By Terrell McAlily
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
“I make a statement with the clothes I wear,” said Michael Beasley who thinks nothing of dyeing his hair blonde, red, pink or blue and walking into a college classroom with metallic pants, thigh-high boots and a graphic T-shirt of his drag queen idol RuPaul.
Beasley’s passion for design, creative flair and huge dose of confidence spurred him to create the clothing line “Young, Broke & Messy” for men and women. He first debuted his designs last April at a “Pop-up for Purpose” fashion show at Johns Hopkins University.
As a senior at Towson University majoring in Mass Communication with a minor in Electronic Media & Film, Beasley said college allowed him to express himself through fashion and dyeing his hair. The compliments he’s received have made him feel seen.
“Now I need to make other people feel the way I do when I dress,” said Beasley explaining that strutting the fashion shows in his signature black thigh-high heels was the spark that ignited his idea to start a clothing line at age 20.
Born in Linden, Guyana, Beasley was raised by Kadisha Springer, an African American woman, with his father, Ryan Beasley, who is white and Asian. The family moved to Laurel just after Beasley turned 4-years-old. He said he found it hard to find a place to fit in. After graduating from Northwest High School in Germantown, he headed to Towson.
“I felt like I knew I wanted a clothing line for people like me,” Beasley told The Baltimore Watchdog. “I’m a boy who dresses in sweatpants and Jordan’s sometimes but also in heels and a dress the other times. I also knew I was broke with a little bit of an attitude. So I figured I’m young and broke and messy, why not put it on a T-shirt?”
During the debut at JHU, “Young, Broke, and Messy” helped to raise funds for multiple sclerosis awareness. This was the second annual event that featured live entertainment and more than 50 vendors.
A portion of the proceeds was donated to the Multiple Sclerosis Society Baltimore and Washington, D.C., he said. For Beasley, it was a win-win situation with charity getting money while he promoted his brand.
The website for Young, Broke, & Messy launched on Jan. 1.
“It was important I set a deadline for the website launch because I procrastinate a lot,” he said. “The first of the New Year meant new beginnings for me. This site would mean 2020 was my year for success.”
Beasley said he dreamed of selling clothes that expressed unity without an exact gender tied to a piece of clothing. Already, Beasley is talking with several vendors in other countries about designing custom pieces. He has shipped them overseas. His prices vary. Accessories such as sunglasses are listed at $9.99, cargo jogger pants are $79.99, and his most popular item, the tulle dresses, are listed for $299.99. Some of his other items range from $4.99 to $39.99.
Beasley makes all graphic designs for his brand and works one-on-one with the models, photographers, and others who helped launch his website. Aside from running a business, Beasley also is president of a modeling troupe on campus, Modelz of Distinction, a position he’s held for about two years. Social media have helped recruit models and clients for Beasley.
“It’s easy to get models for Young, Broke, & Messy because I have about 60 young men and women who know how to pose and work the camera,” he said. “It’s like killing two birds with one stone.”
Being a full-time student at Towson while jump-starting a business has been extremely hard, Beasley said. He manages the two by constantly telling himself “it’ll be all worth it someday.” He gives major thanks to his close friends as well.
“I can’t tell you how many nights I was stressed doing school and Young, Broke, & Messy stuff,” he said. “I literally went everywhere with my laptop working on either editing pictures for the website or getting copyright issues handled. My friends kept me grounded and listened to me vent about little problems and gave me some of the best advice when it came to managing everything.”
Of all the world-famous designers, Beasley said that Versace tops his list.