For a young woman who loves art, traveling and design, Claire Kean, senior apparel merchandising and design, is certainly combining her three loves into a blossoming career. From Iowa to Spain to Ghana and back, she is beginning to make a national name for herself as a budding designer.

Kean will show a collection of 15 garments in Washington D.C. on March 21 at African Fashion Week, a large feat for a senior in college. Kean has been studying and preparing for an opportunity like this since graduating high school. 

Post high school graduation, Kean spent a year studying art history in Spain while living with a host family. After receiving scholarship offers to some of the top art schools in the United States, she was drawn closer to home to attend Iowa State University. 

Over the past few years, the apparel, merchandising and design program at Iowa State University has gained national prominence and Kean has taken full advantage of the quality information she has absorbed from professors and mentors.

“Our creative and technical design students in apparel, merchandising and design are showing their lines in professional fashion shows throughout the United States,” said Eulanda Sanders, professor of apparel, events and hospitality management.  “This sets Iowa State University’s program apart from other fashion design programs.” 

Kean showing her line on the national scale gives her infinite credibility in the job market and is highly impressive to future employers.

Within a mix of passion and exploration lies the inspiration behind Kean’s latest collection, “The Kranto Kolection”. The Kranto Kolection came to her quite spontaneously while working a 10-week internship at Global Mamas in Ghana. The feminine garments are filled with bright colors and eye-catching patterns that infatuated her as she walked to and from work passing street vendors. The line is targeted toward African women ages 18 to 25 who live in America and want to display their own cultural heritage.

The collection was named after Kean’s fiancé, Webster Kranto, who is West African and a senior in industrial technology at Iowa State. This line is her tribute to him for his continuous support of her efforts.

Kean speaks magnificently of her fiancé.

“None of this would exist without him,” Kean said. “He is my rock, my backbone. He helps and inspires me every step of the way.”

While gaining experience at a fair trade clothing company in Ghana this past summer, Kean also had the opportunity to establish a direction for her new clothing line by learning processes, production and different fabric printing techniques. Her continued dialogue with her African friends has allowed Kean to keep up with their style and buying preferences. This feedback has allowed her to bring African culture more broadly into the United States.

“Claire is extremely ambitious, and her use of vibrant West African fabrics is bringing some fresh variety to the American fashion landscape,” Kranto said.

In the past, Kean has entered her garments into The Fashion Show at Iowa State. This year, her schedule is full preparing for other shows, so she has elected to not participate. She has already shown her line as a guest designer for a successful show at the University of Texas. With orders rolling in “like crazy”, Kean is now preparing for her trip to Washington D.C. to show her collection at African Fashion Week.

Two months ago Kean found the application for African Fashion Week online, applied for it and was accepted just two hours later. At first, the requirements to participate in the show overwhelmed Kean. 

“My heart nearly stopped when I received an email telling me that I must have a minimum of 15 outfits to be in the show. I actually considered dropping out at that moment,” Kean said.

With support from her fiancé, Kean found the energy, time and inspiration to grow her original three garments into a 15-piece collection. This has all been done while continuing as a full time student, part time worker and a dancer on her fiancé’s dance team.

As if these short-term plans are not sufficiently impressive, Kean will graduate early in May and enter an internship at the national headquarters of Abercrombie and Fitch in Columbus, Ohio. Following that, Kean plans to marry her fiancé and the two will move to Texas together to focus on launching the brand nationally. Initially, clothing will be sold purely online but Kean hopes to gain enough success to open a retail establishment and perhaps distribute the line internationally.