By Tavon N. Thomasson
Special to the AFRO
thomasson@afro.com
Howard University alumna Skyler Buchanan and Bowie State University alumna Chanel Turner took different paths into entrepreneurship–one crafting rugs inspired by Black culture, the other building a vodka brand.
After earning a master’s degree in graphic design in 2018, Buchanan worked a full-time design job, but when the pandemic hit, she searched for a new way to channel her creativity.
“I started doing rugs because when you work for a business or a company and you’re a graphic designer, you have to stay on brand—stay within that theme. When you’re constantly doing just that work, you get burned out, and there’s not enough room for extra creativity,” said Buchanan. “I just wanted something else to do, and have some over. I wanted to do something that not everybody was doing.”
Teaching herself tufting through research, YouTube tutorials and practice, she launched Decor Ones LLC, producing custom rugs inspired by pop culture, music, television, video games and her own designs.
“Decor Ones started as a self-made, self-taught business—something that took time, something that marinated,” said Buchanan. “I invest in it, and I’m careful and thoughtful of what I put out and how I put it out. I’m also true to my niche. I’m true to the things that keep me connected to my art.”
She emphasized each rug reflects the influences that have shaped her.
“The main thing that still comes through from my art–whether I’m making it or getting orders–there’s always some hints of Black culture somewhere in it,” said Buchanan. “I get a lot of my inspiration from Black culture and then music, which is what I love.”
For Buchanan, that cultural influence is tied to quality.
“Know that if you shop with Decor Ones you are looking to get something from somebody that cares about their product, and that when you do get it, it’s something that will help boost aesthetics and make whatever space that you put it in truly yours.”
Chanel Turner, a Bowie State University alumna who studied business, is breaking new ground with FOU-DRÉ Vodka as one the first African-American women to own a vodka brand. A conversation that she had with her friend one night inspired her journey.
“A friend of mine said it would be great if there was just a liquor that you could drink and enjoy. I thought about that, and it resonated with me,” said Turner. “I kept thinking about it, so I started looking into the liquor industry and did months of research, trying to understand the business as much as I possibly could.”
Turner launched FOU-DRÉ in 2009, self-funding its debut.
“To this day, we are the ones funding it. I’m grateful to God that I had a decent job as a government contractor, which helped, along with some family help, and so we were able to fund it, to get it to market,” said Turner.
Breaking into the industry wasn’t without challenges. Turner often found herself as the only woman – and the only Black woman – in rooms dominated by established industry veterans.
“The challenges came with industry-specific things—being the youngest in this industry to do something like that, being a woman, and, the most challenging, being Black,” said Turner. “You didn’t really have Blacks or African Americans in this industry when I started back in 2009. It wasn’t a thing. There wasn’t a road map for us, and we didn’t have much help in the sense of mentorship and things of that nature.”
That’s why she now prioritizes mentorship.
“I didn’t have any mentors. I had to pay to learn. And that’s why mentorship to others, for me, is a big deal because I don’t want anyone to make some of the mistakes that I did,” said Turner.
Today, FOU-DRÉ is sold in retailers across the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia area, in select states, and overseas in Singapore. Turner remains focused on expansion while keeping the brand true to her original vision.
From a home studio to international shelves, Buchanan and Turner’s journeys prove that persistence, creativity and staying true to one’s vision can turn ideas into thriving ventures.