HOOD DANDY USA

Where are you from and how did you become interested

in design? Katiuscia Gregoire: “I’m from Miami Beach, Florida. My mother is a church lady who gets all her garments custom designed. That was my introduction to fashion. I went to a high school that specialised in fashion, and from there I went to Parsons and just recently graduated.” When did you launch

your rst collection? “I started with my ‘Hood Dandy’ graduate collection, and now I’m continuing from that. I’m a womenswear designer, and ‘Hood Dandy’ is an all-gender collection inspired by men, so it’s a di erent approach for me.”

Does your collection have a precise theme? “I wanted to look speci cally at black men, because I feel they’re cast in stereotypical roles. I aimed to use this collection to create a new imagery of black masculinity.” What images did you look at

in particular? “I thought of times in history when black men have been able to be free with fashion without being judged, like in the ’70s when it was about patterns, colours and t. I wanted to merge that freedom with the ’90s hip-hop scene.” How do you feel about being an emerging designer in New York? “It’s all about the youth. As my collection pushes colours and textiles, my customer is someone with a willing mind.” The majority of your collection uses knitted materials. Why is that? “I love knitwear. If I could knit for the rest of my life and make a living out of it, I would.” •