Today we’d like to introduce you to Mykel Davis
Mykel, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Looking back I see that my journey really started as a teenager sewing my own modest skirts for church. It was the era of the mini skirt and I remembered the feeling of frustration of never finding skirts to wear. Looking back, the attitude of that younger version of myself would be the same one that would spark the initiative to start a clothing line. I have always wondered why so many modest clothing lines were so similar in style. It was hard to find elegant, simple and timeless pieces in the modest fashion world. I carried this feeling for year and years, until finally I decided that I needed to create what I wish existed.
So that is when I founded Prude, my clothing line.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not! Smooth is not a word I would use to describe any part of this journey!
Manufacturing in the USA has easily been the hardest part.
I was passionate about creating modest fashion pieces that were also ethically made in the USA.
Less than 3% of fashion in the world is made in the U.S. and I quickly learned why. Shortage of manufacturs, and a much higher cost are just a few of them. But I was always committed to the ethics and standards of the business. Clothing inspired by Standards is one of our slogans, and it applies not only to the business being founded out of wanting to keep my personal standards (modest clothing) but also standards of manufacturing, even when it meant much lower profit margins and a lot more stress and tears. The United States has some of the strongest labor laws in the world. I know my manufacturers, I know the women who make my clothing. That is so important to me, but it was so hard.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Prude is a clothing line I founded out of frustration in the modest fashion market. It felt as if to dress modestly you had to wear ONE type of style. I felt confined to my standards, and I knew there was another way. I also knew a lot of women felt that same way, so I started Prude, a modest fashion line. We are known for elegance, timelessness, and chic designs, and ethical manufacturing… We have a strong emphasis on slower fashion, timeless pieces made to last, that you can wear year after year.
I am so proud that I build this business and these pieces from sketches in my bedroom to clothing women wear all around the country.
I am proud that I didn’t give up when the road got hard- even sometimes felt impossible- and that I kept pushing and believing.
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?
The pandemic shook a lot of people, myself included. It also was a time that I moved home to Michigan (for safety reasons, and to be with my family as I was living 2000+ miles away at the time)
I was working as an influencer at the time, and moving home was really therapeutic for me. I had been working so hard with my head down that I realized I wasn’t doing what I felt like I was meant to do, I was going through the motions. That is when I stopped influencing, and moved to Utah a year later to start my clothing line. So I definitely think it was an important lesson that started me on a more fulfilling journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shopprude.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prude.co
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PrudeClothing
