LaJoyce Chatwell Lawton, Ed.D., is the founder of the African Diaspora Fashion Fest. Seeds for African Diaspora Fashion Fest were planted when LaJoyce and her sister modeled at a church fashion show while in elementary school. Those seeds began to further flourish when LaJoyce modeled her creations during Lincoln University’s Home Economics Department fashion shows in Jefferson City, Missouri.
LaJoyce has served as a teacher counselor for a Foods, Fashions and Furnishings program throughout western Europe, sponsored by Scholastic International. She also worked at Yokota Air Base in Japan, where she developed and facilitated an African Diaspora Fashion Fest event for Black History Month celebrations.
Additionally, LaJoyce served 6 years as chair of the Public Relations Committee for the Oklahoma City Urban League. She was responsible for coordinating Ebony Fashion Fair scholarship fundraising events.
Most recently, during Small Boutique Fashion Week Houston, LaJoyce debuted “Caminos,” an exquisite collection created especially for African Diaspora Fashion Fest by Barbara’s Cuba. Currently, African Diaspora Fashion Fest is delighted to host renowned Afro Swiss designer, Peggy Memvouta, as she shares pieces from her latest collection, “Afripatchwork.”