STONEY MICHELLI LOVE ∙ LOS ANGELES, CA
STUZO CLOTHING ∙ www.stuzoclothing.com
Industry – Apparel and Accessories
DEFINING HER LEGACY
“Leaving a legacy on this earth is particularly important for me to achieve. My family is used to providing for the now and not necessarily building generational wealth to pass down. In their defense, they did what they knew how and what they had to do to survive. I want to change the pattern and not just survive; I want to live. I want to show my younger siblings that a part of living is thriving in the now, so seeds will be planted for your future. Creating designs came from within when I first started. It was important to me to create something that I’d be proud of for years, decades, and centuries to come. Ones that would live on beyond my lifetime while preserving the same sense of pride it had from inception. It’s also vital for me to create designs that reflect who I am and what I stand for. Creating art as such can only relate to current generations and those to come. My grandmother was and still is my mentor in life. Although she has transcended, her words and advice will forever live on. I can still hear her telling me, ‘Boca cerrara no entra mosca’ (If you keep your mouth shut, no flies can get in). She used to say this to me almost every day, and even today, I live by it when interacting with people in my business. It reminds me to listen more, talk less, and choose my words wisely. It may not have been a monetary gift, but some gifts are priceless.” -Stoney Michelli Love
ABOUT STONEY
Stoney Michelli is an African-Panamanian renaissance woman. Stoney is the founder and Owner of STUZO CLOTHING. When she is not running her company, she is daydreaming about the big screen. What makes Stoney a Renaissance woman is that she is a graphic designer, actor, and photographer. Stoney graduated from Briarcliffe College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts. She is also the head of the design department and Art Director for STUZO. Stoney grew up in The Bronx, NY, and moved to LA in 2010, which was always a dream of hers.
STUZO CLOTHING
Although based in Los Angeles, the heart of STUZO CLOTHING beats to the drums of the big city of New York. Their mission is to create a space in the fashion world where all are welcome without judgment. STUZO is a gender-free clothing company designed to invoke thought and emotion. The brand is for the non-conforming and bold at heart. Pieces are gender-free, as they prefer to call them, because clothes don’t have any organs last time they checked. Love, people, and life inspire STUZO. Whatever shape or form you choose to exist in, STUZO celebrates that. Celebrities such as Ruby Rose, Gina Yashere, Tiffany Haddish, Lena Waithe, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Spike Lee are some of the many that have been known to rock their crowns. Wearing STUZO is like deciding what to wear with your crown today. What will you choose?
