Jevon Terance: An Essential Business

by Sydney Kornegay

Jevon Terance thought he'd be making his fiancée’s wedding dress this spring. Instead, he's sewing face masks and encouraging people to social distance in style.

"I originally didn't want to do masks, but then they sold out almost immediately," he said, as he sewed a string of Lorain-themed face coverings.

The masks, which feature patterns ranging from the vibrant "Lorain Postcard" to the floral patterned "Grandma Mask," blend Terance's artistic vision with his entrepreneurial acumen.

"It took me about an hour to figure out how to make the first one. But, after I got the hang of it, I could start making them in batches of 50 or so."

Jevon Terance Fashion Designer | Clothing Boutique—615 Broadway, Lorain, Ohio

photo by Sydney Kornegay

It's not the first time Terance has learned how to create something new. A self-taught designer, Terance's interest in fashion began during high school on the basketball court. There, he drew inspiration from the shoes he played in and was often sketching new ideas for sneaker designs. After graduating, Terance taught himself to sew and started creating and selling clothing in his basement.

He launched his own brand while working full-time as a treatment specialist in a children's home. Starting in 2007, Terance began hosting fashion shows in Cleveland.

"My parents were skeptical at first, wondering why I kept hosting all these shows in Cleveland but never made any money off of them."

However, Terance persisted, and by 2012, he had garnered enough of a following to open his first brick and mortar location as part of a Lorain small business incubator program. Terance has had a boutique on Broadway ever since and has had his work featured in New York and Paris Fashion Weeks.

Throughout his design career, Terance has blended his background in art and drawing with his sewing skills creating and printing his own materials. Many of these designs make overt references to his Lorain upbringing—such as the lighthouse print featuring the iconic local landmark or the postcard print, which resembles the Fifth Street mural.

Jevon Terance Fashion Designer | Clothing Boutique—615 Broadway, Lorain, Ohio

photo by Sydney Kornegay

Other materials and clothing designs are drawn from his passion for basketball. His black-and-white "11" dress suggests the lines and curves of a pair of Air Jordan shoes, while much of his fringe detailing is meant to emulate the movement found on a basketball court.

"I even can find inspiration in a photograph," he said. "Once I was eating in a restaurant and was struck by the pattern of the tile on the floor. I took a photo, edited it, and used that for a new print."

While Terance's work has been featured in the international scene for over five years now, he says he's still very much rooted in Lorain. His willingness to adapt to changing business environments while also pushing creative boundaries has allowed him to carve out an essential niche in our city.

Jevon Terance Fashion Designer | Clothing Boutique—615 Broadway, Lorain, Ohio

photo by Sydney Kornegay

Whether masks during a coronavirus crisis or creating a new line of street fashion for the FireFish Festival, Terance continually finds ways to make his products essential to the Lorain community.

Jevon Terance Fashion Designer | Clothing Boutique—615 Broadway, Lorain, Ohio

photo by Sydney Kornegay