Fashions Fit For Royalty
“Fashions fit for Royalty” is how admirers describe the Ites International collection by Millie ‘Sequoia” David.
Sequoia delivers styles that are timeless, classic and unique using natural fibers, cottons, silk, linen, hemp and leather; combined with authentic indigeneous textiles such as Mudcloth, Kuba and Khorogo from Africa. These fabrics are fashioned into outerwear and sportswear for men and women.
Caribbean born and raised in New York, Sequoia has studied Fashion Buying and merchandising at Fashion Institute of New York. The inspirational fashions coming from Seventh Avenue led her to develop her first collection Moda Mutes. The collection of sportswear and club wear had a futuristic style that received rave reviews and was featured in the windows and sales floors of Patricia Fields, Henri Bendels and Bloomingdales.
As Sequoia’s interests and influences changed, so did her fashions, eventually leading her to Jamaica to design costumes for Jimmy Cliff and his band. In Jamaica her exposure to Reggae, Rastafari and African culture inspired her to launch the Ites International label. There, she sought and trained local women to cut, sew and finish one of a kind outfits, mostly from leather and suede that were sought after and worn by Reggae superstars and local devotees.
Sequoia has traveled all over the United States to market her line, building a client base in New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Miami, Toronto and other cities.
After settling in Atlanta in 1994, Sequoia continued to target urban professionals with her original styles. Ayanla Vanzant, Jeremiah Wright and James Avery of the Fresh Prince raved about the Ites’ coats they owned and even comedienne Phyllis Diller wore one of Ites signature Cocoons in a commercial.
After a fifteen-year hiatus, while she raised three outstanding offspring, Sequoia and Ites International are back.
With the new artistic awakening being experienced worldwide Sequoia has picked a perfect time to re-introduce Ites International’s, “Natural Clothing for Intelligent Life”.
Now a certified Qigong instructor and Happiness advocate, Sequoia works on maintaining a comfortable balance between work and life. ” I know now that my happiness brings my success and not the other way aroun,” she says.
Ites International • Alford Road, Lithonia, GA, Lithonia, GA 30058, United States