Yeah. At the White House of all places!
Two people who got their start in Detroit --Tracy Reese and Kevan Hall -- are now among the nation's top fashion designers. And they were both at the White House, among a select group of fashion designers honored recently by Michelle Obama.
Reese, now of New York City and Hall of L.A., who've each established their own fashion empires, happened to be in the D this week for separate events.
Reese was the featured guest Thursday at FashionSpeak, an annual conference on the fashion business presented by the Detroit Garment Group Guild.
Both Hall and Reese credit their families and their teachers at Cass Tech High -- notably arts educator Cledie Taylor-- with giving them their start.
Interestingly, before Taylor, both had considered architecture. Neither saw the fashion industry as an option.
"I didn't realize fashion design was a career. I thought it was a hobby," says Reese, who graduated from CT in 1981.
Hall, who graduated from Cass in 1975, said Taylor took him on his first trip to New York City to see the Parsons School of Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
He would go on to earn a degree from FIT and Reese earned a degree from Parsons.
The vibe and style of Detroit molded him, says Hall who grew up near what was then the Avenue of Fashion, a string of popular clothing shops on Livernois on Detroit's west side.
And, of course, there was Motown, a musical dynasty of charm, talent and style.
"They were all incredibly groomed and looked good when they were on or off stage," Hall says. "So Detroit and Motown is central to my eye and design."
Asked to name his favorite Motown artist and song, he said Marvin Gaye, and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas "Dancing in the Street."
Reese's favorite song would have to be the Temptations "Ball of Confusion."
"It was the first record I owned. My sister bought it for me," she recalls.
Reese and Hall offer clear messages for students today sitting at the school desks they sat in a few years ago.
"You have to have passion," says Hall who pointed out that he started his business by packing his car with 15 pieces of his clothing and driving to stores to try to get them to buy his line, a line now sold around the world and worn by the likes of Angela Bassett, Celine Dion and Sharon Stone.
"You have to have a gift and an education," Hall says. "And surround yourself with people you can work with and learn from. Keep looking at the big picture. Don't focus on the problems, but focus on the goal."
Reese's message is similar.
"It's really about researching and preparing," Reese says. "You have to be patient. You have to be tentacious. You have to make it happen. Things aren't going to fall into your lap. If you're waiting for an opportunity, you'll continue to wait."
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