Designers on the Rise

by Jennifer Sauer

Fashion, by its very definition, embodies change. And just as styles change, or shift, from season to season, so do the players. À la mode creativity keeps pouring into Fairfield County: young, hopeful designers like the clever individuals presented here are gobbling up storefronts and studio space. If you love fashion, that’s very good news, indeed.

An artistic bent

With all things art as your muse and clothing your passion, perseverance comes easy. Gwandeh Magnus and Withley Verdiner recognized kindred spirits when they met during their last term in fashion school. “We were instantly fascinated with each other’s work,” says Magnus, “and Withley told me that when we graduated, we’d be business partners.” The prophecy came true. The design duo first paired up for a gig on MTV’s reality show “My Super Sweet 16,” and in October 2006, the two Bridgeport residents opened Fashion DNA (see sidebar at dirTK), a hip, cozy boutique on Wall Street in Norwalk.

The partners made a pact early on to trade off weekends at the shop, to give the other time to work on their own collections. Magnus and Verdiner have each focused first on a line of artful T-shirts and custom clothing.

Verdiner, age 33, of Haitian decent and recently from Brooklyn, named his collection “Jean Beaugar,” a combination of his brother’s names. He started out painting his artistic vision on canvas, gained industry experience at No Logo Design in Fairfield and now transfers his art to fabric. “I’m known mostly for my custom blazers. I deconstruct, distress and paint them to give them a different look,” he said. “I’m focused on creating a small line that caters to upscale boutiques. Limiting how much I do lets me keep my designs fresh and new.”

Magnus, age 36, who also juggles the demands of three children and a full-time job at Citibank, calls her line “Effuru,” after her middle name and the name of an African queen. Originally from Jamaica, Magnus describes her style as “original, free, funky.” She comes from a long line of artists and poets, and her love of family shows in her T-shirt designs, many of which combine her father’s paintings with inspirational quotations.