Meet DeSharquel J.
From the beginning, style was something DeSharquel controlled for herself. By middle school, she was doing her own nails, her own hair, and even organizing her closet by color — a private ritual of shaping identity inside the limits of a school uniform. Raised by two of the most stylish women she knew — a grandmother with a closet full of treasures and a mother with an endless love of shoes — she learned early that fashion wasn’t just about clothing, but about confidence, taste, and conversation.
Those conversations continue today. Shopping trips with her grandmother still spark debates about style, like the time they watched The Temptations perform on Soul Train and her grandmother shook her head, saying, “yeah honey, they don’t dress well anymore.” Color remains her signature. She wears bright hues in a room full of black, white, and grey; bold shades on the gloomiest days. For her, fashion has always been a language — one stitched from family, memory, and joy.
High school gave her the freedom to experiment with fashion do’s and never-agains, lessons that became part of her foundation. Those early choices, both daring and questionable, shaped the woman she is today: bold, intentional, unafraid to stand out. In many ways, she’s circling back — reorganizing her closet, remembering that little girl who sorted outfits by color, and honoring the irony of loving fashion even while wearing a uniform. That child’s vision still guides her: a commitment to individuality stitched with legacy.
“The Air Force had given her Structure, Education, and Perspective…”
DeSharquel entered the U.S. Air Force at just 18, knowing from the start she wouldn’t be in for twenty years but unsure what her path would look like. What she did know was that she wanted an education, and the military would be her way there. The togetherness of the military became her foundation — the community, the shared discipline, the feeling of belonging to something larger than herself. Yet even while living in uniform, she was always an individual. Hair colors, nail polish, bold choices — they often landed her in trouble, but they were also proof that creativity couldn’t be silenced. She carried her individuality like a secret weapon, even when rules tried to contain it.
Separating from active duty in 2019, she faced a turning point. To stay in meant following a career path that didn’t allow her creative spirit to breathe; to leave meant risking everything to become a full-time student. She chose the risk. Design school became the arena where she tested how far her imagination could carry her, backed by the resilience and discipline the military instilled. The Air Force had given her structure, education, and perspective — but stepping out gave her freedom. It was her time, her chance to explore the depth of her creativity, and theknittingallery is proof of how far that leap could go.
College Years
Even while serving, education was a constant priority. DeSharquel earned a degree in hospitality and made full use of her Tuition Assistance, maxing out classes year after year. Her grandmother’s words — “if there’s one thing they can’t take from you, it’s your education” — stayed at the center of her drive. That push carried her beyond the military into the Academy of Art University, where she pursued a BFA in fashion design. It was there that she fell in love with knitwear: the craft of transforming a single piece of yarn into something entirely new. What started as coursework became a passion, and that passion would soon shape the foundation of theknittingallery — as she earned a specified BFA in Knitwear Design.
Fashion school wasn’t without setbacks. When her senior thesis collection — rooted in military heritage — was dismissed as “played out” and excluded from the graduation fashion show, it became a defining moment. Instead of discouragement, it fueled determination. Her thesis marked the closing of her military chapter and the beginning of her creative one, a collection built from blood, sweat, and intention. Though that body of work remains archived for now, it represents the resilience and originality that continue to guide her. Today, she looks ahead to her Master’s in Business — proof that her grandmother was right. Education, like legacy, is forever.
TKG
Rooted in military precision and global vision, theknittingallery transforms knitwear into cultural legacy.
theknittingallery began in Korea, not with a business plan, but with a spark of community. Founder DeSharquel J., a U.S. Air Force veteran, was talking fashion in a friend’s car when the idea landed: why not create your own show? From that moment, yarn became a weapon of vision. A lime green mini-collection was stitched together, friends became models, gym buddies became collaborators, and what started as a spontaneous experiment transformed into a movement. Knitwear wasn’t just clothing — it was connection. It was about bringing overlooked voices together and building something that felt as tight-knit as the military community she came from. From that first collection, theknittingallery carried forward an ethos of individuality, color, and courage — knitwear made to be lived in, remembered, and inherited, not discarded.
Today, theknittingallery stands as a veteran-founded, globally inspired knitwear house redefining what sustainable luxury can be. With runway shows stretching from Korea to Las Vegas and beyond, the brand has become more than fashion — it is a cultural stage where knitwear commands attention. Every piece is one-of-one, crafted with precision, repurposed materials, and a commitment to legacy. As the brand expands, the vision grows: more knit on knit innovation, more international stages, more opportunities to create a movement that celebrates individuality. theknittingallery’s future is about eliminating waste, empowering overlooked communities, and building schools and spaces where fashion becomes education. Legacy is forever — and this brand is proof that knitwear, when told boldly, can carry culture, community, and sustainability across generations.