Exploring Life & Business with Adaline Griffin of AG Designs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adaline Griffin.

Hi Adaline, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
At eight months old I was adopted from Chenzhou in Hunan Province, China.. My “past life ” was vague, all I know is I was dropped off early in the morning at a bank door step to be found. It also mentioned I was fully clothed, signifying my biological parents cared for me. To this day, I do not  know my biological parents. My adopted family took me in and encouraged me to be the best I could be. I was 14 when my fashion career initiated.

It started when a man named Rufus, a kind sandwich maker at Grateful Bread located in Monore, NC, told me to become a model every time I went to pick up lunch for my mom’s business across the street.

During the first couple of visits, I brushed it off and told him about my other passions. He gently encouraged me to pursue the fashion industry. After attending a modeling school, I submitted to KNOWN Management and was accepted.

In the autumn of 2020, I attended my first runway production called Charlotte Seen produced by Rita Miles and Rob McDowell. I was introduced to fashion design by Rita, during a magazine shoot I was a part of. I hand-painted thirteen, ’60s-inspired, paper dresses sewed by a dear friend of mine. This ignited my passion for designing.

I debuted my brand, AG in June 2021 which grounds itself in using uncommon fabrics to make high fashion and everyday wear. My first collection was “The Psyche Collection” which is an origami butterfly line. The collection was inspired by the book “Till We Have Faces” by C.S Lewis. In the same year, I released four collections (one was a re-showing of the Psyche Collection) for Charlotte Seen’s Charlotte Fashion Week 2021.

Through modeling and fashion design, I have learned how to network, build friendships, and most of all see how God has worked by just a simple phrase, “You are fit to be a model. You will go places and succeed no matter what you pursue in life. You need to go after fashion.”

It is 2022 and I will have released eight collections by the end of this year, while seemingly balancing the life of an upcoming senior at Metrolina Christian Academy. I am truly thankful to all the people who have poured into my life, the good and the bad. The ones who have prayed for me, spoken words of encouragement, been my mentor, laughed, cried, and all the wonderful actions as well as emotions that come with knowing me.

I thank my parents who drive me around, specifically my renowned dad, and support all my activities… even if it means sacrificing time off their job. I’d also like to mention Rita Miles and Rob McDowell who have sparked my love for fashion design and have also supported me.

My wonderful models, photographers, friends, neighbors, and teachers, thank YOU for letting me in your life and for being so kind to the girl who works on a farm one day and wears heels the next.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Owning a business for anyone whether small or large has its obstacles. My brand AG has had a lot of bumps such as location, labor, and for me, being a “normal” high schooler. I live in Marshville, NC. A place hardly anyone knows, unless you’re a Randy Travis fan.

I am about an hour from the heart of Charlotte, which can be a struggle due to the majority of the photographers, clients, and shows work with are in the Charlotte area. Sewing is a blessing as well as a challenge. I currently have a seamstress I hire when there are big projects, but my ideas often mean manual labor.

Examples of this are hand picking the right pages of a magazine to tear out to fold into origami or reimagining umbrella fabric straight from the umbrella itself, hand sewing tiny mirrors on skirts and dresses, or hand painting fabric. Going into senior year is a challenge in itself; Test scores, applications, maintaining a 4.7 GPA, and college, while seemingly balancing fashion and runway all at once is one of the biggest challenges.

You will probably see me at school with my briefcase (When it comes to school, I have a significant vendetta with bookbags) and a bunch of fabric, needles, and thread galore stored in my grey SunPan bag. Whenever I have the chance during school, I pull out my fashion work and begin working… while taking class notes. My teachers have graciously supported me in this multitasker’s venture, as long as I turn my work in on time and score a good grade on the tests, they let me work on any of my projects.

The challenges of location, labor, and balancing school it has taught me many disciplines. I would not change my location for the world. I live on a farm and it has taught me responsibility for my actions and work. It might be a slight drive to Charlotte, but I enjoy wearing farm shoes one day and heels the next. Living in out in the country has also taught me community and how to build relationships with people down the road.

The labor in each collection can be monumental, but the feeling of achievement and thought of, “This is what it feels like when hard work pays off!! WOW!” is untradable. The sleepless nights, tears, and efforts pay off in the end. My favorite thing to do once I am done with a design is think, “Wow, I could not have done this without God and the people He put in my life.”

It may be hard for a season, but just around the corner success lies. My wonderful friends at school have cheered me on with all my projects. In fact, three of them now work and intern for me. A lot of them ask how I do it all with school and the best answer I can give you is, “Without God I am nothing. With God everything is achievable. I’d have no foundation if I did not believe in Him.”

The balance of school and work has taught me a very critical trait, discipline. Not a second is wasted in my school life. I would not trade the countless three in the morning homework days and tests on the same day for anything. The school has taught me to multitask more efficiently and not doddle around with important events.

I look for the good in situations. Challenges can often be difficult, but they can always be overcome.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about AG (Adaline Griffin) Designs?
AG is a fashion label creating sustainable high fashion and everyday wear. AG’s top goal is to produce sustainably sourced fashion from recyclable materials. Some materials I have worked with have been paper, umbrella fabric, upcycled fabrics, and mirrors, just to name a few.

AG’s most significant accomplishments are its partnerships with many companies and have had a spread in the LOOP Magazines 6th issue, Pulse, located in Charlotte, NC. It has been a little over a year since the brand emerged and has partnered up with Rowdy Energy Drinks in Charlotte, NC, Boomerang Water in Davidson, NC, Yotrio Patio Furniture, and CabTex Fabrics LLC located in Concord, NC, to create wearable and functional fashion.

What sets AG from the rest of the industry is the transformation of unconventional items and converts them into sustainable wear. AG Designs also creates custom wear for various clientele. Services include bespoke skirts, blouses, dresses, and pants.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I was a freshman when the pandemic hit and the word “unprecedented” was the new buzzword in emails and all news channels. I learned many lessons (besides the Disney churro recipe Disney released) such as preventing procrastination and facing adversity head-on.

Work was easy to put off, simple to scroll for hours, and blindsided by distractions. I learned quickly to do work as soon as possible so I could have free time for the rest of the day. The more I pushed off work, the more anxiety would build. Additionally, I learned family is precious and the relationship between members is important.

I have also learned friendship is also a strong bond and not all families have to be by blood. During the Covid era, all we had was Zoom, e-mail, and texting. Through this, I quickly learned when challenges arose to take it head-on and learn from the experience. Looking back, every lesson taught me who I am now.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adaline.griffin/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adaline.griffin.1/
• Other: https://www.theloop-mag.com/product/pulse-issue-n0-6-print-copy/

Image Credits
Murphy Photography, Howard Spikes, Careese Robinson, Portrait Exposure, Holly Hulse Photography, Craig Muzse, Aleigha Tucker, Fenix Fotography, and Media Unlimited