Alumni Spotlight: Cierra Boyd

Cierra Boyd, a Retail Merchandising and Fashion Product Development alumna (2017), was recently featured on WKYC-NBC Cleveland for her innovative company and clothing line, Friskmegood Inc., which unites sustainability and fashion. She is The Patton College’s July Alum of the Month.

After graduating with her bachelor’s and a minor in marketing, Boyd moved back home to Cleveland. Frustrated with the limited job market, she started her own business. Using materials she had available in her home, she created a clothing line she calls sustainable luxury streetwear. She soon discovered that her mission was to create more sustainable but fashionable clothing. She now works out of her own small design studio. 

“The vision behind my company is to provide ethically sourced sustainable fashion items that are uniquely made,” said Boyd. “My dedication lies in changing the way fashion is consumed, and I want to bridge the gap between sustainability and streetwear. I want to create an option where you never have to choose between being true to your style or impacting the ecosystem.”

Examples of her designs include upcycled, custom corsets and handbags made from sneakers. She also makes handbags out of boots, vests and jackets out of rugs, and dresses out of socks.

Boyd said her time in The Patton College and in her major pushed her and supported her and gave her the space to feel included.

“The Patton College did an amazing job helping me grow into the leader that I am today. And my future dreams and plans include doing what I love for the rest of my life, which is designing sustainable fashion.

Boyd hopes to see her designs on a more global scale and aspires to have her designs featured in New York Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week, and on all the notable runways in the future. She also hopes to see Friskmegood featured in branded collaborations with a major brand like Nike, Puma, or Adidas.

And because the name of her company and clothing line was inspired by the song “Rockstar” by Rihanna, her ultimate dream is to one day have Rihanna wear her designs.