Summer has begun and it’s all about denim, according to athleisure designer TerrelleTerrelle. I have to say, this was one of my favorite collections to both style and shoot. I love denim, like seriously, I wear it almost every day in some form. So when I was told we were shooting a denim capsule I was beyond excited. I also thought to myself, “what can we do to make these items exciting and wearable for the everyday person”. Thinking about the process made this project worth it. We went back and forth for months trying to curate effortless and chic pieces. To be honest it was not an easy task; trying to come up with items that were innovative, interesting, and wearable was an exciting challenge. I’ve been wearing TerrelleTerrelle for years, and I can say with confidence that the level of time and thought that goes into each item he designs is remarkable! Each piece has a special detail that will never be repeated, making each garment feel like it was personally made for you. My favorite look was the beige drop crouch pants with a contract pleating detail, along with the oversized matching jacket he custom designed for me as a birthday gift. TerrelleTerrelle’s unique details and one of a kind silhouettes makes him the go-to designer for any fashion enthusiast!
1. Describe your journey into the fashion Industry?
My Journey dates back to the 10th grade of high School, I was bored one day so I decided to take a pair of my old black jeans and step all over them with my timberland boots with bleach. The footprints turned light orange and I splashed bleach all over my pants to add a little more design. I wore the jeans to school the next day and got so many compliments on how nice my jeans turned out. People started asking me to revamp their jeans, so I did and made a little extra money on the side. The next year the Art Institute of Philadelphia came to visit my High School and tried to get kids to sign up to attend once they graduated. I wasn’t sure about the school at first because I wanted to go to FIT in New York. The only problem with attending FIT you had to have a portfolio and five garments already constructed to apply for the program. I had no idea how to sew, so I applied to the art institute of Philadelphia and got accepted. It was the year of 2004 when I began my journey, and loved every bit of it. I grew a great love for sewing and and technical design, and immediately excelled in school. I won most marketable collection several times, and graduated top of my class. After moving back to New York, a started my own brand TerrelleTerrelle, creating fashion forward, one of a kind pieces.
2. If you could be mentored by any designer who would it be and why?
If I had the choice to be mentored by any designer in the world it would be the late great Alexander McQueen. Not only was his work impeccable, his collections had a reputation for controversy and quite the shock factor. His collections were bold, and was full of drama. And lets not talk about the runway shows, they compare to none to this very day in my eyes. He was rebellious in a way which I admired. He did whatever he wanted without a care in the world, and I think that is the most amazing thing any individual human can do; Express themselves.
3. What would your Dream collection look like?
Now that’s a hard question because I’m always dreaming lol... I would have to say the one collection that I had several dreams about would be the rainbow T collection. Where the collection starts off in white, follows the color wheel and ends in Black. That’s all I can give you for the moment. I can’t give you all the tea, however I can tell you this, it’s a collection full of love.
4. Have you ever questioned if designing was the path you wanted to go?
Nope not at all. Once I started I knew I couldn’t, and wouldn’t stop! It is something I will always be most passionate about.
5. What inspired this Collection?
Well to be honest it goes back to what got me designing in the first place. I used to revamp denim all throughout high school so I figured why not put all this denim to use I got from my job and make a collection. I call it TT Blues. Over the last 2 years I been going through a lot dealing with deaths in the family, wondering if I would ever find love again, and just life in general. I love how you can do so much with denim, cut it up distress it, mix and match and it adds so much character to a look. Denim is a tough fabric meant to last long, And the woman who wears TerrelleTerrelle is not your average girl. She is bold,and likes to take risks. She also makes statements and demands attention wherever she goes.
Click here to view full photo shoot
For more information about how to purchase items from this collection contact:
Instagram @TerrelleTerrelle Email Terencetferguson1984@gmail.com