Nateisha Williams making fashion through Faith, Hope & Love
WHAT HAPPENS when you stitch a little faith, hope and love with a highclass taste of fashion? At FHL Designs, you will definitely get a chic, à la mode and sassy style.
Faith, Hope and Love (FHL) Designs was conceptualised and is operated by Jamaica’s very own topof-the-line Christian designer Nateisha Williams.
Williams, an ever-growing and versatile designer, boasts of her continuous divine inspiration to produce authentic, bold and classy designs that uniformly complement her sense of style.
She says prayer and fasting are the main fuels that drive her. Williams explained to Outlook, in a recent interview, that in the midst of tribulations and deep desperation, she consulted with the Lord for a way out of deep waters and was bestowed with the gift to design.
It’s a gift that has become more than her bread, but also a way of life.
“FHL Designs is faith-based and we operate as a fashion ministry, not just another brand. We specialise in customising garments for our clients, based on their personality and body type. Our clients trust us to the extent that they see a fabric, request a design from that particular fabric, not knowing what they’ll get, and they are always pleased,” she revealed to Outlook.
Taught by God with a sense of strong faith, she is guided by Exodus 31. It’s a seed she waters with hope, which ultimately grows into her strong urge for excelling in the fashion industry, while standing out from the rest of the pack.
“I have no formal training or certification in fashion design. The Lord assigned someone to teach me a few things; however, the Holy Spirit is my main teacher. He has taught me how to select fabrics, pattern making, and cutting and sewing all types of garments,” she explained.
Williams and her team aim to satisfy the needs of every fashionista “who are or want to be bold, classy and chic”.
Including plus-sized women who want to get the perfect fit while making daring fashion statements, she says “giving women styles and outfits that make them say, ‘I feel like a million bucks’, is at the top of our list,” the talented Williams said.
FHL boasts a large clientele that transcends the geographical borders of Jamaica. Turks and Caicos, Canada, and the US.
Enjoying the design process, Williams says, “I get very excited about the process, knowing that I am being led by the Holy Spirit and so, fabrics excite me! When I go fabric shopping, outside of specific requests/orders, I have no idea what fabrics I will leave the store with and as soon as I get to my cutting room, I cannot wait to see what designs will be assigned to each fabric and what the garments will look like,” she explained.
Although Jamaica’s fashion landscape is pretty busy with a number of established and up-andcoming designers, Williams feels unbothered by her competitors. With her eyes firmly set on her goals, sketch pad and pencil in hand and her machine by her side, she is ready to take on every challenge that arises.