Brooklyn-based independent designer Dreu Beckemberg dressed Mayor Bill de Blasio (New York) and his son, Dante de Blasio for the most important charity event in fashion – the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual fundraising gala on September 13, 2021.
To further New York’s reputation for emerging talent, de Blasio specifically requested looks from Black design house Dreu Beckemberg.
New York is among the many cities that have jumped on the Buy Black initiative, which includes supporting black designers.
Dreu Beckemberg, Creative Director of his namesake brand, heads the duo-line collections which includes the bespoke service, Made for You and the Beckemberg Cricket Club. The Kingston, Jamaica-born fashion designer and entrepreneur has become known for his intricate tailoring and innovative mixing of fabrics and prints. His aesthetic marries classic silhouettes with worldly execution.
Mayor de Blasio has long been an advocate for Black creatives and businesses and has supported the Black Lives Matter movement, especially during the protests of 2020. His son, Dante, most recently made headlines for joining the city’s initiative to get the community vaccinated. de Blasio’s son, a 2019 Yale graduate is teasing a career in politics, though he’s not confirmed whether such is the case.
Beckemberg’s designs for de Blasio and Dante were choices made collectively, as they met to discuss fabrics and the type of fit. The Blue velvet tuxedo in a paisley print was an elevated take on the classic tuxedo. Dante’s look was fun, cool, and bold with a Tomato colored jacket. though if his past work is any indication, both de Blasios are sure to be on everyone’s best dressed lists. The designer’s past work includes Dawayne Wade, Will Smith, Dylon Burnside, Ethan Hawke, and Woody McClain.
“I am interested in dressing men who move culture, and the Mayor and Dante are certainly doing so. I wanted to marry their efforts in celebrating independent design culture with the style of the Beckemberg man,” says Dreu Beckemberg on why he decided to dress the Mayor.
In a historic move, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in conjunction with the Council for Fashion Designers of America moved the iconic fundraising gala from the first Monday in May to September 13, 2021 closing New York Fashion Week.
To revitalize one of the city’s biggest streams of revenue, the CFDA is inviting new designers as well as welcoming back some of the city’s most popular designers to show this season making September one of the biggest moments in fashion.