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Tommy Hilfiger is partnering with Harlem's Fashion Row for the "New Legacy Challenge," which will grant one designer an opportunity for mentorship and global visibility.
The finalists for the program have been chosen on February 13, 2022, the three finalists are: Johnathan Hayden, Megan Smith, and Clarence Ruth. Out of these three talented designers, one will be taking home the prize and grant money of $20,000 and global recognition.
Who are Tommy Hilfiger's 'New Legacy Challenge' finalists Megan Smith, Clarence Ruth, and Johnathan Hayden?
An Introduction to the finalist Megan Smith
Megan Smith, the first finalist of Tommy Hilfiger's 'New Legacy Challenge,' was born in Kansas City. She was born to a 16-year-old mother who was suffering from schizophrenia.
Smith had an early knowledge of the value of strength and preservation. Even after the tough surrounding, it was Smith's mother who introduced her to the fashion world and clothing art.
In an interview with BlackGirlnerds, Smith talks about her intimate relationship with her mother and the fashion world,
“A lot of my fashion sense does come from my mother. She had me young so we sort of grew up together. She was heavily into fashion and makeup and glamour. But it was my grandmother that taught me how to sew. So, I started making clothes for my Barbies. If I didn’t have fabric, I used my socks. Then they bought me a sewing machine. Despite her having her illness, my mother is very creative. I know there were a lot of things she wanted to do but couldn’t because of it.”
Megan Smith started her own brand Megan Renee in 2016, which is a women's sustainable contemporary brand set in Los Angeles. Megan wanted to start a brand after she felt unappreciated in the private label brands for a long time. She also wanted to take steps towards sustainability.
She produced her first collection entirely from deadstock fabric. She appeared in a series on Amazon Prime, Making The Cut, which was a fashion design competition.
She quickly grew in popularity and won the hearts of judges like Naomi Campbell. Since her rise in popularity, she has dressed celebrities such as Becky G, Issa Rae, and Dominique Fishback.
An Introduction to the finalist, Clarence Ruth
Clarence Ruth, the second finalist of Tommy Hilfiger's "New Legacy Challenge," was born in 1981, is a New York-based artist, fashion designer and author who has made a name in the fashion world through his brand Cotte D'Armes. He is both the creative director and the founder of the brand.
As a brand, Clarence has put a unique approach to gender-fluidity into the ready-to-wear denim world. Most of this apparel is based on the essence of chic biker, streetwear, and military infusion denim which shows individualism and rebel darkness. Ruth mentioned his creative energy and work in a profile for Kraus gallery.
"As an artist I’m encouraged to create through emotions and things that move me. My work often have a social, spiritual, and/or cultural meaning behind it. For me it’s not about creating something beautiful or sellable but more about the human connection of what we deal with on a daily basis. My character building and pop art approach help to uniquely get my message a cross.
He further elaborated:
These messages are often in the form of acrylic on canvas, pencil and pen illustrations on paper, and small sculptures. As an artist I would like my work to open the minds of the close minded. To educate the uneducated. To inspire the uninspired."
Clarence Ruth graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 2006 in Fashion Designing and he went on to do numerous projects in the field. He also established early success by winning art contests as a young artist, one of his pieces was bought by JC Penney which is still on the department store wall.
He was a visual contractor at Tom Ford from 2016-2019. He also became the Creative Director and Chief Designer for a new brand called Dirty Pineapple, which was in the top 20 shows during New York Fashion Week 2019. He founded his own label, Cotte D'Armes, in 2011.
An Introduction to the finalist, Johnathan Hayden
Johnathan Hayden, the third finalist of Tommy Hilfiger's "New Legacy Challenge," is an American-born designer who is currently based in New York City. Born into an unique ethnicity of an African-American grandfather and a Japanese grandmother, Matsuko, he has often taken inspiration from American and Japanese cultures.
He under-graduated from The Art Institute of Dallas at the age of 19 in 2012, he showed his first capsule at the university. He officially began his brand while pursuing his masters in fashion design from The Savannah College of Art and Design in 2016.
In an interview with EastandWeststyle, Johnathan described his brand's motive and thinking,
“I think in some ways, my brand is talking about fashion in a different vernacular that tries to bridge art fashion and technology. Finding that common language rather than speaking to these audiences separately takes time to acclimate the interest we have so far, especially for the prospective customer. We are trying new ways to engage the customer in the design process, using a growing database of the common language they use to describe clothing, personal style, and presentation.”
He further elaborated:
“I only want to show one collection a year to allow myself the flexibility to make more agile decisions for buyers and custom clientele. I enjoy projects like writing, illustration, and technical design outside of my brand, even more so if it can help a friend I believe in support the work they do in some way."
Johnathan now produces collection's for his brand from his studio in New York City's Garment District. He is versatile in skills such as animation, interaction design for the textbooks, illustrations, and creative direction for brands and presentation.
All about the Tommy Hilfiger's New Legacy Challenge
Tommy Hilfiger announced a design competition in September 2021, developed by the People's Place Program in partnership with Harlem's Fashion Row, "New Legacy Challenge." There were more than 400 applicants out of which three finalists have made their place in the final round.
Building on the sustainability vision of the PVH Corp brand, Tommy Hilfiger, 'Waste Nothing and Welcome All,' this year, the competition will focus on the advancement of black fashion designers and entrepreneurs. They will try to advance their communities and foster an environment of a more inclusive future in fashion.
The semi-final was held between 6 finalists on 13 January 2022, in which each finalist reimagined six iconic prep styles with the mentorship of a Tommy Hilfiger pitch coach. These six iconic prep styles include spring varsity / letterman jackets, hoodies, polo shirts, and more.
The designers then presented their final collection to jury members on the panel, which also include Tommy Hilfiger himself, after the presentation of an event to announce the winners would be held the same day.
The winner of the New Legacy Challenge will win a grant of a whopping $20,000 and will receive a chance to co-design a capsule in collaboration with the Tommy Hilfiger design team. An additional price will be given to the "Audience Favorite Vote" with a year-long mentorship with Insead and Tommy Hilfiger.
Other than that, the event will also include a premiere for the docuseries about the "New Legacy Challenge," by Tommy Hilfiger, directed by Luchina Fisher, an award-winning filmmaker. This premiere will give the audience an overview of the inner workings and behind-the-scenes of each designer's journey during this challenge.
The three finalists for Tommy Hilfiger's challenge, Megan Smith, Johnathan Hayden, and Clarence Ruth, will take the stage tomorrow, February 15, 2022 at the Harlem's Fashion Row's fourth annual Black History Month Summit to share their personal journey and experiences throughout this challenge.
