While studying art, she also became interested in how women of color are often portrayed as strong, stoic or masculine in popular culture, even when those depictions don’t reflect their personalities.
“So, I make this for the hyper-feminine girls who don’t see themselves in paintings and imagery of super-girly things,” she said. “If you want to feel girly, you should feel girly, regardless of your ethnicity or what you look like.”
Originally from New Jersey, Armantrading moved to Florida as a teenager and graduated from Sickles High School before pursuing several different educational paths. She initially planned to become a doctor, later studied animation, and eventually switched to architecture before realizing art was always her true calling.
“I went through every single type of career,” she said. “My heart knew what it wanted to do.”
She officially launched The Sonder Atelier in February 2025, first selling her work online and finding unexpected success through live sales on the Whatnot app.