FASHION FEATURE: Creative Convo with Demestiks New York's, Ruben Reuel

Impeccable styling. Inspirational designs.

Reuben Reuel of Demestiks NewYork is the center of this month's #CertifiedCOOL Creative Convo. The setting was Cecconi's Miami Beach, one day after presenting his collection at the Guinness World Record Breaking 24 Hour Cotton Fashion Show. COOL Creative Curator and Creative Director, Johanne Wilson, had a creative conversation with Reuben Reuel over Sunday brunch. She learned more about the designer's background, design philosophy and business operation.  

The humble Bedstuy, Brooklyn based designer cuts his pieces made to order from his  gorgeous New York basement studio and ships them all over the world. Although a small operation, with only 3 seamstresses and a production assistant, Reuel's pieces are coveted by some of the most influential celebrities, bloggers and fashion editors across the globe. Beyonce recently posted pics of herself wearing Reuel’s clothing line, Demestiks New York, on her Instagram feed. “I’m still Reuben” responds Reuel when asked about the exposure from Beyonce.

Beyonce posted herself in Demestiks on instagram

The Virginia beach native began his fashion studies at Virginia Beach Tech Center where he learned the majority of his fashion and design skills. Reuel continued studying at Norfolk State University and then transferred to New York Institute of Fashion and Technology to further his education. Reuel moved on to work for a bedding company prior to starting his own line, Demestiks New York. After being fired, business took off. Bloggers and fashionistas have widely sought out his Ankara wax African print clothing through his e-commerce shop on etsy.

Ruben is very hands on with his business, traveling to Holland to understand the prints and fabric used in his line of classic silhouettes. His design philosophy is not to reinvent the wheel in his designs. Using stock styles and simply changing the fabric works well for him. “I know the basics so I build my designs from that”, he says.

Reuel’s early influences come from church. “God is a major influence”, says Reuel, “the bible is simple, design and fashion is simple to me, I’m simple”. Ruben grew up in the church. Both of his parents were children of pastors.  He would later pull from that influence when he began to freelance and make church clothes for women.  

"My collection is like a puzzle.”

He figured out that his pattern book from his training days had all the puzzle pieces for his designs.  He just had to mix, match and reconfigure the basic parts to make his own creation. He believes that clothes are for going to and from work, church and going out. Clothes should be interchangeable. 

The consistent message of “live to create and create to live” can be seen throughout his work ethic and production methods. He works hard because he knows what it is to not work. Freelancing became his salvation. Reuel’s sentimental connection with his work makes his pieces all the more desirable. He has no interest in producing wholesale garments.

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“I like that people get something directly from me, I don’t want to water it down, I like oneness with the designer, it’s a gift from me to you”

Although known widely for his African prints which he describes as African style elevated, we can look forward to more unisex designs using color schemes from NYC with black, white, neutral and army green palettes. He describes the future as the way it looks today, and how the future is now. Designing and sewing American made garments are important for Reuel.  He strongly supports Domestic commerce and the NYC garment district. 

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Reuben concluded the conversation with a cool thought.

"If people are mad at you for doing what you do that's their problem.”

Reuben’s pieces can be found on his online store. 
Tag us on Instagram at @CoolCreativeinc with you in your Demestiks New York pieces.
We look forward to his new work set to release some time next year.

By: Steven Francois

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TREND TALK: HELLO AFRICA!

A NEW COOL IS RISING OUT OF AFRICA

Africa’s influence in fashion, business and innovation is growing. According to trending watch.com “…Africans are expecting brands to champion, support and cater to the identities they create for themselves.”  The new Guinness ad highlights a society of “elegant” people in the Congo known as the Sapeurs. The video follows these trendsetters who believe in ‘putting more in, to get more out.’ What shapes their identity is not economic status, but creativity and respect expressed through fashion.

Beyoncé on the cover of L' Officiel Magazine

Singer Elle Varner rocks an african teacup dress on-set of video shoot

Solange in African inspired outfit on the cover of Complex magazine

Rihanna accessorizes with African bangles during her 2010 AMA performance 

African Design Makes Waves:

As African-inspired prints & patterns are becoming more popular with fashion bloggers, trend-setting celebrities (like Beyonce & Rhianna), top stylists and designers; Africa is continues to make big waves in fashion and design. African Batik fabrics such as Dutch Wax prints (also known as Wax Hollandais), Ghanaian Kente cloth and Ankara, Kanga (a fabric from East Africa) have been worn down the runways of New York, London, Milan and Paris. The Balenciaga collection for spring 2013 featured African fashion influenced by Dutch wax prints and Ankara. H&M included African elements in their 2012 collection developed by the designers of the Italian fashion label Marni.

Recently Project Makowla launched an innovative new service that allows vendors to sell their African-inspired pieces and reach their consumers all over the world in a more direct manner. Now, people can have custom pieces based created with authentic African fabrics. The process is simple. Customers send photos of their favorite design, measurements and their choice of African fabric. A seamstress from West Africa or Ghana will then create the custom piece and ship it directly to the customer.  

Nigerian-born designer Duro Olowu is another example of the impact and cultural reach that Africa is making globally. Olowu was one of the first designers to collaborate with JCPenny and released a limited edition collection in the spring of 2013. Based in London, Olowu pulls influences from his London up-bringing as well as his Jamaican and Nigerian roots. FLOTUS, Michelle Obama, is just one of the many celebrities that have been seen in his head-turning designs. 

Duro 2013 Collection for JCPenny

Another COOL movement, Africa is Now, goes beyond fashion and includes five themes to promote innovative solutions; Africa is Sharp, Urban, Tradition Reinvented, Resourceful and Transformed. As a part of the movement, the Indaba Project has been created to feature works in design, dècor and architecture across the continent. Rebranding Rwanda is is one of the projects in the works under this project. 

Other projects include developing art exhibitions and galleries in Dakar called Dak'Art. International artists are selected from all over the world with the aim of creating a global image. There is also a kickstarter campaign called BRCK which developed the first mobile wifi device built for Africa’s most undeveloped regions.

There are so many more innovative African-influenced projects happening all over  world. To get more information on these #Certified COOL and creative projects, you can visit the official Design Indaba site. You can also get in on all the cultural vibes below with our style edit! Happy shopping and stay COOL.

THE SHOPPING BAG
#CertifiedCOOL AFRICANA FASHION FINDS 

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By: Joanne Joseph, COOL Contributor

COOL SPOTS : MUST SEE PLACES IN THE WORLD

We're celebrating our fifth year wedding anniversary this summer! Can you believe that we've been together for over twelve years and still like each other? To celebrate, we're taking a two week vacation. We really want to go somewhere cool like Tokyo or Thailand, but we'll see where the wind takes us. All this travel talk had us thinking... what are the coolest and not-so-commercial places to travel to around the world? Here are some of our faves: The Serengeti and Mauritius in Africa, Petra in Jordan, The Cave of Crystals in Mexico, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Hamilton Pool in Texas, Birdseye of City in Norway and Bagan. Wow, this may have to be a two part series because we found so many amazing places.

Don't you wish you were one of those people that get to travel around the world and rub it in everyone's face on some travel TV show for a living? That would be too COOL.

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