Artist Tea Montgomery is all about self-expression-and expressing himself he has been, as he explores one artistic form after another. These days, he is best known as the owner, founder, and designer behind the clothing design studio, Threads by Tea.
Montgomery was not always into clothing. He initially received training in classical piano, and early on, branched out into poetry and creative writing. He completed a bachelor's degree in marketing, and a masters in entertainment business management. Then he stumbled upon this new passion in 2017, and soon began designing clothes, first for himself, and then for a growing number of patrons.
Montgomery doesn't call himself a fashion designer, however. What he is, he said on Instagram, is "a creative entrepreneur...making wearable art." And he doesn't just make pretty things. The clothes he designs are meant to inspire and empower others to live up to their own potential, and so are made of the highest quality material and designed to the greatest degree of comfort. He said in an interview: "How fabric feels on our skin has a lot to do with how we feel and how we present to the world."
Threads by Tea has been expanding since its inception. Recently, Montgomery introduced his ETHOS line, whose different parts--the Heroes, the Jungle, the Lovers, Clarity, and Ethos--represent his own present journey of self-discovery and self-actualization.
In 2022, he earned the 42nd Annual Arts Award by New Haven Arts Council. Montgomery dreams of one day seeing his clothes at the Met Gala, whether on an artist, or on display.
Montgomery isn't leaving home behind, though: he stays in his native New Haven so he could give back to his community.
