Fashion Entrepreneur | Educator | Emerging Scholar
About Me
I am a multi award winning fashion entrepreneur and educator whose creative vision and passion have propelled me to the forefront of the global fashion industry. In the industry, I am known for my vibrant, conversation starting designs, bold styles, and pops of color that blend aesthetics with social impact. As an educator, I am known for bringing innovation into my courses and creating experiential learning environments that allow students and teaching assistants to connect academic concepts with practical skills that prepare them for roles in both the fashion industry and academia. My decade long journey in fashion reflects resilience, determination, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
Humble beginnings
2014
📍 Democratic Republic of Congo
My journey in fashion began in 2014 in the Democratic Republic of Congo when I was seventeen. At the time, I was a mathematics and physics major in high school and on track to follow in my father’s footsteps as an engineer. Three months before graduation, I discovered my passion for fashion design and knew I wanted to pursue it in college.
I started teaching myself how to sew through YouTube videos, books, and online resources, driven by curiosity and determination. With only ten dollars to my name and no formal background in business or fashion, I took my first steps into entrepreneurship. I created and resold handmade products using discarded and repurposed materials like plastic bags, secondhand clothing, plastic bottles, and more. I transformed these materials into jewelry, purses, backpacks, wallets, and decorative flowers, often adorned with African prints to honor and celebrate my culture.
During this time, I faced severe bullying, yet my talent and entrepreneurial spirit eventually won over many of the same people who doubted me. Those who once bullied me became the ones spreading the word about my work, helping the business grow through powerful word of mouth.
As the business expanded, every member of my family became involved. My mother became my buyer and purchased African prints. My father invested in the growth of the business. My brothers built my first website. My younger sister made deliveries whenever I could not, and my older sister helped secure supplies from China.
Even as the business grew quickly, it still did not have a name. It was my older sister who suggested “Belange Handmade,” combining my first name, which means Pretty Angel in French, with Handmade to reflect the craft and care behind every piece. That is how Belange Handmade, or BHM, was born.
The American Dream
2015 - present
📍 United States
I moved to the United States in 2015 to study fashion design. I attended the Des Moines Area Community College Fashion Institute (DMACC DFI) from 2016 to 2018, where I earned an Associate of Applied Science in Fashion Design and Merchandising as well as an Associate in General Studies. I also expanded my knowledge by completing courses in business, management, and marketing while attending DMACC. While studying full-time, I worked part-time in retail as a Sales Associate for brands such as Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Levi’s, which helped me gain valuable retail and merchandising experience.
My journey continued at Iowa State University from 2018 to 2020, where I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Apparel, Merchandising, and Design with a focus on Creative and Technical Design. During this time, I excelled academically and demonstrated leadership as an undergraduate teaching assistant (UG TA). In 2020, I served as a UG TA in multiple sections of the pattern drafting course, titled FDM 2250 (formerly known as AMD 225), and the computer-aided pattern-making course, titled FDM 3100 (formerly known as AMD 225). In these roles, I championed innovation by teaching myself CLO3D, a 3D virtual fashion tool, and introducing it into the design program during the challenging times of the COVID pandemic. I developed all CLO3D teaching modules in the form of video tutorials and taught the program to students in FDM 3100. My achievements were recognized through multiple business scholarships, grants from the ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, awards, accolades, and extensive media coverage. My commitment to excellence culminated in being named the Fall 2020 University Student Marshal and Graduating Senior of the Year, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a GPA of 3.80.
Seeking further expertise, I completed a Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Fashion Marketing at LIM College in New York City in 2022, graduating with the highest honors and a GPA of 3.97. This experience equipped me with knowledge in fashion marketing and licensing, which led me to secure a licensing partnership with SHEIN, the world’s largest online retailer, in Spring 2023. Through the SHEINX Incubator Program, I have designed five capsule collections that have been distributed globally.
In 2024, I returned to Iowa State University to begin my PhD in Apparel, Merchandising, and Design and to serve as an Instructor of Record. Since Fall 2024, I have taught 187 undergraduate students in the Fashion, Design, and Merchandising program across multiple sections and independently developed all lectures, teaching modules, labs, instructional materials, and course content. In addition, I have trained, managed and mentored over 20 undergraduate teaching assistants who have assisted my students and I in the courses I teach.