James Ford (fashion designer)
James Ford is a Los Angeles-based fashion designer known for his playful, energetic, genre-mixing style.[1][2] He was a competitor on Netflix's Next in Fashion in 2023, hosted by Gigi Hadid and Tan France.[3]
Early life and education[edit]
Ford was born and raised in Kentucky[4]. In 2009 he moved to Fort Collins, Colorado. Ford was a high school athlete playing basketball, baseball, soccer and track, achieving many notable awards and distinctions.[citation needed] In 2013 he graduated from Colorado State University with a B.S. in Construction Engineering, he later earned an M.A. in 2017 from the University of Southern California in Fashion Journalism.[5][failed verification]
Career[edit]
Ford worked in commercial fashion for the luxury cashmere brand, the Elder Statesman, an LA-based workwear company Hedley & Bennett, among other brands.[6]
In 2020, he started his own line, Rowena Social Club, where he remains the President and Creative Director. The brand is an e-comm clothing and apparel line, focusing on serving the LGBTQ market both in the U.S. and internationally.[7]
Since then, he has styled and designed for many celebrities, including Beth Dover (Orange Is the New Black), Melissa Fumero (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Andrew McMahon (Something Corporate, Jack's Mannequin), ND Stevenson (Nimona)[8], and Fortune Feimster (Handsome podcast, Netflix).
Next in Fashion[edit]
Ford was a contestant on Season 2 of Netflix's Next in Fashion, hosted by Gigi Hadid and Tan France. His work captured the heart of fashion luminaries such as Donatella Versace, Jason Bolden, Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, Isabel Marant, Helena Christensen, and Emma Chamberlain.
Ford completed 5 episodes, being eliminated on the 5th challenge. The decision was an emotional moment on the show, the hosts struggled to dismiss him from the competition.
Fashion Awards and Recognition[edit]
Ford was awarded the "Best Emerging Designer" in June of 2023 by I Am Musicology for his exceptional work in fashion culture. He was also honored at USC receiving the Jack Langguth Award in 2019 for his contribution to journalism.[9]
Outfit the Podcast[edit]
Ford published two seasons totaling 9 episodes of his podcast, Outfit, which explores the relationship of the LGBTQ community and their clothing[10]. This served as his Master's Thesis in Fashion Journalism, from 2017-2019. His podcast went on to be featured on Elle Canada's Top 9 Best Fashion Podcasts of 2019, alongside the Gucci podcast during Alessandro Michele's era, Barney's, and "Wardrobe Crisis".[11]
References[edit]
- ^ Ford, James. "Outfit the Podcast". Podbean. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
- ^ "Meet Fashion Designer James Ford". Now This News. 30 June 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
- ^ "Gigi Hadid, Tan France talk friendship, co-hosting 'Next in Fashion'". The Today Show. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
- ^ Woosley-Collins, Hannah (15 March 2023). "Kentucky man competing on Netflix's new season of 'Next in Fashion'". WTQV. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
- ^ Kleinmann, James (5 March 2023). "Exclusive Interview James Ford". The Queer Review. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
- ^ "How To L.A. - How I Got Started: Fashion Designer James Ford #121". LAist Podcast. LAist. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
- ^ Seth, Kenisha (2021). "Trans Designer James Ford to Debut 2023 Fall/Winter Collection for Rowena Social Club". PhotoBook Magazine. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
- ^ "Next in Fashion's James Ford on Reclaiming His Identity Through Clothing". advocatechannel.com. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ "Fashioning a podcast for the LGBTQ community". annenberg.usc.edu. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ "Outfit on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2024-05-25.
- ^ "9 of the best fashion podcasts". Elle Canada. 2017-06-22. Retrieved 2024-02-21.