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PROFILE 2022
Winning design Ironton woman finds success in creating clothing STORY & PHOTOS BY MARK SHAFFER
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very piece of clothing you wear is designed by someone. If you’ve ever purchased clothing in the women’s department at Kohl’s, there is a chance it may have been designed by Ironton’s own Electa Royal, who has worked for the company as an assistant designer for more than three years. “I create the artwork for So Young
Womens and Sonoma Athleisure,” she explained. She also helps decide which clothes get spotlighted every month. She began working at Kohl’s as designer in the So Juniors Athleisure department. Her work is wide-ranging, from picking material and designing patterns to creating artwork for t-shirts and hoodies, usually a year or so ahead of time to create trends in clothing.
She has also been featured for the past two years during Black History Month, “so that’s pretty cool.” And if that wasn’t enough, she designs clothing on her own. “I do a lot of freelance graphic design,
