Fashion is a popular industry, but it comes with its faults. It can be wasteful, with people cycling through clothing every few months. One brand on campus is working to change that.
Creative, passionate and diligent are a few words to describe the owner and creator of “Enchantment of Gardens.” Anacia Sessoms, a sophomore at Montclair State University, is working toward her visual arts degree while taking on the adventures of owning an eco-friendly clothing business.
Enchantment of Gardens launched back in Nov. 2021. While Sessoms first came up with the concept for the business in the summer of that year, she took her time to develop something unforgettable.
“The goal is to make the customer and the audience just love to be around the brand or want to be a part of the brand,” Sessoms said.
Sessoms is the creator of the Enchantment of Gardens brand.
Photo courtesy of Anacia Sessoms
This eco-friendly sustainable clothing brand keeps its consumers in the loop when it comes to saving the planet. This brand brings a unique touch to the consumer’s eyes. Rather than ordering a whole new catalog, Sessoms upcycles clothing pieces from second-hand stores and gives them a new purpose.
“I create them into artsy-looking tops, bottoms, skirts, legwarmers, hats, like anything you can think of,” Sessoms said. “I really just wanted to make sure I’m helping the environment as well as being someone who can create something without feeling like I’m harming something.”
Sessoms walks down the runway in a fashion show.
Photo courtesy of Anacia Sessoms
A common trend in the fashion industry is fast fashion, or taking ideas from trending models or celebrities and making them into pieces that only see the light of day for a short amount of time. Sessoms mentions that she doesn’t see herself stepping away from her upcycling niche, no matter how popular fast fashion becomes.
“I do not want to have fast fashion within my brand at all,” Sessoms explained. “I’m really against that stuff, so that’s why I really decided to upcycle pieces.”
Enchantment of Gardens gives an artistic aesthetic to each piece created. Whether it’s a pair of pants, a tote bag or a crop top, each item holds a story behind its hand-painted artwork. Sessoms plays around with her love of nature by incorporating different sceneries into each piece. Her designs are a mixture of contrasting paints and whimsical faces.
Back in April of 2021, Sessoms launched her first tote bag collection called, “The Gardens.” The collection consisted of hand-painted tote bags that were showcased in a photography series of her own. It also holds a special place in Sessoms’s heart.
One of Sessoms’s designs for her clothing brand.
Photo courtesy of Anacia Sessoms
“This tote bag is my favorite,” Sessoms said. “It was the first tote bag that I ever created for my brand, symbolizing the internal transformation of life.”
Enchantment of Gardens is known for giving a joyful feeling to the consumers. Arely Reyes, a freshman undecided, loves the clothing brand because of its originality.
“I love how her brand pops out,” Reyes said. “It’s so creative and unique. It’s amazing.”
Jajone Cuff, a senior television and digital media major, shares why Enchantment of Gardens is creating a new conversation for the nature that lives around us.
“I really like how the garden is a core element of her pieces,” Cuff said. “Nature is all around us and I think people who are so busy with their lives don’t take the time to surround themselves with nature as much as they should.”
Jajone Cuff admires how Sessoms is using nature in her brand.
Photo courtesy of Jajone Cuff
When scrolling through the brand’s Instagram, items like her Sun Rise Rooftop skirts and time wrap-mare jeans play off of the art of nature.
Sessoms pushes herself to create pieces that make people feel like their own artists. Whether she is creating handbags, custom design jeans or crop tops, she is in tune with her target audience and the trends of the time.
“I always want the customer to feel like their own unique artist,” Sessoms said. “While I’m creating my pieces, I take into consideration what others would like to see me create.”
Sessoms does not only use her artistic abilities for designing clothes. After a long week of work and school, she relieves stress by tapping into her inner artist for self-care purposes.
“When I’m in a rut or really stressed out, I tend to create a lot,” Sessoms said.
When discussing the brand goals for the future, Sessoms hopes to one day be a designer in New York Fashion Week and create her own boutiques in the New York area.
“I would like to be a designer at New York Fashion Week. I feel like it could happen, especially now that you can apply and walk in different shows,” Sessoms said. “Another goal for me is to be located in New York City, whether it’s to have a boutique or work in the industry.”
As the school year continues, there is nothing but greatness in store for the owner of Enchantment of Gardens. If you want to see more of Sessoms’s clothing business journey, you can follow Enchantment of Gardens on Instagram at @enchantmentofgardens.
