Parker had no clue, when he did his first photoshoot one year ago, that the endeavor would take him to one of the biggest events in the fashion industry.

“I always sort of messed around with fashion to figure out how I could be creative," Parker said. "In middle school, I had some less than ideal outfits and definitely had a bit of a learning curve, but I think it was a great way to express myself in how I really wanted to represent myself."

Parker consistently changes his fashion to fit his vision – as his fashion shifted, so did his career. He saw that MSU could give him opportunities in both his studies and creative passions, which led him to leverage the network of talented people and opportunities at MSU. While the university is not known for its fashion studies, Parker still finds MSU pertinent to his success.

“I think that it serves a different purpose … this is a great place to get your feet wet," Parker said. "My first shoot was done through MSU … It was a great way for me to get used to modeling without any real high stakes."

Racha Chandra's brand, Taj Cottage, is based out of Farmington Hills. Chandra, the first designer to invest in Parker, offered him an opportunity to walk in their show during Michigan Fashion Week. After a successful walk in his home state, Chandra offered Parker the opportunity of a lifetime: walking in Paris Fashion Week.

“I feel like I skipped a few steps,” Parker said. “You can’t change the timing of things … I’m just along for the ride.”

Parker reflected on the experience as he was walking down the runway, cameras and models surrounding him. He mostly thought about how mind-blowing it was that that his possible career had progressed so quickly from a simple hobby.

“It's a humbling experience,” Parker said. “There's so many people that supported me and were invested in me, so I felt like my success was not just my own. It was a success for all of us. There's so many models that I got to learn from and went from being my role models to my peers. We continue to learn from each other.”

While media attention and connections with models and designers has been rewarding for Parker, he recalled the best part of his experience: the first moment of walking around Paris with the other models. He felt relieved to be part of something so large.

After his time abroad, Parker said his home got him to where he is today. 

“I'm from Flint, Michigan, and there were so many creatives there that I think never got the opportunity to really shine … Everyone around me is creative in one right or another,” Parker said. “Being able to learn from the people around me, I think is how I got to where I am.”

Parker wants to erase the stigma of his home city. He strives to showcase that it's is a home for artists and influential people – and more than just what the media attention shows.

Looking forward, Parker said it’s now hard to set goals since Paris seemed so out of the question for him.

“I think just being able to do it on a more consistent scale (is the goal),” Parker said. “Right now modeling is just a hobby … but it's become something more serious. It changed my life.”

Parker now sees himself as part of the art that he used to admire. Just like the overlapping, seemingly opposed patterns and colors in his fashion, he is enjoying blending his education with his creativity, living a dream he never thought he could before.