31 Dec 2024 Five-Oh-Ones to Watch 2025: Rachel Lovelace

By Rita Halter Thomas

Being a creative is the key fabric woven deep in the life of Rachel Lovelace of Conway, founder of RayLoveThreads, Young Designers Academy and Conway Fashion Week. Each entity is part of the same seam, stitched together by a great desire to encourage and elevate others.

Creativity is a familial thread throughout Lovelace’s family. “I’ve been a creative for as long as I can remember,” she said of painting, drawing, sewing, quilting and crocheting as early as 8 years old. Her mom, a hairstylist by trade, is a skilled free-hand seamstress, meaning she doesn’t use patterns to make clothing. Lovelace learned to draw and paint from her dad, who is also a gifted musician. She was further influenced by an aunt and grandmother, both skilled seamstresses, who encouraged her creative pursuits. Lovelace’s passion for fashion began in high school when she made her prom dress with her aunt’s help and began redesigning her clothing for function and fashion.

Lovelace launched RayLoveThreads in 2018 after taking a college sewing course. She began making tote bags, purses, backpacks and fanny packs and gained attention for her Aztec-patterned products. “I made my first bag with this rare material that is now my signature material. I absolutely fell in love with it,” she said. “I chose that fabric because of my heritage. My background is Blackfoot Indian.” Starting as a hobby, Lovelace’s bags sold by word-of-mouth until COVID-19, at which point she launched a website and used social media to drive sales. She later began selling her creations at local vendors and pop-up events.

Encouraged by friend and entrepreneur Jessica Crum, executive director of the Creative Institute of Central Arkansas, Lovelace made connections that led to the 2021 launch of Young Designers Academy. The academy, held at The Studio Downtown, not only teaches students basic techniques of sewing but also cultivates the creativity of young designers. Lovelace said she wasn’t a teacher by any means when she launched the academy, and though she learned a great deal from the women in her family, she is primarily self-taught. “I taught myself everything, including my bags. After I made my first, I tapped into more bags, which included backpacks and fanny packs. It was a lot of trial and error, but every time I made a bag, I surprised myself,” she laughed. It also helped that she worked as an alterations specialist for the manager of a bridal store when she launched the academy. 

When she began promoting the academy, she hoped parents and guardians would trust her with their children. They did. “When I first started my classes, I had 10 to 12 [students], and 10 was my maximum because of COVID-19,” she said. Each student has a sewing machine for their use, and each class series is six weeks long. When she started the academy, Lovelace was a full-time entrepreneur. Even though she now holds a full-time secretarial position at Conway Junior High School, she continues to grow her business, run the academy and plan an annual fashion show. She still teaches summer camps, has taught for nonprofit organizations and conducted workshops all over the state. “I’ve probably taught over a hundred kids,” she said of her efforts so far.

After launching the academy, Lovelace fittingly had the notion to showcase local fashion designers. She coordinated the first Conway Fashion Week Fashion Show in 2023, a success that became the basic pattern for a bigger, better show.

For the second annual Conway Fashion Week, Lovelace partnered with the University of Central Arkansas and reached for the stars — literally. Festivities for the week leading up to the show, held in October at UCA’s new Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts, included a “Project-Runway-style” student competition moderated by celebrity designer Korto Momolu (pronounced Cut-toe Mo-mo-lu). She is originally from Liberia and is known for body-friendly designs that blend her African heritage with today’s trending fashion. 

Momolu was on Bravo’s fifth season of “Project Runway,” followed by two seasons of “Project Runway All Stars.” Her fashion collections have been showcased at New York Fashion Week and multiple international platforms. During the week, Momolu offered classes, a public lecture and moderated the student competition and fashion show. Her creative designs were also on display, adding another awe-inspiring level to the event.

Another celebrity fashion designer in attendance was Conway’s own Tremain Pollydore, known for his unique line of bow ties and accessories. Also at the event was Kurvy Kutie, Inc., an Atlanta-based, full-figure modeling and entertainment company, that represented fashion for plus-size women. Additionally, Matthew Holbrook, a Conway designer, artist, and hip-hop and rap musician, performed while his models took to the runway.

While celebrities elevated the 2024 event, where more than 60 outfits were modeled, the student expo stitched pride in Lovelace’s heart. “At the end of the show, I highlighted five of my students who had been working hard for about eight to 10 weeks, creating their garments to model in the fashion show. 

It was the pinnacle of the show,” she said of fulfilling her desire to inspire her students and give them a platform to showcase their amazing artwork.

Both of Lovelace’s daughters, 11-year-old Skylen Boyd and 5-year-old Forever Lasker, participated in the student expo. Of course, she helped more with the youngest’s designs. Most importantly, she is weaving that creative thread within her children, binding them forever to family traditions and giving them an impressive skill for the future.

Follow on Instagram and Facebook to learn more about RayLoveThreads, Young Designers Academy or the next Conway Fashion Week and Student Expo.