Before Lauren Lake, before the contestants of HGTV's Design Star, there was Cecil Hayes. Cecil Hayes, a Florida Native like myself, was born in Malone, FL and is a graduate of FAMU with a B.A. in Arts Education. In 1975 Hayes became the 1st African-American interior designer to be recognized worldwide. Some of her achievements are being listed in the top 100 interior designers worldwide by Architectural Digest, and named the Visionary in Design Awards from the Americas, a NAACP Hall of Fame Award. Hayes has done design work for such celebrities as Samuel L. Jackson, Timbaland, and Ty Law just to name a few.
It's to be said that Cecil always saw herself "being somebody",and a very ambitious woman. And as have I, I see Cecil as being a prime example of anything being possible. I remember sitting at my computer in Florida months before moving to Chicago and googling "The 1st black interior designer" not expecting anything worth reading to come up... I sat there reading each and every link, and on those web pages, reading each and every one of those links. she was the epitome of what I wanted for my design career. I believe in signs... Since I can't be the first African-American interior design, I can only be greater.
Very inspiring; and best wishes to you! I hope you career unfolds in a way that's even better than you imagine!
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