Neuroscience comes naturally for CMU senior, but fashion is his passion

Story by Maddi Hill

Photo courtesy of Marc Korankye

Bored waiting at the barbershop, Marc Korankye picks up a fashion magazine. The unique colors and designs scattered across the Vogue magazine catch his attention. The creativity throughout the magazine sparks his interest and pushes him into a love for fashion. 

Korankye is a 23-year-old senior at Central Michigan University, pronouns he/they. Korankye is a Neuroscience major with a minor in dance and a passion for fashion. 

Fashion originally started as a side interest for Korankye. Fashion was a way for him to express himself. 

Growing up, science came naturally to him. Science was an area they felt comfortable with. After enjoying the subject area and receiving good grades, Korankye went to college for a science related major. 

Once in college, science proved to be tough. The subject area began stressing Korankye out. 

“I needed something that balanced out the schoolwork,” they said. 

To help balance things out and relieve the stress, they picked up a dance minor. 

“Dance is a way to express yourself in any way you want,” he said. “We can express ourselves in a way that we’re comfortable with.” 

Just like dance, Korankye sees fashion as a form of self expression.

“It’s how you want the world to see you,” they said. “Fashion is a way for people to assert their dominance.” 

Korankye never saw himself as a stylish person. When looking for clothes, they put together outfits they felt comfortable in. 

He began his fashion journey after receiving compliments on his personal style. Many who complimented his style would also ask for fashion advice. Because they’re not an expert in the field, Korankye wouldn’t know what to say. This inspired them to take fashion more seriously.

He bought a sewing machine and began watching videos on YouTube. YouTube videos taught him the basics. He then thought outside the box and got creative with his work. 

Korankye has a great support system. Everyone around him is constantly complimenting and encouraging him. 

“My friends helped me become more confident in my skills,” they said. 

For inspiration, Korankye doesn’t stick to one specific style or person. They like to keep things versatile. 

Korankye likes to keep style different. He draws inspiration from people whose fashion he appreciates. Tyler the Creator, Kanye West, ASAP Rocky, and Virgil are a few creators he appreciates. 

To get ideas and inspiration for his style and designs, he also watches fashion shows.

The first step in Korankye’s design process is to get inspiration. They do this by looking at pictures. The pictures he looks at are not limited. If he has an idea in his head, like the night sky, he’ll look at pictures to get his ideas flowing. When he doesn’t have an idea, he scrolls through Instagram waiting for something to catch his eye. 

He uses pictures to visualize the piece’s shape. Pictures also make it easier for him to visualize how an item will look on a body. 

Korankye then sketches out his vision. His original sketches are never final. He often goes back to his sketches to add and remove things. Because of this, he doesn’t add color to his sketch until he’s 100% sure that he knows what colors he wants in the design. 

When designing clothes, they focus on colors, patterns, and the texture of the fabric they want to use. Before buying fabric, it’s important for him to feel the fabric. It’s important for him to design pieces that feel comfortable. 

“If I like how the fabric feels, if it feels good to me, then the person wearing it would like the piece better, and that’s important to me,” he said. 

Seeing a design on a model is also a key part of their design process. This allows him to decide whether he really likes the design or not. After seeing the design on a model, Korankye makes any revisions needed. 

Throughout his fashion journey, Korankye has learned to be more sustainable in his style and designs. He’s also learned to appreciate the different ways people use fashion to express themselves. 

Korankye plans on taking a gap year after graduation. He’s not exactly sure what he’ll do after his gap year, but he knows he’ll continue designing. 

“My fashion journey is definitely not ending here,” he said.