SAN FRANCISCO – Developing her passion for styling individuals and their outfits since joining Academy of Art in 2015, track & field and School of Fashion alumni Latavia Hawkins finds herself on track for a successful career ahead. With her work being featured in numerous publications including MEN'S CRUZE Magazine most recently, Hawkins is off to a strong start as a professional fashion stylist.

Originally from Missouri City, Texas, Hawkins worked hard as a three-sport student-athlete at Hightower High School, winning a state championship with basketball while thriving in both track & field and cross country. She soon found herself recruited to compete in track & field at Academy of Art where she started as a Fashion Design major. Transitioning to Fashion Styling thereafter, Hawkins discovered that her eye for visual aesthetics fit like the perfect piece of clothing.

"The first semester of styling was fun and I knew that I could be great at styling people," said Hawkins. "My inspiration for my work during school was based on the theme/concept and research. Once the research is done I then base the styling on how I see the concept and how it makes me feel."

In rhythm with her passion, Hawkins' experienced her professional debut with a project called "Walk In The Dark" in a June 2019 edition of Feroce Magazine, a gallery publication devoted to showcasing a global selection of photographic artists, models, writers, and musicians. Serving as that piece's stylist and art director, Hawkins later added the roles of content contributor and copy editor when she contributed to a collaboration called "1solation" that was displayed in top fashion industry insider "The Impression" this past spring. Skillfully adapting to a remote work environment and international time zone challenges with the sudden arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hawkins determinedly completed the project focused on uniting through art in times of uncertainty.

"It was fun and I enjoyed working on this magazine with the group that I had," said Hawkins. "We communicated and make a great magazine. I'm just proud that I was able to be a part of the group and had the opportunity. The experience was more of me expressing some of the feelings I had about the matter of mental health and what people go through."

Sharing her creative experience with teammates on more than one occasion, Hawkins looks back fondly on her undergraduate experience within the Academy of Art School of Fashion which provided the chance to be guided by industry professionals like Styling Staff Photographer Danielle Rueda.

"I learned to express my creativeness through clothing as well as what it takes to produce photoshoots," said Hawkins. "The Fashion department has taught me a lot and I am thankful that I received the opportunity to be able to graduate from the Academy of Art with the knowledge that I have now. I came to ART U with little knowledge about what it takes to do a photoshoot as well as to start a clothing brand."

Approaching her graduation this past spring, Hawkins essentially built an entire shoot from scratch as she pursued a project for her Editorial Styling class. She collaborated with "Poetik Justus," a musical artist who went to Academy of Art, and what ensued was soon much more than a simple photoshoot. Envisioning a music video for his song "4AM in Minden," Hawkins and the crew produced the nightclub-based story which eventually appeared in photographic form in MEN'S CRUZE, a bi-monthly men's magazine devoted to fashion and lifestyle.

"I had to find the make-up artist, hairstylist, the female model, photographer, videographer, and the venue as well as of course find the outfits to style the models," said Hawkins. "It feels great to be featured in MEN'S CRUZE. I just feel like making accomplishments like these just shows that I'm on the right track."

Progression has guided Hawkins' collegiate career beyond the styling stage as well. As a student-athlete, she contributed in both track & field and cross country as a freshman before one of her best campaigns came in 2019 when she earned All-Region honors in the Indoor season and two All-PacWest Team selections in the Outdoor season. With the pandemic shortening a 2020 spring season that had seen her post a personal record in the indoor 400m and compete in just one outdoor meet thereafter, Hawkins hopes to still have a chance to build on a stint that has seen her name appear four times among the program's all-time top five list.

"Honestly, being a student-athlete has helped me throughout life," said Hawkins. "Maintaining the grades and having a full day of practice or weights isn't easy, but it keeps me going. Being a student-athlete helps you with multitasking. I feel like, since I was able to multitask with also being in sports, I can take on a lot of other tasks in life versus just taking on one task at a time. In the future, I want to style musicians, artists, and athletes."

Speaking of her life's next chapter, Hawkins will continue to build her brand going forward and looks to return to Academy of Art for a second run.

"Right now I am focusing on my clothing brand as well as being a freelance stylist," said Hawkins. "During these times, clients are looking for a new wardrobe. I plan on coming back to Academy of Art to get my master's in Fashion Marketing."

For more, check out Hawkins' work on Instagram or her website.

Cover photo credit: @Joy_Ludwig_Photography