The Legend of Seven

In the 1980s, amidst a sea of 5,000 identical school uniforms in São Paulo, a 12-year-old Priscila Teixeira made a choice that would define the next 40 years of her life.

She began wearing seven bracelets on each arm. Seven was the lucky number of her rebellious idol, the legendary Rita Lee, and the soul number of the biggest influencer of her life, her grandmother, Mathilde Farre. These were women of grit, brilliant artists, nature lovers, and fierce advocates for freedom. By wearing those bracelets, Priscila wasn’t just accessorizing; she was carrying her lineage. She was finding The Back Door—a creative way to be herself within a system designed to make everyone the same.

The Recess Revolution

That childhood act of self-discovery turned into a business before the school bell even rang. What started as reselling jewelry during recess to help others "look like themselves" became the foundation for Talkingfashion Inc. Since moving to the USA over 25 years ago, Priscila has pivoted that childhood passion into a world-class Archive. From the flea markets of Paris to the hidden corners of Ohio, she curates 100 years of history—from 1910s Art Deco to 1990s statement pieces—to ensure that beauty is never wasted and history is never forgotten.

From Two Students to Thousands

Life came full circle in 2017. What began as a simple invitation to teach an after-school class at Wickliffe—with just two students—blossomed into the Columbus Fashion Academy.

Priscila realized that the power of fashion wasn't just in the garment; it was in the transformation. She saw that by teaching children to Turn Waste into Wonder, she was teaching them the #1 skill for the future: Creative Problem Solving. She was giving them the tools to fight bullying, build confidence, and stand taller.

The Social Enterprise: Our Essential Mission

Today, Talkingfashion is more than a brand; it is an ecosystem of Sustainable Advocacy.

• Our Archive funds our future.
• Our Lab cultivates the next generation of leaders.
• Our Nonprofit ensures that Artistic Freedom is a human right accessible to every child in our community, regardless of their background.

We believe that getting dressed is an essential act of self-love. Whether we are mending a vintage treasure or preparing for the launch of Columbus Kids Fashion Week, we are practicing the values our founder learned at age 12: artistic freedom, creativity, kindness, inclusion, gratitude, agency and the courage to find your own Back Door.

When I moved to the USA over 25 years ago, I arrived with a "wife visa" that didn't allow me to work for pay, but it couldn't stop my drive. I spent my first year in Columbus treating the Columbus Museum of Art as my second home, working behind the scenes five days a week to learn English and the language of the American community. It was there that I met the "Master of Bias" Charles Kleibacker, with whom I collaborated for years, mainly modeling in fashion shows and photoshoots, always raising funds for the museum.

I used that season of "waiting" to learn, enrolling into every educational opportunity that I could participate, from CCAD in Columbus to Sotheby’s and Parsons in New York City. During that same period, I also got my post-graduate degree in Fashion and Business Communications from Anhembi Morumbi (Brazilian university affiliated to FIT in NYC).

Finding the Right Vessel for Purpose

My path to leadership in Columbus was paved with grit, fueled by a dream that began before I even stepped foot in the USA. When I first learned of my move to Ohio, I researched the city and saw great opportunities in the offices of big American fashion brands, I immediately thought, “There is a place for me to work and learn”. Once I arrived, I remember following cars with "The Limited" lettering on them, convinced that the drivers held the keys to the future I so badly wanted to join.

The journey that followed was a masterclass in the industry, though it was anything but linear. I spent years in management and leadership for global powerhouses such as Filene’s Basement, Nordstrom, H&M and Swarovski. During part of those years, I faced one of my greatest personal challenges: navigating life as a single mother in a country where I had zero family and no old friends to lean on. Those hard, foundational years tested my resilience, strength my core values and deepened my resolve to build a meaningful legacy for my son.

That early dream of the "Limited" cars came full circle when I broke through to the HQ offices of THE LIMITED. Suddenly, I was traveling on LBrands private jets and being picked up by limos in NYC for workdays. It was a world of glamour and perks, but even from the front row of Fashion Week, I realized I wasn’t living my why. I am a fierce believer that we all have a special gift to gift the world, and that we are each here for a unique reason, and we owe it to ourselves and the world to find this unique gift and share with others shining light in our communities by living our purpose.

By 2009, the pull toward my own vision became undeniable, and I stepped back into my entrepreneurial roots to found Luxboheme. Shortly after, I remarried and my family grew with the arrival of my "Irish twins". During those busy years, I made the choice to close our fun downtown studio to focus on my three children, eventually pivoting into a role as a Creative Brand and Marketing Consultant for local nonprofits. What started as part-time temp work grew into a full-time commitment over 4 years, two large local nonprofits, but I eventually realized that while I loved and I was serving others (Mainly minorities between families getting a second-chance, sex-trafficking victims, drug addicted women, children from broken families, immigrants), I was still one step away from my true calling.

I knew I had to put a stop to the consulting "safety net" and return to the mission I began at age 12: serving the community through the lens of fashion, agency, and entrepreneurship. In January 2024, I committed 100% of my energy back to my business "babies"—Talking Fashion (TF), Columbus Fashion Academy (CFA) and later to be born on that same year, The Fashion Community (TFC).

The Unified Vision: The Fashion Space

In the summer of 2025, the journey came full circle when we moved our entire ecosystem under one roof at 122 N. Grant Ave, on the CCAD Campus—precisely, the exact same building where I took my very first pattern-making class in 1999.

Under this roof, the Archive, the Academy, and the Community finally seamless work as one. For the first time, our inventory remains in constant circulation: pieces move from The Archive to serve as inspiration (or part of, who knows) The Academy student projects, or are reimagined into Luxboheme designs, with every sale supporting The Community and its mission.

We are no longer only delivering afterschool or hosting fashion shows; we are connecting people and the planet, we are creating transformative experiences and we are creating fashion for good. As I write my first book, Goodbye (Toxic) Fashion, my message remains the one I discovered at age 12: Artistic Freedom is a human right, and your purpose is the "Back Door" that leads you where you are free to be yourself, to live your unique beautiful gift and give back shining light in the world, doing what you are meant to do.

It has been an absolute pleasure to serve each of the most amazing inspiring children and adults I have met. I look forward to many more memorable moments together. Thankful and honored!