My name is MollyKate, and I recently graduated fashion design school from the Columbus College of Art & Design. There, I found my love for eco-friendly fashion while deepening my faith as a Christian. For me the two go hand in hand, and my faith often acts as a starting point to my creations. I’m often intrigued by nature and inspired to utilize natural materials. I find myself hand-dying silk, picking flowers to create prints and patterns from, and roaming cotton fields to better understand biodegradability of textiles.
My everyday life also looks a lot like sewing, creating content, and connecting with others on social media. In fact, I now run my own clothing line and lifestyle brand, ‘MollyKate Cline LLC.’ The brand is aimed towards empowering young women, and while it’s still new, it has given me opportunities to showcase my clothing on runways across America. I was also recently featured on the cover of Focus on the Family’s Brio magazine, where I shared my personal and professional journey as a designer. The tagline to my brand is ‘Rooted in Love,’ which derives from Ephesians 3:17 as a reminder to all of us, to ground ourselves in God’s love and to realize who we are in Him. My ultimate goal has always been to help people see their true beauty. To me, it isn’t just about the clothing, but rather helping women to feel comfortable in their own skin and find beauty in who they were created to be.
This is why I’m extremely passionate about the mission of True Style Inc. and co-founding this venture with Laura. Especially with the rise of social media, I believe it’s easier now more than ever to be fed lies about yourself. Mental health is extremely important to me, and I’ve struggled with it for many years in such a way that encourages me to open up conversations about it. I haven’t always been comfortable in who I am as a person, and self-confidence is something I’ve definitely had to work hard at throughout the years. Most of this stems from growing up in public school, where groups of girls were catty, and I spent years upon years enduring bullying both emotionally and physically. I listened to what other girls said about me for so long that it actually changed my perspective of myself. I mirrored their own insecurities, which they were projecting upon me. Simply put, I grew up thinking there must have been something wrong with me.
I think back to those days and wonder how things could’ve been different if I were surrounded by uplifting girls who were encouraging, insightful, and kind. A cultivated community where we all worked together, striving for our own personal growth and enjoying each other’s friendship and presence in our lives. This is what True Style is about. While Laura and I grew up in different states, attending different schools, and meeting different people, we both sit here today as graduate women witnessing a need for uplifting community among young girls.
When I dream about True Style and where the future could take us, I hope for meaningful conversations. I hope to see the girls developing new skills, becoming confident in themselves, and feeling prepared to achieve great things in life. Whether we’re talking about makeup tips or how to improve public speaking skills, I’m excited about the community of young women True Style brings together.
