Designer Desmond Handon Produces Showcase for Rihanna’s Debut Collection
Rihanna’s clothing line made its store debut at Shoe City in Baltimore, Maryland on September 7th. The store hosted a private viewing party for the Barbadian beauty’s 2016 Fenty Collection sponsored by Puma.
“As Creative Director, [Rihanna] fuses her independent approach to music and fashion with the sport-driven design of PUMA,” the brand’s Instagram account said in an announcement on August 22. “The result is fearless.”
Rihanna has been Puma’s creative director since 2014. However, the recent launch is her first full collection for the Puma brand. In the past, she’s designed shoes and slides and appeared in several ads for the company.
DC native and creative director of EthniCITY, Desmond Handon, served as the show producer for the event. “When I got the call to produce the show, I was so excited,” Desmond said about the showcase. “I love Rihanna, and I wanted to create a show that was sexy, sporty, confident, and unfiltered—just like the collection.”
Desmond is no stranger to the fashion world. Founded in 2010, his fashion and production company, EthniCITY has quickly become one of the fastest emerging companies in the DMV area. Over the past two years, Desmond has had tremendous success growing EthniCITY’s national visibility.
He has served as a BET red carpet correspondent for VH1’s 2014 Fashion Rocks, a personal stylist for a wide range of celebrity and professional clients as well as a well-known personality and host for New York Fashion Week events.
Desmond brought the flare of New York Fashion Week to Mondawmin Mall for the “EthniCITY x Fenty x Shoe City” event. The Shoe City store was transformed into a dance hall as guests jammed to their favorite Rihanna hits during the VIP reception. Bre-Z who plays Freda Gatz on Fox’s hit show Empire was on hand to host the event. She welcomed guests to the event and was on hand to sign autographs and take picture.
Celebrity Chef Robert Stewart all the way from California catered the special event. When the show began, models strutted down the multi-platform runway; all eyes were on the signature pieces from the Fenty Colleciton.
Desmond explained, “When planning something like this, I keep urban diversity in mind. I’m a stylist. I always have the client in mind.” He continues, “In this case, I was interested in cultivating an edgy feel to compliment the Anti theme of Rihanna’s latest album.”
What’s next for the DC designer, Desmond Handon? He is focusing on his 2016 Fall men’s jewelry collection which launched on October 1. Shoe City has also signed him to produce their annual fashion show.
For more information about Desmond and EthniCITY follow Ethnicitybrand on Instagram, Snapchat, and like the fan page on Facebook. And, be sure to shop for the Fenty Collection exclusively at Shoe City.
