There’s a song lyric that’ll always be top of mind for Racky Sow. From Kodak Black’s song Big Bank, it’s a simple line with a big impact that flows, “I be drawing when I speak, see it vividly.” The line is a reference to Black’s ability to use his words to powerfully illustrate and to manifest a reality — speaking things into fruition. Stylist Racky Sow recognizes her own superpowers in this statement.
Racky grew up in the outskirts of Montreal, Quebec and was one of three daughters to Senegalese immigrants. Her early life was therefore a blend of these two worlds. At home, she attended a private school in the suburbs of Sainte-Thérèse. The family would travel back to Senegal to visit extended family.
“Work culture there is different. [In North America] we are always in a rush. We don’t take time to take a breath but there, they value taking it easy. I enjoy the balance and the break.”
Being somewhat secluded in her small town where she attended a school that lacked diversity and where uniforms were mandatory, Racky struggled to express her creativity and hone her own identity. That was until she came across Tumblr. On the social platform, Racky would lose herself in the hunt— pouring over pictures of her favorite fashion influences: A$AP Rocky, Pharell Williams, Ambush’s Yoon Ahn, Virgil Abloh and eternal icon Rihanna. She started getting bolder with her own fashion choices as she dreamed of a potential career in the industry.
One of Racky’s most impactful Tumblr discoveries was Aleali May, stylist to the stars. A female stylist from New York City, May was changing the game, working with major artists in the music industry. Most importantly, her aesthetic reflected Racky’s love of mixing streetwear with luxury pieces.
“She’s a girl dressing all of the big names and she has the kind of style I vibe with. She made her way up. And at that time, it was mainly men in the industry. I thought, “If she can do it—I think I can do it.”
The friends who initially teased her about Tumblr were now the same friends who asked herwhat was trending and how to style their own clothing. It bolstered her confidence and made her realize there could be something more.
“At that time, I would save up my money and buy a certain piece. I didn’t have the means to be decked out in designer but I would mix it with thrifted items and create a more elevated look. In this way, my sense of style grew. My first ‘big girl’ purchase was this huge red OFF-WHITE scarf. I would wear it with a regular sweatsuit and throw it on. And I was like, ‘I am onto something here. This look is poppin.”
Racky enrolled in a Fashion Marketing program at Montreal’s LaSalle College. During school she imagined a potential path in fashion buying. But after a class or two, diving into numbers and being knee-deep in Excel files, saw that that wasn’t where her passions resided.
“While completing my schooling, I was working at Forever 21 and starting to fear my fashion dreams were over. But at that time people were continuously asking me what to wear. I was on Instagram posting my own fit pics, really putting myself out there and getting a lot of positive feedback. I decided to hit up a group of musicians I knew from Montreal, Planet Giza. It was perfect timing as they were working on the release of their album and doing press. I reached out and pitched myself as a potential stylist.”
The gig with Planet Giza was an establishing moment that marked the start of Racky’s career path. She scoured the internet for the basics on styling and began following her favourites in the industry, like Leah Abbott and Alizé Demange. She watched videos, studied the top brands and how to present things to clients. She even bought London stylist Demange’s Masterclass to level up her skills. Her background in communications was an asset as she began landing jobs.
“Here I am literally faking it. Learning as I go and people are noticing my work. It meant a lot to me.”
Racky might have been employing the ‘fake it ‘til you make it’ principle, but her talents pushed her into the professional arena. She has since worked for established brands like Desjardins, Foot Locker, Mural Festival, Regroupement québécois de la danse, Théâtre La Licorne, publications VERO and NUVO and her work has been featured in Vogue Italia. Racky relishes building out colour stories. Her signature mix merges the vibrant hues of traditional Senegalese dress with the clean-construction of luxury pieces and notes of the unexpected from emerging streetwear designers. She aims for a sophisticated execution and finds nothing more gratifying than a satisfied client. Focused and motivated, she’s aiming to grow her career with clients in culture, music and advertising.
“In the long term, it is my goal to tie in my background in communications with my styling. I understand image construction well and see it as a way to elevate my future work. I treat every job like it’s my first. I’m a strong believer that you have to go after your opportunities.”
— Interview by Naeme El-Zein.