TRACE MAGAZINE INTERVIEWS BUTCH DIVA!!!

"So recently, I had the opportunity to meet with Butch Diva’s Boss Lady herself, Tiffany L. Rhodes. While we sipped on tea and nibbled on strawberries, she allowed me to filter through her Brooklyn studio’s closets for pieces that spoke to me. Such a laid back individual with a grand imagination, I could not help to be inspired by her presence. Print after print, I was in total awe and after finding my favorite pieces, we had a little Sunday powwow, vibing to her online mixes and adoring tear sheets of Justin Timberlake. A lady with an organic hustle, Ms. Rhodes lives the Butch Diva life effortlessly. It’s not just a label, it’s a lifestyle."

Style Muse: Butch Diva is…
Butch Diva: Butch Diva is the future of feminine power.

SM: What is your feminine power?
BD: The power to produce $$$. I know I have to spend money to make money. And now we’re in this day and age where things are so easily accessible. You just have to analyze your situation and make it work for you!

SM: When did you decide that you wanted to start your own fashion line?
BD: Definitely by the time I got to FIT. I knew I wanted something controversial; I knew I wanted something bold. For the most part, it was really just one night driving and [Butch Diva] just came to me. The Butch is the boyish style and mixing it with like the diva (femininity). And I just went with it from that…

SM: Are you Butch Diva or is Butch Diva an ideal customer for your brand?
BD: Both. It’s funny you asked that because there was a time that someone asked me, ‘What is Butch Diva exactly?’ And I said, ‘Don’t you know? That is the name of my brand.’ He said, he thought Butch Diva was my alter ego that I blogged about, he did not know it was the name of my brand. I thought, ‘well then that’s not quite bad’ because I definitely want to be a role model for what I think my ideal customer is. So yeah, it’s me and it’s whom I design for.

SM: So what’s your fascination with spandex?
BD: laughs. To be honest, it’s not even a fascination [I have] with spandex. [Spandex] just works! It just so happens to be trendy right now, especially with all these 90’s inspired bright looks. So for the most part, I use it because it works. I studied tailoring and different avant gard techniques for years, so all that really fascinates me. This is just introduction…

SM: What do you enjoy most about customizing pieces for your clients?
BD: Just knowing I could give them exactly what they want! You know, because sometimes you may find something and wish that it fit you a little different here or there. Wish that it came in another color or had a little certain custom detail that match your personality just to make it your own individual style. Knowing that I can provide and accommodate that for my clients is my favorite part!

SM: If Butch Diva was Barbie, who would be her Ken?
BD: Whoa! Can she only have one Ken? I would like a whole beach party of Ken dolls and Malibu Barbies running around all over the place. laughs But seriously, Butch Diva’s perfect companion is a guy that respects her personal agenda and doesn’t get too comfortable. Until someone can step up to that…she is allowed to have many Kens.

SM: So where will Butch Diva be in five years?
BD: In five years I plan to sell in a few specialty boutiques. I want my own lounge boutique; where customers can shop and chill…check out trends, filter through magazines. No obnoxious and obsessive sales team down your neck like ‘buy this, buy that’, but allowing clients to be inspired by the brand first then having the option to buy.

SM: Where can people find Butch Diva right now?
BD: Butch Diva is available on a made to order basis, all custom designs, all the time. So for now, it’s an exclusive thing, you gotta hit me up to get it. =)

SM: Words of advice?
BD: Never limit yourself. Don’t be lazy; you have to put the time into it to see results. Be patient and work hard towards your goals.


See the article here.

Thanks Toni!! I had a blast and I looove your BUTCH DIVA collage!! :)