Black Greeks, get ready to wear your Sunday’s best.
With the intent to dispel the myth that blacks show lack of taste in selection of their dress, Christian Drye, a Central State University alumni and fashion designer, is certain that his latest endeavor will turn heads.
The independent fashion blogger and founder of the “movement” called Complex Heart wants to let you in on a little secret: blacks can be creative dressers.
Highlighting each member of the ‘Divine 9’ organizations for an entire business week and showcasing different styles of outfits and school spirit, Drye says his “Greek Fashion Week” will dismiss the perception that blacks are merely the pants sagging, baggy clothes wearing people that too often the media and Hollywood depicts the race as.
“To my knowledge this has never been done,” Drye said, whose biggest influence in fashion is rap artist Kanye West. “I want the world to see these organizations in a professional manner representing their brands. There are kids all over the world who need someone to look up to for various reasons.”
When asked how the concept came across, Drye said it came to him just as much as he came to it. “We had just finished up ‘sock week’ on my blog and I was still getting sock submissions from people. So I tried to come up with another ‘spirit week’ that could involve a lot of people,” he said. “There are a lot of fashion weeks in the world and I think Greeks deserve one as well.”
In his book “The Mis-Education of the Negro”, Carter G. Woodson, the father of black history week now month, said: “[Blacks] have the prettiest people in the world, when they dress in harmony with the many shades and colors with which we are so richly endowed.”
Inasmuch, Drye thinks likewise, and believes the best way to shed light on students and black fashion today is by targeting the Black Greek Lettered Organizations.
“Black Greeks were created to serve. These are our leaders made up of people who look like me, who study where I studied and striving to obtain the goal I was after, which is getting a degree,” Drye said. “They deserve to be highlighted for their service and dedication to humanity—they have a voice, and on campuses around the world they are looked to for everything.”
This is bigger than college campuses, said Drye. This is about “reaching out to the community and fulfilling their needs. The world needs clothes and creativity—that’s fashion!”
“As long as the outfit is nice, it will be showcased. Even if it’s 1000 outfits, they will be showcased,” he said.
The best outfit for each respected week will be featured on the front page of Christian Drye’s site, with special mention given to the best style as a whole for the sororities and the fraternities. The showcase is open to all Divine 9 members. Visit christiandrye.com for more information.
Check out the schedule below for each BGLO week:
March 17th – 21st — Sigma Gamma Rho
March 24th – 28th — Delta Sigma Theta
March 31st – April 4th — Alpha Kappa Alpha
April 7th – 11th — Zeta Phi Beta
April 14th – 18th — Omega Psi Phi
April 21st – 25th — Kappa Alpha Psi
April 28th – May 2nd — Alpha Phi Alpha
May 5th – 9th — Phi Beta Sigma
May 12th- 16th — Iota Phi Theta
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