It’s Week 5 of the Pro X Summer Internship at Material Opulence. The final week. The leadership week. And this moment feels like the full-circle close to a story we’ve been building over the last five years.
Six brilliant, bold, young women have spent their summer pouring energy, creativity, and vision into something bigger than just clothing. They’ve been moodboarding, sketching, drafting lookbooks, creating social media campaigns and brand strategies — not just checking boxes, but leading with purpose. Their impact on Material Opulence will be felt long after this week ends.
But this week, life hit differently.
When Life Shifts, So Does Perspective
On Sunday, my father was shot.
I don’t write that for sympathy. I write it because it’s real. Because the world doesn’t pause when we break. Life doesn’t slow down for grief. But sometimes, through those cracks, grace finds a way to break in.
My father survived. After a successful surgery to remove the lead that entered his body in three different places, he’s now resting, recovering, and gaining strength with the help of occupational therapy. And as I sit beside his hospital bed — listening to the steady rhythm of monitors, laptop balanced on my knees — I’m reminded of why I started this brand in the first place.
Because legacy matters. Because what we build, we pass on. Because excellence, even under pressure, is still excellence.
Leadership Isn’t Always Loud
This week, our interns are learning what it means to lead from within. To take ownership of a creative process. To refine, edit, present, and prepare to launch. They’re designing the future of our brand with content strategies that will shape our next quarter and campaign concepts that capture our essence.
And I’m learning too. That leadership isn’t always about standing in front of a room. Sometimes it’s sitting quietly in a hospital chair, laptop open, grieving and working at the same time. Sometimes it’s saying no to the day job and yes to your healing. Sometimes it’s receiving handwritten thank-you notes from interns — notes filled with gratitude for the opportunity, reflections on how much they’ve grown, and promises to carry this experience forward — who have no idea how deeply you needed that encouragement in that exact moment.
Those notes reminded me: the seeds we plant matter. Even in pain, even in silence, even in stillness — something is growing.
Introducing: The Legacy Standard
This week, while walking this tightrope of grief and gratitude, I’ve been preparing something special. The launch of our newest collection: The Legacy Standard.
Tagline: “Where heritage defines excellence.”
Watching my father fight for his life, receiving those heartfelt notes from our interns, witnessing six young women step into their power — it all crystallized into this collection. This isn’t just about fashion; it’s about carrying forward what matters most.
At the heart of Material Opulence lies a commitment to craft that transcends time. This collection honors our journey — from humble beginnings to global impact. Every piece is rooted in intention and elevated by design. The Legacy Standard is not just fashion; it is identity. It is pride. It is progress.
Each logo-embossed detail is stitched with purpose. Each silhouette tells a piece of our shared story. Each product is built to last, to inspire, to lead.
Tonight, these pieces will be captured in full glory during our latest photoshoot. The vision is real. The moment is happening. Even through tears, even through fatigue, we keep showing up.
Bittersweet, But Bold
It’s a bittersweet week. One where joy and pain dance in tandem. One where I’m reminded that strength doesn’t always roar — sometimes it whispers, “Keep going.”
I watch our interns finish their lookbooks and brainstorm content calendars while I draft proposals and campaign strategy beside my father’s hospital bed. And I know — without a shadow of doubt — that we’re building something that matters.
Because this isn’t just about selling clothes. It’s about showing the world that even in our hardest weeks, Black brilliance continues to shine. It’s about perseverance, redemption, and the sacred responsibility of legacy.
We don’t just wear crowns. We carry them.
So, to everyone who has followed our journey, supported our interns, voted for us in the Kansas City People’s Choice Awards, or just rooted for us quietly from afar — thank you.
We’re still building. We’re still becoming. And we’re just getting started.
— Renauld Shelton II, Founder of Material Opulence
#WhatsYourMO #ThatsMyMO #TheLegacyStandard #FashionWithPurpose #StillBuilding