Check Out Tylisicia Guill’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tylisicia Guill.  

Hi Tylisicia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Absolutely. Growing up, I always had my own fashion sense, a keen interest in teen vogue magazines, and utilized fashion to express myself. I would cut out models and styles that I loved and scrapbook them through my creative eye. While that may have been a factor in my journey, the pivotal moment came from seeing the representation of a black female like Kara and an unapologetic individual like Santiago on season two of Project Runway. Before watching the show, I had only read about famous fashion designers in magazines or watched celebrities talk about “who they were wearing” at red carpet shows.

While my parents wanted me to become a lawyer or an accountant, I knew what my passion was. To appease their idea of who I should become, I suppressed my true passion. In doing so, I found myself switching majors a few times before finding a way to get to Los Angeles. I applied to FIDM in LA and was accepted. In 2010 I saved up about $8,000, found an apartment on craigslist, and purchased a ticket to chase my dreams. Initially, my parents thought it was a joke until I showed them my ticket and an apartment I had found. It was a studio apartment off South Union with a two-burner stove and a mini-fridge, but I was proud. I was excited and scared at the same time. My mantra for the move was, “I just have to survive for a year in LA, and then I can start design school.” It wasn’t easy, and eventually, I ended up moving back home, only this time, my parents supported me in enrolling at Wade College in Dallas, TX. It was another adventure. After graduation, I wanted to get a job as a pattern maker or design assistant, but my internships weren’t enough to land a fashion career, so I returned home.

My younger sister has always been my biggest cheerleader, so she let me make her prom gown. It was a mess; I was sewing the train together moments before she was supposed to leave, and looking back on it, it was a Mess! But my baby sister wore that dress with pride, at least that’s how it looked in the pictures.
Life happened, and I needed to find a job, so I started working for AT&T with a three-year timeline to create my fashion line. Welp, a little more life happened, and before I knew it, I had been working there for nine years. I worked in multiple markets in different states and had worked my way up to being a general manager. In 2020 COVID-19 hit, and I was working from home; shortly after, I took maternity leave to have my sweet daughter Zhuri. I left that job and became a stay-at-home mom, which was good until it wasn’t.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Last year, I started sewing again to bring myself joy. At that stage in my life, I needed something for myself. I was yearning to feel whole again; I needed to become the representation my daughter would see. I had to tap back into that fearless 20-year-old who dropped everything to follow her dreams. In 2021 my sister inquired about my design school collection for a creative photoshoot that would pair perfectly with the concept. Being on set and seeing my work motivated me to knock the dust off my dressmaker mannequin and sewing machine and get to work. I started by curating two lux jackets and launched my streetwear line, “Tie’d.” Tie’d was born from feeling overwhelmed with emotion about everything that was, and still is, going on.
From watching the social injustices, experiencing life in quarantine, and figuring out how to thrive in “the new normal,” I was “tie’d”. I needed to know that it was okay to be “Tie’d,” experience everything going on, and rest when I needed to. Nowadays, I am focused on being better today than the day before. I am giving myself room to grow and create my seat at the table. I wasted so much time mimicking what worked for others, only to realize that the only timeline I have, is the one I set. That showing up for myself in my own way was enough. So now I create things that bring me joy; I design clothes for myself to wear to fashion shows or events in Denver. I now know what is for me is already mine. No longer am I looking to survive a place. I will thrive even in my seasons of growth. I will continue putting one foot in front of the other until my dreams manifest.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I grew up in Port Arthur, TX. My father was a welder, and my mother stayed home to care for my sisters and me. I participated in pageants, was active in church, and played sports. My mom was the first person I saw sew. She would sew our outfits for school, family vacations, and performances. I have heard stories of how I would fall asleep near her sewing machine with anticipation of trying on the finished product. Even at that age, I genuinely believe I appreciated the process of creating something from essentially nothing. I remember her waking me up to try things on, which made her gift me the serger she used to make our clothes that much more sentimental. I still use it today.

Contact Info:

• Email: ZhubyTylisicia@gmail.com
• Website: https://www.zhu-design.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoey_madison/ 

Image Credits
Shelby Francis
Jonny Edward
Jackie Nunnally