Meet the DC-Area Artist Who Quit Her 9-to-5 and Launched a Line at Target

How many of us dream of making the leap from a stable corporate life to a creative, be-your-own-boss life?

After six years in media and advertising, Justine Magnum Kirkman did that very thing, when she started Winnie Weston, her own illustration business. Four years later, her vibrant creations are on national shelves via Target’s 2024 Black History Month collection.

In 2020, the Alexandria, Virginia-based illustrator was feeling disenchanted with her 9-to-5 life in a so-called “creative” industry and not feeling especially creative. “My then-boyfriend and now husband encouraged me to start drawing again, which became the business,” Magnum Kirkman tells The Root.

In a stroke of inspiration, she named the company in honor of her beloved grandfather Carl Weston Winfield, known as “Winnie” to his friends, who passed away in January of 2020. “I created Winnie Weston in a time when I felt like my least creative self, and the rest is history!”

Boasting an array of merchandise—from wall art to notebooks to apparel—many of Magnum Kirkman’s designs feature a palette of brilliant golds, hot pinks, and electric greens, while others are more stripped down—black and white line drawings featuring motifs spanning pop culture icons to to Black college life, with images of Black women embracing their natural hair, to rocking bald and beautiful looks.

“For me, Winnie Weston gives me the audacity to create a space that showcases the beauty and resilience of being Black, especially being a Black woman,” Magnum Kirkman tells us. “The main mission for my art is to make people feel beautiful, seen, empowered, and most importantly, loved.” Read on for Justine’s favorite artists, enduring inspiration, and helpful advice to other hopeful entrepreneurs.

Justine: My passion for art started when I was a little girl and developed when I was attending a performing arts high school. My parents surrounded me with Black creatives to expose me to a world I wanted to live and create in. I learned about talented Black artists, musicians, and entertainers, who enriched my life and led me to focus on building my craft as an artist.

Justine: I’d describe my aesthetic as fashion-influenced with a focus on bold, bright colors and patterns. In addition, my artistic choices—like the eyeless faces—are inspired by Black artists who gained popularity during the 1970s and 1980s, such as Ellis Wilson who painted the famous “Funeral Procession.” Ellis’s portrayal of Black people — characters with no facial features — always intrigued me, which I interpreted into my own style by removing my characters’ eyes.

The artist Ernie Barnes—who painted “The Sugar Shack’’ in 1976, which was featured on the show Good Times—is another inspiration. I love his style of elongating characters and showing them in celebration. He showed Black people in times of happiness and joy, which I wanted to showcase in my own art.

Justine: My two degrees have been so supportive in starting this business. With my bachelor’s degree in fashion merchandising, I gained reverence for the history of fashion and reference points for my illustration style. Studying the different decades of fashion inspired me to create collections inspired by the eras.

For example, learning the colors, patterns, and styles of ‘80s fashion led me to create a collection with an emphasis on neon colors. My master’s in strategic communication has aided me in marketing myself and my art to customers and brands like Target. It helped me understand the needs of my customers while also garnering knowledge of what can attract brands, including Target, to my art.

Justine: The city of Alexandria, Virginia, is filled with character, with all of these adorable shops and cobblestone streets. It just creates such an inspiring, charming energy. When I’m looking for inspiration, I go on a walk and observe the city, seeing how people are dressed, hearing the hustle and bustle.

The style of the main characters from my favorite shows also really inspires me, shows like A Different World, Living Single, Insecure, and Sister, Sister. Conversations with my family and friends are also a major source of inspiration in my creative process.

Justine: Creating pieces exclusively for Target for Black History Month was a fantastic journey. I anchored the collection with bold colors and cheeky mixed patterns that define my aesthetic.

It’s so hard to pick one thing I like from the collection over the others, because I love them all! However, I have to say, the 11x14 print set of the man and woman are one of my favorites because of the neon palette.

Justine: Collaborating with Target has been such a blessing for my business. It’s helped me reach a whole new demographic that may not have been exposed to my shop before. I love that people, especially people of color all around the US, are able to see art that represents them.

Justine: My advice to young Black creators is to love what you create, so when it gets hard, the love of your craft will still drive you. If you’re trying to start your own business, begin with a plan.

Map out what you want your business to consist of, what do you want to do or sell with it, and invest in an accountant. Having great people in your corner is essential.

Study your industry as much as possible but be true to yourself. You don’t have to change who you are to “make it.” Focus on what you love, create what you love, and you’ll find your audience.

As a creative, it’s so difficult not to compare yourself to others, but I promise you if you stay focused on your dreams, good things will come! My husband and I have a saying, “running our own race, at our own pace.” I say that to myself throughout my journey and share that with fellow Black creators!

This article is a sponsored collaboration between G/O Media Studios and Target.