The Dream in Color grant celebrates women of color in our community and empowers future woc creators to pursue their projects that celebrate diversity. We were so excited to have over 300 applications from amazing woc who are all doing such inspiring and important work.

Thanks to Vera Bradley’s partnership with Women Who Create and the launch of the Unity Tote Bag, we were so honored to be able to give back to our community and award $5000 to two grant winners.

Read on to learn more about our first-ever two grant winners, who embody the entrepreneurial and creative spirit of WWC and continuously strive to better their communities. Both winners have their own creative outlets to provide knowledge to those around them, give their communities opportunities, and have the promise of becoming the future leaders in our industries.

Doreen Pierre is a student at Parsons School of Design at The New School, and Loisse Ledres is the Creative Director of Tagalikha, a platform for Filipinxs to share the stories of success and struggle with pursuing a creative path.

Doreen Pierre | Dream in Color STUDENT Winner:

Tell us about your creative project/s you’re working on.
I’m a black queer fashion design student focused on bringing the knowledge from my fashion program, together with my unique perspective around gender identity, to create an inclusive fashion brand. I believe solutions lie in the ability to look at the bigger picture of problem areas for men, women, trans, and non-binary folk to create clothes that fit. I plan to become a consultant to major brands about how they can make their production processes more inclusive. As a masculine presenting woman with a background in image consulting and storytelling this work is personal to me. When I first moved to NYC in 2015 and was coming into my dapper aesthetic, I had a tough time creating my personal style and decided to create a blog and instagram platform around this. Through my continued work in this area, I hope to change the mainstream narrative around conformity in fashion for others.

Why does representation and visibility matter to you?
“If we solve the problems of the most marginalized then we can all be free”. When people of color and gender non-conforming people go into a store and see over and over again that the products are not inclusive, their narratives are erased. This causes a lack of opportunities for us because people simply don’t see us. We aren’t included. There are real implications to this because fashion, just like any other system, mirrors the white supremist culture in which we live in. When people are not seen and validated they become targets for class disparities and violence. My work in wanting to create and promote the visibility of my community actively says that we matter and that we deserve to be seen and treated equitably.

How has mentorship impacted your life?
I see the myriad of ways I had mentorship when I didn’t know that I did throughout my life. I often feel as though I live on an island and have a hard time asking for help when I’m so willing to give to others. Lately, I’ve been able to draw inspiration and support from friends and lateral peers which has allowed me to sit in gratitude, forge deeper connections, and trust. I’m excited to have the opportunity to find more community and mentorship through Women Who Create. You can never have too many creatives around you who can keep you on your A — game!

What is unique about the way you show up in the world?
I’m a black queer creative who’s primary drivers are to seek knowledge and implement them in ways that elevate the experiences of people of color and queer communities. My journey hasn’t been linear in terms of how I got here. I’m a product of Haitian immigrants who came to this country for a better life. My mother wanted to protect me and ensure that I had a good life so that meant pushing me into a STEM career. I ended up studying Human Resources Management instead, but I knew this wasn’t it for me. Moving to NYC became a second childhood where I started to explore creative modalities like photography, videography, djing, and creative production but most importantly it’s where I started my fashion journey. Sometimes I look back and wish I knew the answers earlier but then I realize that the interconnectedness of my experiences create my special sauce and make me all the more grateful that I’ve made it to where I am today.

How can people stay in touch or learn more about your work?
I love connecting with people! Please follow or reach out to me via Instagram or through email: itsdoreenpierre@gmail.com. You can also learn more about my journey through my website.

Loisse Ledres| Dream in Color CREATOR Winner:

Tell us about your creative project/s you’re working on.
I am the Creative Director of Tagalikha, a community space where we explore the culture of the Filipino/x diaspora and homeland through the lens of creativity. With the help of 2 other original co-founders and now a team of nine Filipinas, we’ve been able to organize events that highlight Filipino/x creativity, create content that informs on relevant topics for the community, and speak at other organization events. With the help of this grant, we are starting a workshop series, led by experienced Filipino/x creators, where we explore visualizing language, cultural inspiration, and defining Filipino/x art. From this, we hope to create a collaborative publication that addresses these themes with the help of the attendees, speakers and commissioned artists. In this project, we really hope to create an engaging space for our community where they can explore the intersection of creativity and identity. I’m passionate about this work as it falls in line with my own discovery and progress in my creative practice and learning about my cultural history and how that affects my present identity.

Why does representation and visibility matter to you?
When I see someone who looks like me achieving the goals I also have, I’m able to borrow their bravery. I see someone who had to make risky decisions, learn the path mostly on their own, and fight insecurity the whole way. That resilience inspires me and makes the journey forward much less daunting. Having representation, especially in the creative industry, also shows me that there are opportunities I haven’t even allowed myself to dream of.

How would you like to see the world change for women of color?
The world needs to be confident in us, the way we are about ourselves. We are not here to be tokenized, generalized, and minimized. We certainly don’t believe we are out of place, the world just makes us so.

How has mentorship impacted your life?
In Filipino culture, we call older women “ates” and older men “kuyas” which means “older sisters” and “older brothers”, whether they are related to us or not. Though many of my mentors have not been Filipinos or understand this social dynamic, many of them have treated me like their “bunso” or younger sibling. They answer any question without judgment, guide me without being prescriptive, and most importantly, showing they really care without wanting anything in return, just like family would. I’m deeply thankful to all my ates and kuyas who have been my mentors so far, and am working hard to be a good ate to those I’ve been able to mentor now.

What is unique about the way you show up in the world?
I give form to dreams. My work as a designer and artist is not a new practice and contribution to the world. However, I’m always honored to be a part of bringing shape to ideas and visions. I think there’s a magic in being able to bring something that was once just a floating, formless orb in your mind to life. I don’t take this opportunity lightly and so I always make sure to pay closer attention, listen deeper, and ask more questions.

What are some of your personal/professional goals for the future?
In the future, I dream of being independent from a title to identify my creativity. Not because I think it’s impossible, but because an identifier to me, implies that the search for learning is over. In this time of my life, I am a designer, illustrator and organizer. Before entering a professional career, I was an actress, stage designer and singer for fun. I am now working to understand fashion and interior design better, and to start diving into the world of animation. In the future, I want to be able to thrive in any of these spaces without having to choose just one. I want to be able expand and grow where my passions go, instead of following a job description or the next rung in the ladder I need to get on. So with this dream, I strive for courage, expect risk and make mistakes as that will be what it takes to never stop learning.

How can people stay in touch or learn more about your work?
I share doodles about life, current projects and insights into a creative career on my Instagram @geezloisse, and my portfolio is geezloisse.com. I’d love to stay in touch!