Dee Collins

Little Black Designs, the passion project of Clarksburg, West Virginia, native Dee Collins.

Dee graduated in 1993 from West Virginia University, having studied textiles, design, and fashion merchandising. With small savings and big dreams, she headed to Florida and worked as a makeup artist at a high-end salon in Boca Raton. Although she loved the artistry of makeup and helping people feel their best, Dee had her heart set on sartorial things. Fortunately, she wasn't far from an international fashion hot spot: Miami.

In South Beach, Dee quickly landed a management job at California designer Leon Max’s high-end retail boutique, Max Studio. Just steps from famed Ocean Drive, a playground for fashionistas and European millionaires, Max Studio provided invaluable hands-on experience for the aspiring designer. All the while, she kept her own vision alive on her sketchpad, drawing pieces that would one day come to life.

Dee’s career path was all but inevitable — fashion was in her genes. She has traced it back to 1950s West Virginia, when downtown Clarksburg was buzzing with boutiques. At Eva Douds’ popular ladies wear shop, Dee’s great aunt Prudence worked as a designer and milliner. Fast forward to the late 70s, and Dee’s talents were already in bloom, with her great-grandma showing her how to cut patterns from newspaper and grandma giving her lessons on the Singer sewing machine.

Armed with vision, talent, and experience, Dee's next move was all about pragmatism and aplomb. She returned home to West Virginia and a greater opportunity to establish her future: a design studio for women’s fashion. She spent nearly two years implementing a business plan and eventually received SBA funding. Soon thereafter, she set up shop in her hometown and has since built a loyal client base.

In 2022,  Dee got the offer of a lifetime: a runway show at New York Fashion Week. The years since have been a frenzy of growth, including multiple returns to Fashion Week, awards from Luxe Style Magazine and Miami Fashion Week, and a new studio. Dee is reveling in her dream-come-true journey, grateful for all the support, and ever-dedicated to designing fashion that flatters every figure.