Lyles, 43, who grew up in Mount Vernon, said his interest in fashion began while working as a manager at a clothing store. Watching customers try on different pieces, he noticed clothing could immediately change how someone carried themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat stood out to me was how a single garment could completely shift someone\u2019s confidence, posture, and energy,\u201d Lyles said.\n<\/p>\n
That observation sparked a deeper interest in the psychology behind personal style and eventually became part of the philosophy he brings to Fashion Journey.\n<\/p>\n
For Lyles, fashion is not simply about producing models or designers. He wants students to understand the network of people required to bring a creative vision to life.<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout the kids, makeup artists, I don\u2019t have a show,\u201d Lyles said, adding that videographers, producers, designers, and creative directors all contribute to the final production. \u201cThere is no hierarchy. It\u2019s about having one collective idea and showcasing it to the world.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Throughout the 15-week program, students make clothes, put them online, market their work, and learn what their peers want to see. Students also critique their peers\u2019 designs and decide which one is the best to have in a fashion show.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The students present their work at the end of the program to their families.\n<\/p>\n
For Lyles, that final showcase represents something larger than a runway.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not just about the kid, but it\u2019s almost about the community,\u201d he said. Families can watch students\u2019 artwork come to life and see the results of weeks of creative work.<\/p>\n
The program also gives students something they may not always experience in school: control over how they present and identify themselves.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of these outfits are forced, but we\u2019re giving them their power back and creating their own identity,\u201d Lyles said. His role, he added, is to give students creative space while helping guide them through the process.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_2803.jpg\")
Through Fashion Journey, the 15-week program, students make clothes, put them online, market their work, and learn what their peers want to see. Photo courtesy of Rose Noir Productions<\/p>\n
That freedom can reach beyond fashion.<\/p>\n
Thirteen-year-old runway and fashion model Ja\u2019lee Rosemarie-Surpris said modeling has helped her become more confident both on and off the runway.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I\u2019m on stage, I\u2019m the 13-year-old. I\u2019m always having fun, but then once I get on stage and start modeling, whether it\u2019s a dress, two-piece outfit, or anything I\u2019m wearing, I\u2019m wearing that outfit to show everybody who I am and what I do,\u201d Rosemarie-Surpris said.<\/p>\n
She began modeling at age 3. At first, she remembers feeling both excited and nervous, but encouragement from her mother and others around her helped her continue.<\/p>\n
\u201cModeling has pushed me out of my comfort zone a little bit,\u201d Rosemarie-Surpris said. \u201cOnce I got on stage and started modeling, I really wanted to do this, and I just kept on going, and now I\u2019m here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over the years, the runway has become a place where Rosemarie-Surpris feels comfortable being visible.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cModeling has shown me I\u2019m comfortable being seen and taking up space,\u201d she said.\n<\/p>\n
She has also learned that lessons from modeling \u2014including professionalism, confidence and posture\u2014 do not disappear once she steps off the runway.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cYou always have to be true to who you are,\u201d Rosemarie-Surpris said.\n<\/p>\n
Her mother, Rose Rosemarie, has watched that confidence become especially important as her daughter dealt with bullying at school.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s been bullied for the past three years in school,\u201d Rosemarie said. Her daughter recently graduated from middle school and is preparing to begin high school. Participating in fashion shows, she said, has taught her daughter not to let others diminish her confidence.<\/p>\n
Rosemarie first met Lyles when her daughter was around 4-and-a-half years old and participated in what she described as her first \u201creal adult show.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Years later, she sees Fashion Journey as an environment built around both discipline and community.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like family,\u201d Rosemarie said, describing parents waiting outside rehearsals, bringing food for the young participants and allowing instructors to work with the models independently. \u201cThis is a whole different environment that makes you comfortable, and it shows you what you need to learn and take with you for the rest of your shows.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Rosemarie-Surpris, that experience has also inspired her to encourage other aspiring models. She said she enjoys answering questions from peers \u2014whether younger or older\u2014 who are interested in her experiences or may feel discouraged about pursuing modeling.<\/p>\n
She finds inspiration in models such as Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid, but some of her earliest lessons came from home, where she practiced walking in her mother\u2019s heels.<\/p>\n
Her advice for developing personal style is similarly rooted in individuality.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cJust be yourself,\u201d Rosemarie-Surpris said.\n<\/p>\n
Lyles wants students to carry that message with them, whether or not they ultimately pursue modeling.
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_2782-e1787339535972.jpg\")
\u201cYou always have to be true to who you are,\u201d one youth model told the Bronx Times. Photo courtesy of Rose Noir Productions\n<\/p>\n
Fashion Journey operates as a workforce development program, exposing young people to opportunities in areas including film, production, design and entrepreneurship. The organization also currently works with participants through New York City\u2019s Summer Youth Employment Program<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not just centered around art and creative fashion,\u201d Lyles said. \u201cThis is a workforce. We use creativity as a vehicle.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Through that vehicle, students can learn discipline, understand production, and even explore what it would take to launch a clothing line or production company.<\/p>\n Lyles said young students interested in entering fashion should study the designers and cultural movements that shaped the industry while resisting the temptation to imitate them.<\/p>\n \u201cAlways remain a student,\u201d he said. \u201cAt the same time, do not become a copy of what already exists.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Instead, he encourages young people to build portfolios that make their individual perspectives impossible to overlook.\n<\/p>\n \u201cBe the stain on the wall that everyone remembers,\u201d Lyles said. \u201cThere is so much to learn from the past. History teaches you the game. You write what comes next.\u201d<\/p>\n For Lyles, that ability to write one\u2019s own story is ultimately what fashion can offer.\n<\/p>\n Success, he said, is not limited to becoming a famous designer or model. It can mean having the confidence to communicate an identity before ever saying a word.<\/p>\n \u201cWe all have the pen,\u201d Lyles said. \u201cThrough creative expression, we can reframe narratives, preserve our history, challenge assumptions and create new possibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n