From Runway to Reel: Yokiana Daniels and the Power of Wardrobe in Storytelling

Yokiana Daniels has one of the most coveted jobs in entertainment. As a wardrobe and costume stylist, she dresses your favorite movie and television stars. A wife and mother, Yokiana says she fell in love with fashion early in life. After graduating from college she became an Atlanta transplant and started working with other established stylists to get experience. As with most in-demand stylists, personal style came natural to Yokiana. She enjoys meshing classic looks with hip hop and urban elements for her signature brand. One of her most recent projects, ‘Single Black Female 3: The Final Chapter’ aired on Lifetime and featured RHOA’s Porsha Williams, K. Michelle, Amber Reilly and Raven Goodwin.  With an all-star cast with very diverse characters, the job came with its challenges. Not only was Yokiana responsible for finding flattering pieces for each of the cast members, but she also had to work with the director to ensure the wardrobe complimented the storyline. “Because this was the third installment of the franchise it was important for each characters wardrobe to express their progress or digress.

Official Trailer | Single Black Female 3: The Final Chapter | Lifetime

For Monica, who is played by Raven Goodwin, she’s just been exonerated of murder charges and is about to venture into the podcast space.  So, we only see her in a suit in the opening scene.  Everything else is still fashion forward but a lot more casual.  She’s also consumed with finding Simone, so she is in a lot more darker tones this time around. Simone’s character is played by Amber Riley.  She’s paired back a lot more than she was in part 2 because she’s been on this spiritual journey.  She’s reconnected with her daughter, so I felt like she was more conscious now and I wanted her to appear softer. Bebe played by K. Michelle was the only girl who needed to be elevated this time around.  Bebe is back in her own salon; she has a new man in her life who inspires her to be more grown up.  I wanted there to be a clear distinction between the girl we see at the beginning in the club and the girl at dinner that gets proposed to in the end,” Yokiana explained. For Porsha Williams, one of the biggest offscreen personalities in the cast, Yokiana had to find ways to make her wardrobe match the internal conflict happening within her character. “Porsha Williams plays Ebony a alcoholic detective who wants to avenge her brother’s death.  She believes it was Monica and will stop at nothing to prove it.  We are used to seeing Porsha more glammed up, so it was fun to transform her into a disturbed detective.  She really embraced the role and did a great job both on and off camera.”

Aside from the main characters fans enjoy watching and connecting with, Yokiana was responsible for dressing the ensemble cast. Some of the tasks were more challenging than others, but as a seasoned stylist she says creativity comes into play with some of the heavier lifts. “I loved designing the nun habits.  There were two convents in this movie, so I researched what nuns wore in Mexico and the meanings of each color.  I chose the grey habit because it signifies a simplicity, and I felt like that aligned with Simones's character.  All of the habits were handmade, and we sourced authentic fabrics so whenever we worked with them it felt very serene. The girls were very involved in their looks.  It was really important to me to establish that repoire with them.  I want them to look and feel their best so when something doesn’t feel good to them, we can make the changes.  And that’s the same for my producers and director.  They were very supportive of my vision and trusted me,” she shares.

Most of us watch movies for enjoyment, not considering the small details that go into wardrobe, audio engineering or editing. After working all three of the Single Black Female installments, Yokiana was determined to make the final one her best. “The biggest challenge was time first then budget.  Although the budget was modest for a third installment, if we had more time that would have been great.  But I’m happy with what we produced.. and so were the cast and crew,” she says.

Most people view wardrobe stylists as one of the more elite jobs in entertainment, but Yokiana says the job takes more hard work, ingenuity and skill than people give wardrobe stylist credit for.  The misconceptions often spill over to the way characters are outfitted in television and movies.

“I really enjoy dressing real characters.

I came to film from a retail and styling background, so I am able to pivot between the art forms with ease.  When you’re working with women and I’ve gotta be honest I notice this more with black women there is an expectation for characters to be stylish even if the character doesn’t necessarily call for that.  I feel like networks are used to seeing people of color in rich jewel tones and we do look good in those colors, but we can carry sophisticated hues of neutrals and earth tones.  These are the kind of conversations that can make costume designing challenging.”

Even with all the challenges and taxing work hours, Yokiana loves her career and believes she has found her passion and purpose. She believes anyone with aspirations to become a wardrobe stylist needs to understand the job is much more complicated than taking shopping trips in designer stores with an unlimited credit card.

“My advice to anyone looking to costume design is to ppl watch, industry watch, and have a method of decompression.

Costume designing is as much social politics as creative expression.  A good designer absorbs the energy of the world, the cast and crew and then uses clothes and accessories to regurgitate what has been retained.  Energetically that process can take a toll.. you need a process for release to remain balanced over the course of the project.”

Summer 2025 is shaping up to be a season where fashion doesn’t just follow trends—it reflects the cultural mood.

We asked celebrated wardrobe stylist Yokiana Daniels to break down what’s hot this summer, and as always, she delivered insight with equal parts fashion savvy and social awareness. From the lasting impact of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter era to the surprising comeback of the kitten heel, Yokiana walks us through the textures, silhouettes, and statements defining this season. But don’t expect a generic shopping list—this is fashion with a conscience. Yokiana reminds us that creativity, sustainability, and individuality are more in style than ever.

Obviously denim is going to continue to be a go to with Beyonce’s cowboy carter tour coming up and the conversation around Canadian tuxedo after Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance.

Workman jackets like the ones Carhart makes are definitely a thing.  There are so many versions out right now..there's a real focus on the workers and the middle class in this country but that is a whole other conversation.

Shorter heels like kitten heels are a thing!  I’m not as excited about this as a designer but again I think it speaks to the social and cultural conversations happening right now.  The taller Stilettos have a platform this season.. Women are tired ok lol

Our Pantone color of the year: Mocha Mousse which is basically brown.  Who would of thought? I am actually very much here for this one!

Volume in shoulders, hips and legs will be every year.  Store the skinny jeans for now wider is better lol

Women wearing ties and business wear in none business settings is a big trend.

Most of the trends I shared here can be found at your local Goodwill.  We live in a time where stylish people are one click away so everyone starts to look the same if we’re only buying in the stores.  Be creative.. I am a big fan of repurposing and even upstyling fast fashion pieces for longevity. With denim being such a big trend, I hope some ppl will thrift options.  Denim is such environmentally taxing garment to produce.