As a child, Keith Bloom knew that he had artistic tendencies. “As far back as I can remember into my childhood, I always had an eye and a love for art. I could always express myself creatively on paper and I was obsessed with beauty. At one point I wanted to be an architect, but it wasn’t until I discovered STYLE with Elsa Klensch on CNN and watched all the runway shows ...That is when I knew I wanted to be a fashion designer.”

Keith had to work hard. He couldn't afford college, was broke and had nothing. “I didn’t know what to do, so I did what I knew, I drew! In LA, I was a street artist on Venice Beach. You would think being hungry, almost homeless and out of money would be a terrible time, but I feel that was the happiest time of my life. I got the chance to find out how strong and resilient I really am.”

He found free poster boards, used his own markers, and drew fashion illustration posters until his fingers stopped working. “But the best part of my day wasn’t when I sold a piece of art, it was when people would crowd around me and fight over which poster they wanted, or a kid would come up to me in awe and sit next to me watching. There were times when some people wouldn’t have any money but I could see the love and appreciation for my work so I would let them choose a picture and give it away, because those moments in life are what I am all about. And it was all worth it!”

Keith greatly admired the singer Aaliyah, and her tragic death motivated him to make changes in his own life. He enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, and studied to realize his dream of becoming a designer. “I would say my design aesthetic is like Aaliyah’s voice to her music, 'Elaborately simple, always complementing, and never overpowering.'”

Keith believes that fashion affects everyone. “For me, fashion is a way of life. It touches everyone and on every level. When you want to be sexy, sad or even comfortable, you put on clothing that evokes those emotions and feelings. I love that about fashion. You can be whoever and whatever, whenever you want.”

His design inspiration can begin with one (or many) things. “Truthfully, I am inspired by many things and sometimes a few things at the same time. My design process might start with a flower, then I might start sketching to music that takes me somewhere else, then I might find some fabric that speaks to me; then all of these elements come together and BOOM! I have a masterpiece.” His favorite designers include Gianni Versace, Donna Karan, Badgley Mischka, Issac Mizrahi, Kevan Hall, and Lloyd Klein. “I like to create classic garments and these are the people who influenced my personal style as a fashion designer.”

Keith feels that his greatest accomplishment as a designer has been the excitement he sees in peoples' faces when they view his work. “My goal has always been about sharing myself with the world and making a difference in people’s lives with the use of my God-given gift.”

He advises new designers to be sure that they are following their passion. “Don’t do this if you don’t love it! Every day I eat, sleep, and breathe fashion! It is the one thing, without a doubt, that truly brings me happiness and I wouldn’t trade my talent for anything. And, Stick to your vision!”

Keith Bloom is a featured UsTrendy designer. His blogs and portfolio can be viewed at: http://www.ustrendy.com/the-artist-of-fashion/.

Follow Keith's Twitter at https://twitter.com/keithbloom2.