Capturing the eye of the nation, Romero Bryan accomplished a feat that was never expected to happen: A twelve year old boy from the streets of London embraced his desire and conquered the ever-changing fashion world of women’s clothing. But how could he possibly have gotten caught up in such a female dominated profession in the first place?
When interviewed by Ebony Magazine, he claims,“It was natural for me because I always grew up around fashion-minded people. My mother used to buy collections and I’d see them ahead of time before they hit shelves, so it always inspired me.”
While most boys his age were still chasing after girls, he was chasing his dream by running a local alteration store. He started out by simply redesigning secondhand store jeans into glamorous outfits for girls who had heard of his talent.(“London Based…”) But Romero also shared his dreams with another career: a TV announcer. That is how he got discovered.
Every now and then, he would take a trip to the MTV studios in London, where he met his first client, TV presenter June Sarpong. She was the first to ever wear an original Romero Bryan on television, and she introduced him to Victoria Beckham, Christina Milian, Mya, and other stylists. One stylist in particular, Cynthia Lawrence-John, fell in love with Romero’s line and began to proudly use his cultivating designs on a few of her clients. Lawrence-John even allowed him contact to Samantha Mumba, an Irish singer and actress, who wore his original dress in the 2001 British Awards, showing his masterpiece off to the world (“London Based Designer Romero Bryan”).
After receiving his first taste of fame, Romero jumped in with both feet and was privileged enough to hold a private fashion show for famous hip-hop star, Brandy (“London Based Designer Romero Bryan”). Growing up she was an important influence on his life, which most likely led him to the mindset he has now. Romero believes that the pigment of your skin or the house you grew up in should not define the standards that you set for yourself or the profession that you choose. It should be your work ethics and pure passion that decide how far you can go and what social and mental obstacles you can clear.
Noticing his outstanding potential, Brandy was greatly impressed by his show. She even turned down his offer to own his garments for free, insisting on over-paying above their retail price, as long as Romero promised to attend a university to broaden his horizons and stimulate his imagination. His new friend Cynthia Lawrence- John also assisted him on tuition, sharing Brandy’s confidence in his success. Feeling assured that he could improve greatly, he took up classes at the London College of Fashion. After graduating, he proceeded to teach classes at the same school, hoping to reach out to young designers, just like him, with his inspiring story (“ About Romero”).
Ever since then, Romero’s line has taken off. His brand is now being worn by many celebrities like Alek Wek, Alicia Keys, Shingai Shoniwa, Elizabeth Jagger and Kelly Rowland to multiple award ceremonies. Most recently his designs were worn to the 2013 BAFTA Awards (“Romero Bryan”). His name continues to grow, not only expanding to fashion designers and celebrities around the world, but even reaching smaller ears, hitting home and inspiring many young adults.
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Works Cited
- EBONY Magazine. “London Based Designer Romero Bryan” . Ebony Magazine.
- EBONY Magazine 08 May 2013. Web. 06 September 2013.
- Romero Bryan. “About Romero: All About The Man”. Romero Bryan. Romero Bryan 2009. Web. 05 September 2013.
- Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. “Romero Bryan”. Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. IMG 2013. Web. 06 September 2013
