In January 2018, I co-founded Vintage Blue, a student-run apparel venture focused on sustainability and creative empowerment. As Creative Director, I led brand identity, content creation, and creative strategy. My tenure included spearheading two signature initiatives: Originals and Intersections.

Originals was a blog platform showcasing stories of prominent Tar Heels. Over two years, I selected feature subjects, conducted interviews, organized photoshoots, and oversaw production for 19 compelling stories.

In Fall 2018, Vintage Blue launched Intersections, an exhibition celebrating the work of seven talented artists. I photographed and interviewed each artist, producing stories that highlighted their journeys, challenges, and achievements. The event created a space for the UNC community to celebrate creative expression and engage in meaningful dialogue. The success of Intersections revealed a demand for a permanent venue where students could buy and sell art, inspiring future iterations of the project. This work earned me a “Dreamers-Who-Do” sponsorship from Innovate Carolina and a “Discovery Fund” grant from the Morehead-Cain Foundation.

Originals

A selection of feature stories I wrote or co-authored for the blog:

Paso a Paso. – Vintage Blue Originals 006

In this Original we spoke with three UNC students that spent their summers pursuing their happiness. From Kenya, to Colombia and onto our nation’s capital, we seek to highlight something a bit more abstract in this piece – something that will hopefully inspire a new conversation regarding what we do with our time off from school.

It's On Us. – Vintage Blue Originals 004

“My most vivid memory is my sophomore year at the event. When I got there I had this moment when I saw all these people assembled at the event, and had given up their time to be there,” Cassidy discussed, as she begun to see the event as someone who survived sexual assault, “It was this real moment where I could reclaim my community. I felt like UNC was a place where people support me and embrace me. I was so in awe that this was a thing that people were committed and excited to do.”

Bounce Back. – Vintage Blue Originals 002

“When I came home and felt in a safe enough space, I started speaking out about the things that were happening. I urged those around me to check their community members, and understand that some were allowing this [abuse] to continue. Through that advocacy, many women started reaching out to me and asking me to help them through emotionally and physically abusive situations. I began realizing that this wasn’t just a personal issue. The personal is political, this wasn’t just a terrible thing happening to me, but really a systemic issue of men taking advantage and women being victim-blamed. Because of this experience, I decided that I wanted to create a place in my community where people who have had these struggles could come and know that they are supported,” said White.

Why Wait? – Vintage Blue Originals 001

“I don’t think that anyone has one clear passion. We are all dynamic individuals, so I try not to put myself in a box. I think the coolest projects come from people combining different interests and life experiences. Those things that do not really seem like they can connect, but then you find a connection and you run with it. It can produce something no one has ever seen before. That philosophy motivates me to say yes, and try as many different things as possible,” said Diekema.

Sarah Rose – Mixed Media

Embee Kanu – Photography

Jordin Leonard – Painting

Madi Whalen – Illustration

Evan Thompson – Jazz Piano

Eli White – Mixed Media

Ian Nickel – Woodworking