Brelyn LeCheminant: Stay Kind and Keep Learning
Art Director
by Elizabeth Lavis
|20 Dec 2023
To Brelyn LeCheminant, Art Director and unofficial but enthusiastic Pep Squad, compassion is key. “My personal philosophy is always to stay kind,” she says. In addition to remaining gentle and steady, she advises aspiring designers to keep learning, a piece of advice that she applies to her personal life. “I’m still learning every day,” she says. “Technology is always changing, so I have to continue self-educating to keep up with the industry.”
LeCheminant hails from Anderson, South Carolina, and her foundational style is deeply rooted in an appreciation for traditional values and aesthetics. “While I always lean into a more modern forward-thinking tone for a brand, my background infuses my design work with a timeless and classic sensibility,” she says.
Her design path took a detour through fashion and theater, giving her designs unique insights from both creative disciplines. “I was obsessed with Barbie when I was young. For the longest time, I wanted a career in fashion, but then I found theater,” she says. “I started designing and creating costumes for all of our school productions. Telling stories through clothing and learning creative fabrication techniques was a passion that continued into my college career, where I received a BS in Theater Production and Technologies.”
"BHC", Brelyn LeCheminant
LeCheminant found her footing in design after Charleston Fashion Week. “It was one of my first major freelance projects,” she says. “It was such a cool combination of my passion for design and fashion. To see my work all over the event was such a cool experience.” She also credits a lot of her success to networking. “My best advice for aspiring designers is to stay positive. Your work does not define you. I would also say network, network, network. Meeting the right people could put you in the right place at the right time.”
Her design process is research-heavy. “I believe in the power of mood boards and like to give up to three aesthetic options to clients when developing brands from scratch,” she says. “That way, they can understand and participate in the journey from the start to the final project.” This approach provides LeCheminant with a roadmap that helps inform the final brand and stylistic choices. “I always want to make sure that creative choices are rooted in research,” she says. “Doing this ultimately helps convince clients that your final product is strategic and not just a subjective decision based on personal taste.”
For LeCheminant, the most essential aspect of a design is telling stories rooted in humanity and connecting people. “My winning work for Indigo Design was the branding for Beemock Hospitality Collection (BHC). It was inspired by our local history and architecture here in Charleston, South Carolina. This brand is built as a legacy for generations to come, so we wanted to keep the visuals timeless.”
Whenever LeCheminant faces harsh client criticism, she draws on the wisdom of RuPaul Drag Race’s star Ginx Monsoon. “She likes to say ‘it’s water off a duck’s back,’ so I repeat that to myself three times before responding,” she says. LeCheminant also considers the show one of her guilty pleasures, and not just for the sage advice. “I’m a huge follower of RuPaul’s Drag Race,” she says. “It’s mainly for the runway looks.”
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