Ronnette Cox was destined to burst onto the fashion scene and after designing for different department stores and brands like Sean John Kids and Nautica Kids, she recently launched Per Diem, her very own clothing store that inherits all of her Brooklyn and Caribbean swag.
Her store is located on Church Avenue in the heart of Brooklyn, three blocks away from her parent’s home, for a reason. Ronnette is certainly a fan of her community and this is reflected in her reasoning of location. Every year, the Caribbean carnival, Juve, is held in Brooklyn along Church Avenue, one of its main streets. It is the most immense event in Brooklyn each year. Big name designers, artist and models are all present at the carnival, and Ronnette expects to be recognized by them.
Who Ronnette is at heart is clearly transpired through her business. The demographic that she’s aiming towards is 18-28 year-olds of Caribbean decent—people like herself, who are working, going to school and remaining loyal to who they are and what they are passionate about. Because she designs the majority of her pieces, a lot of who she is and what influences her is reflected in her fashions. To Ronnette, research and fashion magazines are not important. The street, facebook, twitter, what’s worn in the clubs and people in general, are her motivation. For instance, Ronnette plans to launch an all white line in the near future and this idea came to her at a friend’s All White Affair.
In fact a lot of her support comes from friends with a goal like hers; to make it in the industry. Together, she and friends, who are timely advancing in fashion, promotion and media, are climbing the ladder to success and lending a helping hand to one another on the way.
The support she receives from friends and peers was displayed indubitably at her fashion show, an event that’s purpose was to introduce Per Diem and more so, to introduce its monthly events, to the neighborhood. Each month Ronnette intends to host a different event, for July it will be a video game tournament with a cash prize of $500.
There was a swarm of people who stood outside and inside of Per Diem. Some were friends and business contacts and some were just interested in finding out what was causing the excitement on the block. What ever brought them there, the people were definitely in the building, anticipating the start of the event. Although Ronnette was racing around her shop minutes before the show started, getting last minute tasks done, when the event did begin, it grasped its audience. The show was filled with Hip-Hop and Caribbean inspired fashions, in an effort to show the product on people opposed to showing the product on mannequins, in hope of a more effective response.
So far, for Ronnette, business has been going surprising well. She is blown away by the amount of support coming her way. “Everyone keeps giving me money to put up on the wall and I’m starting to think, I better start saving this!” she joked. Now her only concern is having enough supply to meet the demand. But for now she is simply focusing on making things for Per Diem bigger and better, day by day.
So many people in the fashion field become discouraged after being turned downed over and over again, “In this business you are constantly reminded that you are replaceable.” Ronnette’s approach, one that she advises fellow fashion folk to take as well, is to simply never give up, stay positive, stay true to who you are, bring your own style and versatility to the game and eventually they will have to give you your respect.
Some of the things she aspires to do in the future are giving back to students whose place she was once in. Courses at the most prestigious fashion schools such as FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology), where Ronnette took pre-college classes, charge $155 a credit for in state students and $464 a credit for out of state students. “I can’t send anyone to college on a free trip, but hopefully one day I can allow someone to take a class.” Ronnette also took pre-college classes at The School of Visual Arts and she received her Associates Degree in fashion design from Wood-Tobe Coburn College.
In two years if the store is allowing her to live comfortably she would love to turn it into a franchise or simply make it bigger with more variety. Brooklyn, of course, is where she will expand before anywhere else.
All the artwork that is displayed in Per Diem is for sale and its profits will go to B.ART, (Brooklyn Art), Ronnette’s non-profit organization. Twenty percent of all Per Diem sales will go to B.ART as well. B.ART was created to assist young designers, creators, and creative people as a whole in their journey to success in the fashion industry. You can find out more and connect with Per Diem and Miss Ronnette Cox at www.PerDiemNewYork.com and you can also follow Per Diem on twitter at twitter.com/perdiemny!
Ronnette has clearly made a name for herself in the fashion world. She and her business are a product of hard work and dedication. She is inspiration to any young person who ever had a dream. Ronnette has shown that with persistence and faith you can always overcome the obstacles and she reminds us to remember to give back.
“I was always a big girl and I used to take in my own clothes until one day my dad said, ‘we have to get you a sewing machine, this is crazy’!” Ronnette smiled. A dream can manifest into reality, starting anywhere.
Below are pictures from the most recent Per Diem Fashion Show
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{vsig_c}0|Ronnette18.jpg|Ronnete Cox|Per Diem Fashion Show{/vsig_c}
{vsig_c}0|Ronnette2.jpg|Red Tee|Per Diem Fashion Show{/vsig_c}
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{vsig_c}0|Ronnette4.jpg|Yellow Dress|Per Diem Fashion Show{/vsig_c}
{vsig_c}0|Ronnette10.jpg|Machine Tee|Per Diem Fashion Show{/vsig_c}
{vsig_c}0|Ronnette3.jpg|I Am BIG Tee|Per Diem Fashion Show{/vsig_c}
{vsig_c}0|Ronnette8.jpg|South Beach|Per Diem Fashion Show{/vsig_c}
{vsig_c}0|Ronnette9.jpg|Black Tee|Per Diem Fashion Show{/vsig_c}
{vsig_c}0|Ronnette13.jpg|Yellow Swimsuit|Per Diem Fashion Show{/vsig_c}
{vsig_c}0|Ronnette14.jpg|Fuschia Swimsuit|Per Diem Fashion Show{/vsig_c}
{vsig_c}0|Ronnette15.jpg|Fuschia Swimsuit2|Per Diem Fashion Show{/vsig_c}
{vsig_c}0|Ronnette17.jpg|Tan Swimsuit|Per Diem Fashion Show{/vsig_c}
{vsig_c}0|Ronnette16.jpg|Jeans|Per Diem Fashion Show{/vsig_c}
{vsig_c}0|Ronnette12.jpg|Blue Tee|Per Diem Fashion Show{/vsig_c}
{vsig_c}0|Ronnette6.jpg|Hoodie|Per Diem Fashion Show{/vsig_c}
{vsig_c}0|Ronnette11.jpg|Blue Tee|Per Diem Fashion Show{/vsig_c}
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