When Kambria Dotson works, the world around her fades away. Fabric rests across her lap, sketches spread beside her, and her sewing machine starts up for the next project. The Dillard University junior from Shreveport, Louisiana, spends her free time shaping custom pieces that tell her story one stitch at a time.
Dotson’s connection to sewing began in a seventh-grade home aid class. In the aid classes, she was taught how to set up a machine, replace a bobbin, and create the most basic stitches, which ignited her passion to start her own brand, Customyzbybria.
“My mom had just bought me a mini sewing machine,” she recalled.
With YouTube tutorials and those early lessons, Dotson began making small projects at home when the world slowed during the COVID-19 pandemic. What started as a quiet experiment became something much bigger.
By the time she arrived at Dillard, sewing had become her business, her outlet, and a challenge she chose with intention. Dotson once considered fashion school, but ultimately decided to build her own lane.
“You missed tools like draping and pattern making,” she said. “But creating without rules gave me individuality.”
That individuality is what people now recognize in her work. Her custom pieces have circulated across campus and into the hands of students at other HBCUs. Her work also caught the attention of HBCU GO commentator Lala Oden, who reached out after discovering her on Instagram. Moments like that helped Dotson see her growth more clearly.
Dotson describes her style as experimental and always shifting. She has recently been into tapestry fabrics, but has worked with everything from denim to thrifted material. One of her favorite creations is a tie dress she made for her business photoshoot. Balancing her coursework and her business has not been easy, but it has strengthened her discipline.
“You’re not always motivated,” she said.“But discipline kept you going.”
One day, Dotson hopes to see her designs on the runways of New York Fashion Week. For now, Dotson is writing her story by making custom pieces for clients to get her name out in the world.
To view her work or place an order, visit @Customyzbybria on Instagram.
