Don't Forget To Breathe - Spotlight Marquis Engle

Illusion is the first of all pleasures. You've heard me say I'm highly attracted to highly attractive people. Well I think I've got one people. Mix Gaga's style, Alexander McQueen's inspiration, and Janelle Monae's effervescent charm and you get this guy. Never before have I met someone whose sheer creativity, exuberant beauty, and most of all design savvy used to form so elegant and aesthetic an artifice. Born from the school of hard knocks in Cleveland, Ohio, inspired by the elements I so adore, The Flashy Life, and nourished by the creations of avant-garde tastemakers Lady Gaga and Beyonce, Marquis Engle, 19, both amazes with the children of his imagination and also with his showstopping, enviably photogenic face. I don't know what I am compelled more to do; to ask him to design a sickeningly cutting edge blazer for me, or somehow magically trap him in a glass bottle like a boat and cherish him like a limited edition Barbie. One thing is for certain; there are no wires, strings, or plastic attached to Marquis. Blazing his own trails in the most ambitious and flashy way possible, he's found his way into my heart as another one of my many muses and inspiration.

While growing up in his hometown, Marquis admits that the initial forces that propelled his interest in fashion stems from his childhood memories of living far from the  glamour and world of material he finds himself in now. "My mom was a single mom with two kids and she did more for my sister than she did for me. I wanted the ripped jeans like the other kids but I usually got hand-me-downs from my cousin". With that, Marquis decided that if the life he wanted couldn't be given to him, then he would certainly make on for himself. He began constructing garments for others, more specifically tutus, made with hot glue and fabric glue. He was painting cartoon characters on garments and his uncle also showed him how to hem garments, a practice he would continue to do for others.Now a sophomore at Cleveland School of the Arts, Marquis has found an avenue to express his ingenuity while simultaneously perfecting his craft through education. He's already made some moves for himself, wrapping up a design competition where he placed third for people's choice with his designs based on Lady Gaga's "Alejandro" and Beyonce's "Radio". The aesthetic for his designs is what Marquis hopes to continue in his collection. On his personality and what others notice about him first, Marquis says, "They notice my overall appearance and how I'm not afraid to wear eyeshadow or dress how I feel. I'm very outgoing". Overall, Marquis is definitely living the Flashy Life and sooner than not he'll be dusting the stardust off his shoulders and we'll all be saying "I knew him when". Check out more of Marquis below.