Aida R. Gibson, CEO of The Fashion Connection, Inc., founded her modeling and charm organization five decades ago in Chicago. For decades, she has helped inner-city children from diverse backgrounds discover their confidence and step more fully into their potential. She taught modeling, etiquette, charm, confidence, and personal presence–but her work was never simply about fashion.
It was about helping people see something greater in themselves and teaching them how to present that person to the world. Over the years, her students have gone on to become judges, educators, doctors, executives, entrepreneurs, and community leaders.
Gibson recently celebrated her 85th birthday while visiting her nieces, Diamond Collins and Latrice Collins, DeSoto residents who consider their Aunt Aida a major influence in their lives.
Latrice Collins says, “So much of what she poured into us as young women can still be seen in the lives we have built today. Auntie has been one of the most influential people in our lives. Long before we understood careers, leadership, or professional success, Aunt Aida was teaching us confidence, poise, professionalism, and, perhaps most importantly, how to enter a room with presence and purpose.”
“Those lessons have followed both of us throughout our lives, although they have taken us down very different and rewarding paths.”
Aida R. Gibson’s Desoto Nieces Follow Her Path
“In my own career, I’ve been fortunate to serve as a senior executive with several Fortune 100 companies, including Chase, Citigroup, Wayfair and now Velera. Nearly 20 years ago, I also founded The Career Brand, a professional development company focused on helping everyday people recognize their value, break through career ceilings, and intentionally create a path for career growth,” Latrice said.
“My sister, Diamond, has built an equally successful well-rounded life that reflects many of those same early lessons. She has pursued her love of music as a blues singer while also building a successful professional career in clinical research, working with some of the industry’s leading companies. And her journey continues to evolve—today, she is pursuing her master’s degree in divinity, preparing for yet another chapter centered on purpose and service.”
“When I look at the very different paths Diamond and I have taken, I can clearly see Aunt Aida’s fingerprints throughout both,” said Latrice Collins. “She has also been an inspirational role model for our sisters Aida (named for our aunt) and Doretha, who live in Grand Prairie and Dallas respectfully.”
“Aunt Aida also used her platform to serve people in need, support senior citizens, and provide scholarship assistance to deserving students. Her work has always been about more than fashion. Fashion was the vehicle she used to help people recognize their value, carry themselves with confidence and imagine greater possibilities for their lives.”
“As her nieces, my sisters and I are following her path by contributing to communities throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth area,” Latrice said.
