2026-2027 Grant The Reactivation: Costume Design Mentorship

Paris Vincent is chasing her dream of becoming an award winning costume designer while also working as a journalist and morning news producer. Vincent’s creative practice began in childhood and strengthened when she joined the YAYA Guild. “Towards the end of my time in high school, I was introduced to mixed media through a program at New Orleans Video Access Center (NOVAC), where I learned how to tell the stories of people in my community through film and photography,” she explains. While studying at Spelman College, she got the opportunity to work as a costumer on the production of Where the Crawdads Sing, a film adaptation of the novel by Delia Owens. This role allowed her to shadow seamstresses, costume background characters and extras, and soak up knowledge as a mentee of the film’s lead costume designer, Mirren Gordon-Crozier.

Vincent will utilize this grant to purchase sewing equipment to build her skills as a designer and sewist.“ As the daughter of a beautician, my love for beauty and fashion started in the hair salon, and currently manifests through the art of costuming,” states Vincent. She will be working under the mentorship of Derroles Taylor, fellow grantee and YAYA alumnus. In Taylor’s home studio, Vincent will experiment with textiles and explore different techniques. “Although I’m a beginner, I’m working towards an intermediate/self sufficiency skill level; mostly by learning basic stitches to create new pieces. I plan to create my own original designs and ideas through various small projects that each allow me to master a new skill,” explains Vincent, whose goal is to create at least one wearable piece that showcases the skills she will perfect throughout the year. “This project will allow me to experiment with different styles, eras, and cultural references to identify my artistic preferred direction,” she reflects.

Paris Vincent is a current member of YAYA’s Board of Directors. She received a B.A. from Spelman College where she studied English with a concentration in Film and Visual Culture, minoring in Curatorial Studies. She currently produces morning news at WWL-TV (CBS New Orleans) and has also worked in production at HGTV and Cherish the Day. She serves as Content Chair for the New Orleans Association of Black Journalists and Alumna Advisor for NOVAC’s Access to Action Program. She first joined the YAYA Artist Guild in 2013.