Corjor Magnum & Corjor Menswear
Founder of DC Fashion Week, Ean Williams, was the first designer to be featured at the menswear show. The name of his brand, Corjor, comes from his two oldest sons’ names, Corey and Jordan. Williams is very well-rounded when it comes to fashion:
He’s a photographer
Publishes an annual calendar called Men of Color
Is an advisory board member for the Black Designers Association, Inc.
Has hosted the annual Pink Carpet Event Charity Fashion Show twice
Has won multiple awards, including the Fashion Icon Award from U Designate me and Outstanding Achievement in Fashion from Maryland Fashion Awards
Has been featured in British Vogue three times
Has been to the Amsterdam Fashion Week, Serbia Fashion Week, and Ukraine Fashion Week
Was a professional runway model, actor, model instructor/coach
Corjor was displayed multiple times throughout Fashion Week since there are four different segments to his brand: Corjor Sport, Corjor Menswear, Corjor Couture, and Corjor Magnum. The Magnum Collection was the first brand to walk the runway on Friday, Feb 25. This collection consisted of men’s underwear in various colors, lengths, and sizes. The men walked down the runway while handing out roses to guests in the front row, as seen in the picture below. For more information, visit https://magnumunderwear.bigcartel.com.
The second collection from Corjor displayed streetwear that was inspired by Williams’ sons. The sons said that when they take over the business they want to make a clothing line that consists of hoodies, sweats, jackets, and other streetwear items. Instead of waiting, Williams decided to make these ideas come to life. The collection consisted of sleek, comfortable sets of matching sweaters and sweatpants that feature the Corjor logo and brand name. This way, the wearer is rocking designer brands while still being cozy. To see more, go to https://www.facebook.com/corjorinternational.
Kinetic Styles
Iran “Bang” Paylor, a designer for Kinetic Styles, is a Howard alumnus who looks to celebrities for inspiration on his designs. Celebutantes such as Diddy, Lil Kim, and stylist Misa Hylton inspire Bang’s creations in Kinetic Styles.
At DC Fashion Week, Bang showed his versatility with fashion, going beyond just menswear but also displaying ornate and elegant dresses. His menswear collection was just as tasteful, featuring vibrantly colored, satin pants and shorts. These were accompanied by matching robe-style cover-ups that were printed with royal, decorative patterns. Each piece presented a different stylistic choice, for example, a matching headpiece or a ruffled and dramatic neckline.
The first half of the collection was quite different from the pieces in the second half. These consisted of neutral-colored shapes that adorned the fabric. The piece pictured here is a flowy, hooded one-piece that starkly contrasted the first designs, showing Bang’s virtuosity once again. To see more, visit: https://www.instagram.com/kineticstyles/
The Debonaire club
We had the privilege of speaking to John and Irie Waller, the designers behind The Debonaire Club. John Waller is the main designer for the menswear collection that we saw on Friday. John brings in color and individuality to each piece. The goal of his suits is to have personality while still being structured and classic so that “when you walk into the room, you think ‘impeccable.’” Models carry colorful and decorative umbrellas and canes that bring out the suits’ complex fabrics. Every piece is very detail-oriented: from the buttons to the stitching, each suit has unique features that people usually don't notice. With his custom pieces, John likes to tell his customers about the little details that they can change to further personalize the suit and tailor it to their preferences.
One of John’s favorite pieces from this collection is the pink and navy blue boating stripe suit. John likes flamingos and incorporates them into his designs, which is visible with this outfit. It stands out but is still structured and that’s why he calls this suit his “go-getter.”
Not only does the Debonaire club do menswear, but they’re also coming out with a women's collection that is going into production in May and will be out by the Summer. The name of the collection is centered around the theme of “peace in all places and all ways.” This collection is about vintage beauty, the 90s, Sex and The City, etc. Contrary to the hot girl summer, CityGirls era that many women are in right now, Irie wants to bring fashion back to a more natural, classic, feminine energy style. Irie says that this is a moment for women to access luxury, not just by buying expensive things, but really living a luxurious lifestyle. Look out for this collection and previous ones here: https://linktr.ee/thedebonaireclub
KenWoo
Kendra Woodland started her brand, KenWoo, with just a sunglass collection. She would make bold statement clothes periodically but now with DC Fashion Week, she’s branching out to do a full menswear collection with outerwear, tops, pants, and more. This clothing line featured numerous unique items including bright-colored bomber jackets with spotted hearts to faux-leather and plastic pants. Each piece stands out for its own preeminent, eclectic styles and patterns. The pieces had various different patterns such as plaid, tiger print, and zebra print all mixed together.
In addition to the menswear collection, KenWoo sells numerous different decorative sunglasses, knee-high boots, laced dresses, puffy coats, and much more. To purchase and see more of KenWoo’s designs, go to https://framedbykenwoo.bigcartel.com/.
Alek Risimnic
Carl Trogdon’s fashion interest started at eleven years old when his mother taught him how to sew. He started off making barbie clothes, a basic pair of shorts, and even sold sock puppets. From this point forward, he knew he wanted to be involved in fashion. He went to the Art Institute of Philadelphia for Fashion Merchandising and started designing for his friends and families and eventually worked up to designing wedding gowns, prom dresses, pants, shirts, etc.
In 2001, Carl met Keah Crosby, and together they started Scandalous By Design. Here, they made swimwear, lingerie, and intimate apparel for men and women, and later they added ready-to-wear and couture evening wear.
In 2004, Carl premiered his solo debut of Alek Risimnic Couture. The name of this business comes from the first three letters of his four children's names: Alexis, Kristopher, Simone, and Nicholas. Alek Risimnic Couture started off with just menswear but in 2005, Carl added a women’s line. The business won numerous fashion design competitions, such as first place in Waki Wear's Battle of the Champions. Every piece is uniquely designed based on the customer's specifications so you'll never see a duplicate piece.
During Fashion Week, Alek Risimnic displayed various suits that ranged from being covered in gold sequins to camouflage print fabric. He also showcased a collection of white suits that had fur tails hanging as accessories and an all-white set that had ornate fabric and designs on the shoulders. Each piece was more enticing than the next. You can see more on his Instagram @idesignclothes or visit http://www.ar-couture.com/.
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