional, we’re talking about shopping Black, supporting Black designers and keeping the Black dollar circulating within our communities.

I’m opening up my personal closet and offering preloved pieces from Black-owned boutiques and Black designer brands at even more affordable prices on @vinted Because shopping sustainably can also mean investing in our culture—again and again.

These pieces have already been loved, and now it’s your turn. Shop The Culture Closet on Vinted and give a beautiful Black-owned piece a new home. ✨

Preloved fashion. Black-owned brands. Culture in every closet.

#TheCultureCloset #ClosetConfessionals #BlackInFashionMedia #ShopBlack #BuyBlack BlackDesigners BlackOwnedFashion BlackFashion SustainableFashion ThriftedFashion PrelovedFashion

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Closet Confessionals is back. 🖤

I haven’t been as consistent with this series as I intended, but I’m recommitting to using this space to have honest conversations about my experiences in fashion and education.

On this first day of school, today’s confession is about what it means to be one of the few Black professors at my institution—and the responsibility I feel to advocate for the quality education my students deserve. Sometimes that means speaking up, challenging the status quo, and fighting to ensure they receive the knowledge, resources, and real-world experiences they need to succeed.

Regardless of being a minority in my position, I will always use my voice for the betterment and advancement of our youth. At the end of the day, I’m always going to do what is best for my students. Always.

Welcome back to Closet Confessionals.🖤

#ClosetConfessionals #BlackInFashionMedia #BlackProfessor #FashionEducation #BlackInFashion FashionEducator RepresentationMatters FirstDayOfSchool AdvocacyInEducation

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📍 Straight from the heart of NYC’s Garment District!

I’m excited to officially introduce Made in Midtown — an initiative focused on education, access, resources, community, and strengthening the future of fashion manufacturing right here in New York City. 🧵🏭✨

We have workshops, events, industry conversations, hands-on learning, Garment District resources + so much more coming your way.

The goal is bigger than just teaching people how to make clothes. We’re creating pathways for designers and fashion entrepreneurs to better understand product development and manufacturing, connect with local resources, and KEEP FASHION MADE HERE. 🇺🇸

If we want to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. and continue rebuilding the NYC Garment District, we have to educate the next generation, support the businesses already here, and create opportunities for people to participate in this industry.

Made in Midtown is just getting started. 🚀

Make sure you’re registered and tapped in for all of our upcoming workshops, events + programming!

#MadeInMidtown #NYCGarmentDistrict #MadeInNYC #FashionManufacturing #MadeInUSA

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Teaching the next generation of creatives 🧵✨

Partnering with Black Girls Sew Green Fashion Camp to introduce young girls to the art of pattern making.

Because it truly takes a community to pour into, nurture, and grow our young creatives. 💕✂️

The future of fashion starts HERE. 🖤

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Everybody else on Friday: slams laptop shut “THANK GOD IT’S FRIDAY!” 😂🙌🏾

Me: pulls out the dress form and starts draping fabric 😭✂️🧵

The life of an entrepreneur means the weekend doesn’t always mean “off.” Sometimes it just means I finally have uninterrupted time to create, catch up, and bring the ideas in my head to life.

No clocking out over here… just switching hats. 💻➡️🪡

Weekend mode: still working, just make it fashion. ✨

#EntrepreneurLife #FashionDesigner #FashionEntrepreneur #Draping #BehindTheSeams

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Some of the best moments in fashion don’t happen on the runway—they happen around the pattern table.

What started as a private pattern making class turned into hours of learning, laughter, real conversations, great drinks, and a little dancing. That’s the magic of creating. Fashion has a way of slowing you down, helping you reconnect with yourself, and building community with people who understand your passion.

To me, fashion has never been just about making garments. It’s therapy. It’s creativity. It’s confidence. And sometimes, it’s exactly the reset you didn’t know you needed. ✂️🤍✨

Interested in a private pattern making class? Let’s create something beautiful together.

#PatternMaking #FashionEducation #FashionTherapy #LearnFashion #SewingCommunity

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One of my favorite parts of product development is helping bring a founder’s vision to life—especially when that vision is centered around inclusivity.

Working on a plus-size intimate apparel collection has been a reminder that great fit is engineered, not assumed. Every pattern adjustment, construction detail, and fit session is intentional because creating intimate apparel for curvier bodies requires precision, expertise, and an understanding of how women deserve to feel in their garments.

At LC Apparel Consulting, we’re proud to help brands develop products that don’t just fit—they empower women to feel confident, sexy, and comfortable while embracing every curve.

#LCApparelConsulting #ProductDevelopment #ApparelDevelopment #PlusSizeFashion #PatternMaking

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