Sania Josiah ’12 wins Los Angles Fashion Council runway competition.
West African textiles have always fascinated Sania Josiah, who was born in Liberia and grew up in Ghana. Now the emerging designer is making a name for herself with clothes inspired by her heritage.
The University of Rhode Island graduate recently won a big award in the West coast design world – first place in the Open Runway competition organized by the Los Angeles Fashion Council.
The win allowed her to show her collection at an even bigger event – Los Angeles Fashion Week in early October.
“That was a huge deal,’’ said Josiah, 24, who grew up in Providence and is now living in Los Angeles. “That was my debut in the fashion world. I got a lot of great feedback.’’
Josiah’s dresses, shirt dresses, jumpsuits, shorts and crop tops were singled out for combining a West African style with a modern silhouette. She even won a rave review in The Los Angeles Times, which praised the fashion council for “putting an enthusiastic young designer on our radar.’’