When she reflects on her career, Sankara McCain recognizes that she wouldn’t have the tools to succeed without support in Gary.

“I always knew I wanted to work in the entertainment industry, but I wasn’t sure how or when,” said McCain, a wardrobe stylist, image consultant and costume designer.

“But, Gary definitely gave me the tools and discipline to shape and navigate that experience for sure.”

Now, more than 15 years after she left Gary to attend Howard University in Washington, D.C., McCain is creating clothes for celebrities, most recently an all-gold ensemble for Blue Ivy Carter on Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter tour.

McCain is the niece of former Deputy Mayor Trent McCain, who served during former Mayor Jerome Prince’s administration. Sankara McCain’s father, Todd McCain, said he always knew she would do great things.

Watching Sankara McCain succeed makes Todd McCain proud, he said.

“I think a person should be judged by their children because that’s truly our creation,” Todd McCain said. “What I’m truly proud of is that she accomplishes her goals with grace and humility. I think being humble is one of the greatest attributes that a human being can have.”

Since Sankara McCain was a child, her father said she’s been interested in art and had an eye for detail. She took dance classes as a child, and Sankara McCain said she was always interested in what they would wear at performances.Because she was drawn to art, working in fashion as an adult made sense.

Sankara McCain has designed and styled for music videos, commercials, televised performances and tours. Celebrities including Glorilla, Ice Cube and Shacarri Richardson have worn her clothes.

“I think that every opportunity I have is a huge opportunity,” Sankara McCain said, “and I still put the same amount of energy into it.”

For Blue Ivy, Sankara McCain designed a gold leather, metallic outfit with a cowboy belt and hat. She, with help from another designer, completed the outfit over the weekend, which she said was a challenge.

“We ran out of leather on Saturday night,” Sankara McCain said. “No leather stores are even open on the weekend, so it was just trial and error. But, we made it through, we got it done, and everyone was happy.”

Todd McCain said he learned Sankara McCain was designing for the Cowboy Carter tour after she texted him.

“I asked, ‘Well, what was the connection? Was it your agent that made the connection for Blue Ivy and Beyonce and the (Cowboy Carter) tour?’” Todd McCain said. “And she said, ‘No, my agent is God.’”

Todd McCain believes that Sankara McCain never forgot that her roots are in Gary, which he thinks will also inspire other children in the city.

Sankara McCain has heard from children in Gary now who have said they’re motivated or inspired by her work, and she’s thankful to be a role model for younger generations.

Sankara McCain believes that growing up in Gary helped instill a positive work ethic in her. When she was a teenager, she and her friends would go to Chicago on a train to get extra training in dance or other activities they did.

“(Gary) created a discipline for us to learn how to maneuver and motivate the next generation,” Sankara McCain said. “I love my city, and I hope I’m making them proud.”

mwilkins@chicagotribune.com