About
EDWING D'ANGELO
About
EDWING D'ANGELO
Edwing D' Angelo: Life Is A Runway!
As a child in Colombia, Edwing D’Angelo always envisioned a future working in fashion in New York City. Armed with his instincts and the in, D’Angelo broke into the industry on his own terms with an eponymous label and showroom. Over the past two decades, he has chosen to stay true to his dream and himself, continuing to create that vision from his Harlem-based Atelier.
Maintaining an outsider status, Edwing D’Angelo has become synonymous with craftmanship and elegance while unapologetically championing inclusivity and community. His sophisticated yet whimsical designs have been sought after by such boldface names as Patti Labelle, Tyra Banks, Lil Uzi Vert and Karol G, showing the intergenerational appeal of his gift. D’Angelo’s name has also graced the pages of such iconic industry bibles as Women’s Wear Daily, The New York Times, VOGUE and its international imprints including VOGUE Italia and VOGUE Mexico. The most important celebrity of all, however, is the beloved Harlem community which he calls home.
While Harlem is world-renowned as a historic center of Black American culture, this community has served as a personal muse for D’Angelo’s career and his designs. In Harlem, he sees not only its rich history but also its dynamic cultural present: the flimsy gloss of gentrification may make headlines, but its cultural attaché continues in the energy and beauty of the diverse African Diaspora that defines 21st century Harlem. The color and vibrancy combine with the grittiness that is endemic to its environs to create a necessary human tension. This is the space where D’Angelo chooses to create.
Edwing D’Angelo’s deep and uncompromising pride in his culture and that of others who look like him has been a defining element of his career and creative decisions. Indeed, even the Edwing D’Angelo Atelier itself is more than a shop and workroom: its intricate window displays and always open door serve as a beacon of light to anyone who sees themselves in the fashion industry even if the traditional industry has not elected to see them. Beyond Harlem, D’Angelo works in Colombia with SOMOS COLOR to amplify Afro-Colombian creativity and culture in a country where this community continues to be marginalized. He also is working on efforts to create a fashion ecosystem that would bring tangible benefits to the largely Afro-Colombian population of Buenaventura, the community that created him.
The next phase of the Edwing D’Angelo brand is no less ambitious than the vision that has sustained its creator since childhood. The next decade will see openings of branded boutiques in Miami and Cartagena as well as an Edwing D’Angelo Home collection. As long as he has breath, Edwing D’Angelo will continue to dream, design and inspire.
Edwing D’Angelo is a chic and dashing Colombian-born Harlem based fashion designer – where he opened his now one year old groundbreaking street level 2,000 square feet Atelier and flagship store – the only one of its kind in this historic New York City neighborhood. D’Angelo attended CUNY Bernard Baruch College, receiving a double major in Business Administration in International Marketing and Fine Arts. The designer is a fifth generation of tailors and seamstresses; one can say garment-making runs in his blood – at home as a child, he got his apprentice technical training and discovered his eclectic, elegant and sophisticated sensibilities.
D’Angelo’s designs have graced the cover of Vogue Mexico featuring reggaeton sensation Karol G, mentions/editorials on Vogue USA, Vogue Italia, Elle Bulgary, The New York Times, reviews on WWD, New York Post, Daily News, Baruch College Magazine and one of his garments was selected for the Hollywood hit movie The Devil Wears Prada, starring Meryl Streep. His work has been reported on national television networks including CNN, MTV, NBC’s “The Today Show”, ABC’s “Good Morning America”, CBS’s Morning News, NY1, Full Frontal Fashion, The Associated Press and MSNBC. He is usually invited as a fashion contributor for popular Spanish networks such as Univision, Telemundo, CNN en Espanol, Galavision, NY1 Noticias and Telefutura. D’Angelo has also been featured in all major Spanish publications; The Miami Herald, El Diario/La Prensa, Latina Magazine, Puerto Rican Herald, Hispanic Business Magazine, New York Post Latin Section. As of late, the designer is ascending as a darling of his native Colombia’s fashion elite.
D’Angelo courted the interest of Hollywood actresses and luminaires such as Laurie Metcalf, Winona Judd, Amy Spangler, Tyra Banks, Patti LaBelle and Academy Award winner Mo’Nique.
Other celeb fans include music artists such as Mickey Gayton, Karol G, Keri Hilson, Sean Paul, Lil Kim; on TV and silver screen actors Laverne Cox, Leon Robinson, Bevy Smith, Zoe Saldana, Jocelyn Sanchez, Julissa Bermudez, Paula Garces, Vivica A. Fox, supermodel Jessica White and fashion maverick Patricia Field.
Words used frequently to describe D’Angelo’s aesthetics: posh, luxurious, fierce, edgy and opulent. A designer with a defined signature style for him, her or them even before it was a la mode. D’Angelo has always proposed non-binary concepts on his collections since his first installations in the early 2000’s. He introduced dressy jumpsuits and kilts for men when it was still taboo in his circle of clients, but it has been his daring and colorful style that has helped him carve his own lane in the NYC fashion industry.
For the near future, the independent designer is expanding his point of sales to SoHo, Miami, Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles and in his favorite Colombian’s city, Cartagena, La Fantastica by opening his stand alone embassies as he loves to call his boutiques. He is presently working on the finishing of his retrospective luxury coffee-table book slated for Fall 2022 and an array of home good accents, shoes, accessories and his first fragrance. As he euphorically says, the best is yet to come!