FLINT, Michigan — Flint native Adriana Carroll, also known as Adriana Lanice, is a multifaceted force in the local fashion industry and is currently carving a niche in her community through her roles as a model, designer, and entrepreneur.
Known for her association with
La BelleWerk Modeling and Booking Agency — a company she started when she was 17 years old — Carroll honed her skills as a runway coach, model manager, and fashion show producer by bringing the annual 810 Fashion Show to downtown Flint for the last three years.
The third annual 810 Fall Fashion Show took place this past weekend on Sunday, Oct 20, at The Loft in Downtown Flint.
The fashionista says that the skills she gained from her background in martial arts, track and field, soccer, and marching band have helped fuel her discipline. She remembers never being shy about trying new experiences as she recalls joining the U.S National Guard at 19; neglecting to inform her mother until she had been sworn in.
She attributes her go-getter nature to her upbringing in Flint and carries its resilience with her as she travels the world. Flintside caught up with Carroll to talk about growing up in Flint, mentoring aspiring models, and what she would tell her younger self about staying focused.
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Adriana Carroll poses in front of The Loft during her 810 Fall Fashion Show on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (Aaron Poole | S.M.T Productions)Flintside: How has growing up in Flint shaped your identity?
Adriana Carroll:
“Flint showed me how to be strong and protect myself. Growing up here showed me how to make friends and build relationships. Flint taught me how to navigate myself more confidently. I learned that in any room you walk into in Flint, you’re either known or not so you have to choose for yourself like, ‘This is who I am.’ Flint breeds confidence and loyalty. Flint raised me and made me who I am.”
Flintside: We know you’ve dabbled in the arts quite a bit but why is fashion/runway production your preferred form of expression right now?
A. Carroll: “There was never a pivot. I still have plans to get into my music career. I saw myself doing music as a child so I still have plans to honor that. Modeling is just really what shaped me. It changed my life once I started modeling, meeting different people, and traveling to different places. Modeling is the most fulfilling to me at the moment.”
Flintside: What tools do La BelleWerk and 810 Fashion offer to youth and your peers?
A. Carroll: “We offer runway classes, etiquette classes, and mentorship. We have photographers teaching models [how] to pose and designers discussing the etiquette of runway modeling. We create their portfolios and things of that nature.”
Flintside: In what ways are you teaching young models to remain grounded once choosing modeling as a career?
A. Carroll: “I feel that most of my mentees are aware of themselves. We are very strict on ‘attitudes’ so I just try to maintain the balance. As I mentor them, I’m just always checking into their mindsets. I try to always reinforce that this is a career and we are trying to change our lives by doing this. I just try to keep genuine relationships with each of them. I like to think we keep a solid team.”
Flintside: Out of all the things you’ve learned and experienced in your career, if you could leave 15-year-old Adriana a piece of advice, what would it be?
A. Carroll: “Honestly, stay away from relationships. Premature relationships kept me in the house when I was supposed to focus on my dreams. So, I would tell 15-year-old Adriana to focus!”
Stay connected with Adriana Carroll by following her on Facebook and Instagram.
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