Meet Marissa Deleay Lashay Kendrick

Everyone has a dream; you just need the drive to push your dreams to become your reality and that’s what Marissa Deleay Lashay Kendrick, a 22-year-old arts and design student, did with her jewelry line, Deleay Lashay.

She has always had a love for the arts growing up. She began to use oil paint at the age of 12 and created her first piece of jewelry as a freshman in high school. 

Deleay Lashay started as just a "3 a.m. idea" after she was let go of her job as a sales associate at Auto Accessories. So she called her friend, who has his own advertising company, the next day and he agreed to help. 

“The pieces of me will soon become a masterpiece.” That’s the slogan for Deleay Lashay and the symbol is a puzzle piece that represents faith. 

“One puzzle piece can be completed, but you have to have faith to see the full masterpiece,” said Kendrick. 

Deleay Lashay has three collections so far: Bossy, Essence and Conversation Piece. Bossy represents dominance, strength and independence. Essence represents the inner beauty of the woman. 

“Essence is more subtle. It‘s more of getting in tunes with the inner beauty, not the outer,” says Kendrick. 

Kendrick is inspired by the things that surround her.

“The inspiration of just having a dream, period, is the inspiration of Deleay Lashay."