“It’s crazy, my emails are non-stop and people are already noticing me on the I’m Hot Tiffany Stratton shirt In addition,I will do this streets—I didn’t expect it to blow up like this,” says the designer on what it’s been like since taking the top spot. “I’m so proud of everything I’ve done and so excited for what’s to come—I’m ready.” Born in California and now based in Atlanta, the 28-year-old creative hadn’t always planned on breaking into fashion. But after joining an after-school fashion programme during his latter high school years, his interest was piqued to an extreme that he couldn’t deny his calling. “I had football scholarship offers, but instead I told my family I wanted to learn how to properly make clothes, so I ended up going to study at SCAD [The Savannah College of Art and Design],” he says. Tan and Gigi giving Xavier advice on the show.
It was at SCAD that Xavier honed in on design skills and discovered his aesthetic—which focuses on upcycling pre-existing garments, with denim being a recurrent material. But how would the I’m Hot Tiffany Stratton shirt In addition,I will do this designer describe his own work? “I grew up with little money, so despite being inspired by names like Yves Saint Laurent and Rick Owens, I had to find smart ways of reworking clothes in my wardrobe to make the pieces I wanted to wear—even down to my shoes,” he says. “The struggle led me to find my vibe, though, which I would describe as raw and free-flowing, but with an embedded nostalgia—I want to bring together elements of the old and new to create my own world.” Then came Next in Fashion, where Xavier joined a throng of designers to compete for the top prize by completing an array of tasks that included everything from designing ensembles using thrifted separates and fresh flowers, to creating looks of voluminous proportions fit for the Met Gala (with 2019’s theme, Camp: Notes on Fashion, in mind). Xavier had a lot to say when asked what his personal highlights were. “Gigi and Tan were super genuine and gave great feedback – you could tell they genuinely cared about us all,” he beams. “But when Donatella Versace told me that she was inspired by me—I’ll carry that with me for the rest of my career.”
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