Shantelle M. Brumfield is a businesswoman, who happens to be a fashionista with the heart of an artist, mind of a scientist, and soul of a God fearing woman.
Born February 17, 1983 in Vallejo, California to parents Gary and Blancho Brumfield. The youngest and only girl of three, including two older brothers Rashaud K. Brumfield and Lawrence Michael Lewis known to family as Mike. Raised up in a small town, she had a very rich upbringing laying a foundation strong amongst family, religion, and education. As a girl, Shantelle was very active in church, social activities, sports, and culinary delight. She trained as a dancer in the areas of tap, jazz, modern folk, ballet and later hip-hop. In her parents home the walls and shelves are full of their children’s academic and athletic achievements. Shantelle’s passion for fashion is a complete combinations of influences by her personal experiences, ranging from the ROOTS of old Hollywood fashion exemplified by her grandmothers and older ladies of the church; the SPIRITS of fashion illustrated by her mother, aunts and ballet customs of various centuries; and the LIFE of fashion that she personally created using all other influences a template.
This rising fashionista, formerly a research scientist at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Maryland, began making head-way into the fashion industry with her first line of apparel “RASTU”: Rocking Attire Signature To U. This collection was featured in a fashion show for Howard University Homecoming in October 2003. RASTU encompassed the art of crochet with cross-stitch embroidery, and the use of bright colors. This collection gave birth to National Society of Soul in August 2005, which has been featured in a 2007 issue of XXL magazine.
In July 2006, Shantelle became a fashion design/product development intern for Sports Zone, a local athletic apparel and footwear company in Washington, DC. She assisted the Senior Product Planning director in creating and/or approving new fashion design ideas created by in-house designers, and annual product analysis. That experience allowed her hone her fashion design skills as well as learn the business side of the fashion industry including, profit analysis, product analysis, and marketing. With her new attributes, Shantelle developed and polished National Society of Soul from a skillful craft into a lifestyle.
Shantelle AKA LADYBUG is a highly driven individual with one goal: “To come into contact with people, and bring them happiness and prosperity”. In Hispanic culture, ladybugs are said to bring good luck and prosperity when they land on a person; and, this LADYBUG has landed on the fashion industry. Her expedition began in the Virgin Islands in the country of CUBA, where her maternal ancestry can be traced. Her paternal ancestry tracing from Germany to Jamaica, also played a major role in her artistic development. In 2001, Shantelle relocated from California to Washington D.C. She completed a double Bachelor’s of Science degree at Howard University with a concentration in Biology/Chemistry, where her love for fashion was nurtured and matured. During her time at Howard University, she was afforded many opportunities to travel and study abroad. She traveled to various places including Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Anguilla, St. Marten and Spain, but it was her excursion to Oaxaca, Mexico that really made an impact on her life. She was heavily influenced by the natives’ views on using nature’s HUES to express herself. It was in Oaxaca that Shantelle’s future plans in fashion were established and her passions morphed into an ever-existing dream.
Shantelle believes she must use all the gifts implanted in her life by God to bring harvest into the lives of others around her; and that, “Everyday, you should reach a new height”. She illustrates her philosophy by combining her passion for life and fashion to advocate happiness and prosperity as a lifestyle, and not a luxurious attainment. Fashion is her business, and she believes, “…any and everywhere is an opportunity for a thought to take form into a creation of a master piece”.
Stay Tuned…
National Society of Soul
(Jamel Shabazz, photographer & curator)
