Haitian Fashion Designers to Know
Haiti has long been known for its talented artists and expert artisans. Fashion, however, is a lesser known industry in Haiti where schools devoted to the craft barely exist. Nevertheless, Haitian fashion designers are popping up and boldly leaving their marks throughout The Caribbean, the United States, and beyond. Check out these Haitian, Haitian-American, and one Haitian-Italian designers at the top of their game.
Azede Jean Pierre
Azede Jean Pierre came to the United States a refugee from Pestel, Haiti. Her designs now grace the likes of First Lady Michelle Obama, Solange Knowles, and Gillian Jacobs. Based in New York City, her eponymous women’s ready-to-wear label creates clothing that is meant to be both innovative and functional, both sophisticated and quirky, and always to reflect a woman’s individuality and personal style.
(Photo credit: essence.com)
Berny Martin
Berny Martin is the designer behind the Indiana-based label Catou. He is also the founder of Midwest Fashion Week (MWFW). Inspired by culture, travel, and color, his designs have been worn by such notables as actor and playwright Lin Manuel Miranda, NY Knick JR Smith, Indianapolis Colt Jermaine Chaney, Miss USA 2012 Olivia Culpo and Miss Universe 2011 Leila Lopes.
(Photo credit; midwestfashionweek)
Charles Corvsky Dieujuste
Born in Haiti, Charles Corvsky Dieujuste is the designer behind New York City-based label Charles Corvsky Dieujuste Signature Label (CCDSL). Inspired by the colors of Haiti and made with lavish fabrics, Dieujuste’s pieces aim to fuse old world glamour together with modern sophistication. His designs have been worn by celebrities such as Vicky Jeudy of Orange is the New Black and Miss Haiti Universe Christi Desir.
(Photo credit: Kreyolicious)
Davidson Petit-Frère
Raised in Flatbush, Brooklyn, Davidson Petit-Frère became a fashion designer by way of a job in real estate. As a young and taller-than-average man in the real estate game, Petit-Frère teamed up with tailors to create suits for himself that would project maturity and professionalism. His discerning eye and willingness to learn led him away from real estate entirely, however, and eventually to create his own eponymous fashion label P.Frère. In 2013, he joined forces with the well-regarded Polish-American Designer Aleks Musika to launch the highly successful menswear label Musika Frere. Based in New York City, Musika Frere produces high-end, made-to-measure suits that have been worn by such big names as Kevin Hart, Jay-Z, and Stephen Curry.
(Photo credit: zimbio.com)
David André
David André is an established fashion designer. Mr. André designs and sells clothing for men and women, along with a unisex beachwear line, which can be seen in boutiques in the Dominican Republic and Guadeloupe. In 2011, he opened David André Collection Store in Haiti. He offers a range of clothing including high fashion, wedding wear, uniforms, accessories and more. (Source: The Embassy of Haiti)
(Photo credit: PhotographX)
Giovanna Menard
A native of Port-au-Prince, Giovanna Menard originally worked as a lawyer. However, following a trip to New York and a design class she took there, she was inspired to create a small jewelry line back in Haiti that turned out to be an immediate success. The Artisans au Soleil brand was born, the first store opening in the posh area of Petionville, with a focus both on making high-end accessories and offering job training and workshop opportunities to promising artisans. Menard’s designs have been sold at Tracy Reese Boutique in New York, on view at New York’s Museum of Art & Design, and at the Islands of the World Fashion Week in the Bahamas.
(Photo credit: reuters)
Jean-Ralph Thurin
Jean-Ralph Thurin fashions luxurious bridal gowns at his bridal design house in Somerville, New Jersey. His designs provide elegance and opulence to modern brides such as Ne-Yo’s wife Crystal Renay.
(Photo credit: Jeanralphthurin.com)
Joelle Jean-Fontaine
Haitian-born Joelle Jean-Fontaine is the designer behind I AM KRÉYOL, a women’s ready-to-wear fashion house located in Boston, Massachusetts, which she runs with her mother and was inspired by her entrepreneurial grandparents, a seamstress and leather goods maker. Frequently partnering with social causes and working with traditional Afro-Caribbean fabrics and prints, I AM KRÉYOL is rooted in an aesthetic of strength, revolutionary determination, and optimistic resilience.
(Photo credit: lunionsuite)
Kerby Jean-Raymond
Raised and currently based in New York City, designer Kerby Jean-Raymond named his luxury sportswear label, Pyer Moss, after his late mother Vania Moss Pierre. His designs are both fashionable and functional and have been sold by the likes of Browns of London, SSENSE, and Harvey Nichols.
(Photo credit: Lorenzo Holder)
Maelle Figaro David
Maelle Figaro David’s company MAËLLECRÉATIONS is based in Port-au-Prince and handles a wide variety fashion projects from ready-to-wear to wedding dresses, from carnival costumes to Haiti’s uniforms for this year’s Summer Olympics in Rio. Her designs embrace curves and are made for a variety of body types. Her work has been featured at Bahamas Fashion Week and Islands of the World Fashion Week (IWFW).
(Photo credit: kreyolicious)
Michel Chateigne
Les parents de Michel Chataigne ne furent pas très contents quand ils apprirent, qu’après l’avoir envoyé à l’étranger pour étudier l’économie à l’Université de Montréal dans les années quatre-vingts, qu’il y resta que trois mois – et au lieu commença à s’intéresser à la coiffure.
Cependant, Il n’allait pas être mis dehors. Il avait commencé par étudier la cosmétologie, et à son retour d’Haïti il s’est trouvé chanceux de recevoir une aide financière de la part de son beau-frère – lui permettant d’ouvrir son premier salon de coiffure dans un ancien garage. Ce fut un modeste départ – mais ce fut un départ.
Chataigne avait trouvé son métier et ce fut un succès immédiat. Peu après, sa liste de client avait dépassé les 100 – et c’était le salon le plus onéreux de Port-au-Prince. Aujourd’hui il a 32 employés, et planifie de répliquer ce qu’il a fait a Port-au-Prince à Jacmel, Cap-Haitien et Gonaives.
Chataigne est non seulement reconnu en tant qu’homme d’affaire mais aussi en tant que célébrité de la coiffure. Il a été le premier Haïtien à participer au salon de la Beauté Internationale à New York, à travailler avec les plus prestigieux coiffeurs américains, John Alhinson, et a été le maquilleur et coiffeur de l’ancien juge en chef Haïtien, Ertha Pascal Trouillot, qui a été brièvement Président provisoire en 1990.
Chataigne est désormais réputé dans cet environnement professionnel pour ses 15 heures de travail par jour – fait régulièrement 7h à 23h – ce qui lui a permis de se rapprocher des produits cosmétiques de marque et de design de mode. « Les deux marchés que je vise maintenant sont la Floride et la Californie» a-t-il dit.
(Source: Digicel entrepreneur)
(Photo Credit: Digicel Entrepreneur)
Marie Therese Fouchard
Marie Therese Fouchard, fondly known as Tete, is both a designer and owner of Le Grenier de Rapadou, a fashionable atelier in the area of Petion-ville. Her women's wear shop carries both her own clothing designs and clothing and accessories made by other designers whom she admires. Fouchard’s emphasis is on cool, versatility, and fun for all ages.
(Photo credit: hmystic)
Murielle Leconte
Fashion-Design, Painting, Makeup Artist, Decoration, Jewelry making, Murielle is also a fighter. She created Murielle Creations 23 years ago. She specialized on painting and all her clothing are Hand made painting. Awards winner Murielle collections are worn by most famous Haitian artists around the world.
Paola Marthe
Now based in New York City, Paola Marthe was born in a small town in Haiti. Her head wrap, clothing, accessories, and lifestyle brand Fanm Djanm (meaning strong woman in Kreyol) is heavily inspired by traditional African and Asian cultures and celebrates the fortitude and empowerment of women. Marthe’s work has been featured in such prominent publications as Buzzfeed, the Huffington Post, Design Sponge, and Essence.com.
(Photo credit: findingpaola)
Phelicia Dell
The daughter of a dressmaker and textile factory manager, Phelicia Dell was born in Port-au-Prince, grew up in Miami, and moved back to Haiti to work as an interior designer. Now a fashion designer based in Petion-ville, her accessories and clothing brand, VèVè Collections, is rooted in an aesthetic of originality and authenticity, which she carries over into other endeavors such as her work with the global women’s leadership organization Vital Voices.
(Photo credit: vitalvoices.org)
Prajje Jr. Jean Baptiste
Based in Brooklyn, NY, Prajje Jr. Jean Baptiste was born in Haiti and adopted by French parents. He founded his label, Prajje 1983 Collection, in 2003. Particularly known for his alluring evening dresses, Jean Baptiste designs an array of fashionable women's wear with careful attention to cut and texture. His work has been featured in ELLE Magazine and The Boston Globe, on Good Morning America and at New York Fashion Week.
(Photo credit:imgrum)
Severe Erase
Haitian-born and Brooklyn-based Severe Erase founded Sevy Bags in 2005. Her one-of-a kind pieces are fashioned out of high-quality leather and skins imported from Italy. Her work has been featured in popular publications such as InStyle and Grazia.
(Photo credit: The fashionbomb)
Stella Jean
Stella Jean was born Stella Novarino in Rome to an Italian father and a Haitian mother. Still based in Rome, Stella launched her eponymous women's wear line, using her mother’s last name. True to her aesthetic, which aims to fuse and give equal weight to seemingly opposing worlds, Jean wanted her label to also represent both sides of herself. Jean’s designs have been featured at such venues as Milan Fashion Week. She also works with the International Trade Centre’s Ethical Fashion Initiative.
(Photo Credit: astylealbum)
Sagine Jean-Denis
Sagine Jean-Denis, CEO and Designer of OutsiderZ Co. is a 27 year old Haitian-American fashion designer from Queens, NY. This self taught seamstress started at the age of 11, beginning her designing journey by first "Up Cycling" bits and pieces of her old clothes to create new ones, eventually, learning on her own how to cut & sew. Illustrated through her designs, you can see she is inspired by a mixture of classy vintage fashion with a grungy modern day twist, adapting the tag line "Why Fit In , When You Can Stand OUT?" Also an avid West Indian Carnival masquerader, Sagine started an exclusive extension of OutsiderZ Co. in 2014 relatively named, Carnival DiamondZ. This line features exclusive and luxurious Carnival Masquerade costumes dripped in stones & feathers bringing the traditional island celebration feel to the high fashion runway.
Venny Etienne
Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Venny Etienne launched the Levinnity collection. His collection was showed at LA Style Fashion Week and debuting the show in Dallas during the same month last year. Venny is expanding his brand and have his garments stocked in boutiques in major cities within the US.
