When LaKenda Johnson-Rogers started Krafty Kravingz in the spring of 2019, it was a passion project. Now with more than 2,000 followers on Instagram, her online shop has grown, as has its message.
Johnson-Rogers was working as a nurse practitioner when she decided to pause that part of her life and pursue a different interest.
“I decided that I needed to take a break and develop something that I love to do,” she says.
When looking through the many items Johnson-Rogers offers through Krafty Kravingz, the mom-centered, faith-based and female empowerment themes are obvious.
Shirts with slogans like “Mom of the Year,” Girls Inspire Girls” and “Carpool Mom” are decorated in bold fonts on the fronts of colorful, trendy T-shirts, and there are stylish tees for her favorite local sports teams like the Southern University Jaguars and New Orleans Saints.
The majority of the options in the store are original designs by Johnson-Rogers, along with some curated items made by other artists. Johnson-Rogers is the sole employee of Krafty Kravingz, although her husband helps out when she needs the extra hand, and she freelances some pieces to other designers.
For Johnson-Rogers, the motivational messages inscribed on the clothing are personal. The words come from her own experiences with motherhood, and specifically as a working mother.
“I’m a mother, so just knowing how hard motherhood is,” Johnson Rogers says, “especially for mothers who have to go in and work and want to be casual and cute at the same time—that was important.”
She also says female empowerment is a central ideal for her and the shop, as it’s something she sees need for.
“As women, I feel we have to work twice as hard as men to get to the top,” Johnson-Rogers says.
But the shop doesn’t stop at T-shirts. You can browse its website for other accessories like festive beaded earrings and baseball hats. And in January, Krafty Kravingz launched a new faith-based collection called Lily of the Valley. Johnson-Rogers drew strength from her own experiences, including a September car accident that injured three bones in her foot.
Her faith played a large role in helping her get, quite literally, back on her feet.
I wouldn’t be where I am physically right now without my faith and hope.
[—Krafty Kravingz owner LaKenda Johnson-Rogers]
“I wouldn’t be where I am physically right now without my faith and hope,” Johnson-Rogers says.
The new collection fits in perfectly with what sets Krafty Kravingz apart from everyone else. The company, Johnson-Rogers says, is authentic and organic, and its Christian values are incorporated into everything it does.
Johnson-Rogers’ messages are connecting with customers from Louisiana—and as far away as California and Illinois.
“We are very diverse,” Johnson-Rogers says. “We are serving the people, and that is what is most important. When people see us on social media, they see a diverse group of women.” kraftykravingz.com
This article was originally published in the February 2021 issue of 225 magazine.
