Jill Scott’s viral dress put an Acworth fashion designer in the spotlight
In March, Sierra Bray saw a direct message on Instagram that changed her life and business.
The message was from Jill Scott’s stylist, who was looking for a custom dress for the singer, songwriter and poet to wear onstage at HBCU AwareFest, a benefit concert at State Farm Arena to raise money for students at historically Black colleges who are wrestling with student loan debt.
The stylist had discovered Bray through a TikTok video after commenters suggested Scott would look good in one of her designs.
Bray, a fashion designer and owner of Patched Gal — a four-year-old Acworth-based clothing brand that transforms thrifted T-shirts and vintage fabrics into one-of-a-kind garments — wasn’t sure if it was an official request.
“At first, I didn’t see her message. I didn’t know if it was real or not, but she kept messaging me. I was asking my mom should I go for it, and she told me to see what happens. I waited until she (Jill Scott) really needed the dress, because I didn’t know if it was spam,” said Bray, 28, whose specialized maxi-tees, dresses, kimonos and pants are made from patterned fabrics and concert merchandise.
Bray agreed to meet Scott, who’s performing two concerts at the Fox Theatre this weekend, for a fitting in downtown Atlanta.
After the fitting, Scott’s stylist asked Bray to create one of her signature dresses cut from historically Black college T-shirts, colorful fabrics and bedazzled with sequins.
The stylist gave her two weeks.
Bray met the deadline but wasn’t prepared for the reactions.
Video clips of Scott’s performance in the dress at AwareFest went viral.
Bray, who was in the audience, said it was “a surreal moment.”
“I’ve only seen my designs through my customers who shop with me at my pop-ups and online,” Bray said. “I’ve never seen my products onstage. It was the best experience I’ve had so far.”
Like the rhythms of Scott’s poetry, Bray said she creates based on intuition.
“I don’t really have a specific fabric in mind, and you don’t really know what you’re going to get. I just go in with an open mind,” Bray said.
Born and raised in Woodstock, Bray became interested in fashion as a preteen. Her parents enrolled her in a sewing camp in Marietta after they removed her from cheerleading.
“I was sad, but they told me I couldn’t sit around doing nothing. I was making pillows, blankets, started learning how to make blouses, dresses and developed a side hustle selling furry slides,” she said.
There was also a family connection to the craft. Bray grew up watching her great-grandmother embroider quilts.
“She would sit on her couch and needlepoint. I wanted to help her, but she told me I could just watch,” Bray said. “I knew I would do something similar to that.”
Bray attended the camp weekly until she graduated from Etowah High School in 2016 and enrolled at the Savannah College of Art and Design’s main campus.
In 2020, as she was completing her studies, an important fashion show for graduates was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“None of the seniors really had a chance to showcase their pieces,” she said. “When it got pulled away from me, I was so sad. I didn’t have anything to show for my brand.”
Bray’s luck changed after her designs were selected for a virtual fashion show.
“It kept me motivated to keep doing what I love,” she said.
After Bray graduated, she hoped to land a job with a luxury fashion company or big-box retailer but got no responses or interviews.
In 2020, while working in boutiques, Bray made patchwork on denim and face masks on the side.
A YouTube influencer supporting Black-owned businesses ordered Bray’s masks and promoted her products on her channel.
Two years later, Bray’s video on TikTok went viral. Grammy-winning recording artist India Arie and Carol’s Daughter founder Lisa Price commented on her post.
In 2024, Bray concentrated on Patched Gal full-time. She operates the business from a two-room home studio, producing about 50 one-of-a-kind pieces each month.
High demand for her clothes meant bringing on help.
Bray hired a seamstress to assist with bulk orders and quicker output.
Bray’s parents, who shipped her to sewing camp, are also pitching in. Her mom ships packages, and her dad sets up displays at pop-up stores.
“It’s really hard to do it on my own,” Bray said. “There were times where I was not sleeping, but I have a really good support system who helps me out,” she said.
Since the Jill Scott performance, Bray said Patched Gal has attracted new customers from across the country and sales have continued to climb.
She is now preparing for out-of-state pop-up shops and releasing exclusive collections on her website.
She hopes to continue designing for performers, while gaining new customers.
“I would love to design for Jill Scott again,” she said. “But I want people to know I love making clothes for everyone.”