Taylor Davis confidently poses in one of her most recent Instagram posts in a denim jacket adorned with a sword surrounded by flowers. The post is to announce to her friends and family that her website for TARA in the Night is launching soon. Taylor didn’t start here though, the first time I noticed her jackets were during our sorority’s big and little reveal where she gifted her "little" with a hand painted, customized denim jacket. Only weeks later, she decided to take her hobby and go professional with it.

TARA in the Night is a clothing brand that celebrates vintage denim by adding a work of art to it. TARA goes near and far to find one-of-a-kind jackets, that by no means are meant to be collecting dust on a rack, and transforms the jackets by hand-painting designs onto them. Right now, TARA has three collections, all of which represent a different theme. From festival looks to more edgy styles, TARA in the Night provides high quality and unique painted jackets that you won’t find anywhere else. The most unique part is that every owner of a TARA jacket has a one of a kind piece, making their look, their own.

Where did you come up with the name?
The name was created simply by me taking the last chunk of my middle name: Quitara. Before officially deciding, I did some research on what
“TARA" means and found that it has its own story. Among different cultures and even religions, the name has many meanings. The story that stuck out to me the most was of a goddess named Tara—which means star—who was born from a lotus flower and whose purpose was to bring compassion back into the world all day and night. Like a star that
continues to consume its own energy, Tara represents the never-ending desires that fuel all life. It was once I learned more about the name that I knew it was the one for my brand.

How long have you been painting and what got you into art?
Painting has played a pivotal role throughout my life, and I’ve been painting since I could pick up a brush. It runs in my family, and I went to art school throughout my life. It was when I came to college that I hit a creative slump. I had less hours for free time, and less
space to do the large scale paintings I was used to. So when TARA came about, I felt complete again being able to paint in a whole new way.

Who or what inspires you and/or who or what inspires your art?
Art from other time periods, and all kinds of art. Graffiti art, embroidered art, religious art from around the world, and tattoo art as well. Fashion has always been an inspiration to me as well. I see these crazy pieces on runways that are remarkable, but also for the
most part not too wearable for most of our lives. So, with my jackets, I want to bring that intense art element, but make it more practical.

What inspired you to start this company?
It started as a cute project to make matching jackets for me and my friend, and that was supposed to be the end of it. However, people started reaching out to me saying they wanted me to paint on their denim, and distress their denim. I knew that I had an opportunity here when the requests didn’t stop.

What have been the challenges and what have been the most rewarding part to you with TARA in the Night?
The most challenging part in this process has been learning to take myself and my brand seriously. It is so easy to fall into what I like to call the “hobby trap". The moment you start thinking that maybe what you're doing is a hobby, you're doomed. I had to continually
remind myself that TARA is much more to me than that, and keeping myself in the right business mindset is important. Another aspect that was difficult to me is talking about my brand. At first you don't want to feel like you are bragging, but in order for it to be successful, you have to be able to get over that.

What tips do you have to millennials who want to start their own brand?
I think the best piece of advice I could give is to throw all doubt out the window. I think that we all have so many amazing ideas in our brains, but we shut them down so quickly with an excuse or some insecurity we may have. Self- doubt serves no purpose, and doesn’t deserve our attention. So next time you have an idea, run with it and don't look back, life is too short for that.

Taylor’s website just launched this month and she is so excited to finally sell online and expand her audience! TARA is also on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram, so check out what’s going on and all the new work to come!

Instagram: @ tarainthenight
Website: www.tarainthenight.com