STYLE IS SUBJECTIVE, BUT PERCEPTION IS REALITY
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My path to today has been unconventional but lends to why I am so obsessed with fashion and what it means consciously and subconsciously.
I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY to immigrant parents from the island of Barbados. I was drawn to fashion very early in my life when my mother took me to the designer discount store Century 21, across the street from the World Trade Center, to buy luxury clothing on a tight budget. She subtly taught me that as a black man, I needed to wrap myself in a palatable package (i.e. Ralph Lauren, Marithé + Francois Girbaud, and Donna Karen) so that people not of our culture would see me as non-threatening. This core thread has weaved its way into all fabrics of my life to this very day. My confidence as a man and who I am is entrenched with this complex inference. My mother might have thought in her own way she was protecting her skinny little brown boy, but she was also injecting the colors of my future character. In some ways, I am a piece in my mother’s collection...
With a background that started in corporate investment banking, I quickly understood that a well-dressed man can move a room more effectively than someone who didn’t take pride in their visual aesthetic. Through that lens from advocates, I was asked to partner with the corporate communications team to provide visual appearance consultations to our executive team. This included senior execs who would be presenting at conferences and industry events to television shows as guests and panelists. Part of my consults included (but not limited to):
• Suiting/Accessories direction
• Grooming guidance
• Project-based shopping
• Attire adaptation and planning for multi-location events
After some time, I knew what my calling was. I was great at numbers and spreadsheets, but I loved fashion. I loved how it made the people I worked with feel better about themselves. I loved how their confidence grew as they looked at their images in the mirror. I loved how I felt making them feel that way. In a way, I was passing forward what my mother gave to me.
With that feeling, I left corporate America. For the next two years, I interned. I reached out to a well-known stylist and was given an opportunity. I was able to work and learn under Kesha McLeod of KMCME -- Wardrobe Styling and Visual Architect. Kesha at the time worked with famous style architect Rachel Johnson, who has been credited with making the NBA a fashion runway and making athletes into powerhouse brands. Rachel and Kesha gave me the opportunity to build my portfolio.
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My portfolio now includes various corporate engagements including the NBA, NFL, New Era, Carmax, and GQ to name a few. My work can also be spotted across red-carpet events, editorials, and various celebrities/athletes.