PREVIEW: Vicksburg designer takes Hoodvenchy to New York Fashion Week
Published at 4:00 am on Sunday, September 18, 2022
Finding a place in the fashion industry requires determination, dedication and, of course, an eye for design.
Just ask Vicksburg resident Raymond Banks, who recently returned from the Big Apple where he was one of the designers invited to attend New York Fashion Week.
Banks started designing bow ties, he said, and from there his love of fashion grew.
“I started designing in 2013. I made a bow tie for a Black History Month program at our church, and from that bow tie I catapulted into the fashion industry,” Banks said.
People started asking who made the bow tie, Banks said, and where they could get one.
“I was like, I made it,” he said.
Business took off for the young designer, and for the next five years, Banks made and designed unique bow ties.
In 2018, he launched his own brand Hoodvenchy, which earned him a spot on the runway.
Banks said the Hoodvenchy concept started as a joke, inspired by the name of the luxury brand Givenchy.
“It wasn’t supposed to be a brand at all,” he said.
But it turned out that Bank’s spoof of designer labels was well received.
“A friend at Jackson State asked me to participate in a fashion show with his modeling team and so I was like ‘I’ll do it,’ but I had to bring something different than what I usually do,” he said.
So, inspired by the luxury brand scandals plaguing the design world in 2018, Banks said, “You know what, I’m going to do something about it. I’m going to make fun of them, so I’m going to do Hoodvenchy.
“People loved the brand and loved the name,” he added. “And from there Hoodvenchy was born.”
One of the pieces that Banks designed for the Hoodvenchy brand included a leather coat that had a list of popular fashion brands with their names crossed out.
“It started with Gucci and Prada, Louis Vuitton and Fendi. Those names were crossed out, but I wrote Hoodvenchy at the bottom and circled it,” Banks said, adding that the design was meant to convey the message of “passing and canceling” the world’s leading designers and choosing Hoodvenchy instead. theirs.
For the New York show, Banks’ collection was titled, “Fall Semester at Hoodvenchy University,” and he described the 28-piece collection as streetwear that included tracksuits, hoodies and puffer jackets.
The entire collection is androgynous, Banks said, and can be worn by both men and women.
“This line was about comfort; nothing was restrictive and there was no avant-garde look there,” said Banks. “Everything was accessible everyday items.”
The Fashion Week event was held in 99th Scott Studio in Brooklyn, New York.
Before New York Fashion Week, Banks said that in March he attended Los Angeles Fashion Week.
And now that he’s back home, plans are to have a runway show in Vicksburg.
“I’ve given LA my time, I’ve given New York my time. Now is the time for me to let the people of Vicksburg see those works up close. They can see a video — that’s fine and they can see pictures, but I want to let them see the clothes themselves,” he said.
Banks said he hopes to have the runway show sometime in October.
About Terri Cowart Frazier
Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Soon after, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of Vicksburg Living magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the editorial division of the MPA’s Best Newspaper Contest for “Best Feature Story.”
Terri graduated from Warren Central School and Mississippi State University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.
Before coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelance work at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay-at-home mom.
Terri is a member of Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a life member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and the Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.
“From staying informed about local government issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and I hope that with their and local support, I will be able to continue to grow and improve my skills as I help share stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people’.
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