Meet Destin’ee Nicole Browne

Today we’d like to introduce you to Destin’ee Nicole Browne.

So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Firstly I would like to start by saying that I am honored to have been chosen to be a featured Designer by your company. My beginnings as a Designer started when I was a young girl around the age of five; I would create clothing for my Barbie dolls using old socks of mine. Since a child, I have always been innovative and have practiced sustainability. Coming from a small town Richmond VA, I was unaware that Fashion Design could be pursued as a career. So when I first began college at Virginia State University I was a psychology major and I was miserable. Towards the end of my Freshman year, I found out that my University offered a Textiles, Apparel, & Merchandising Management program, I then immediately changed my major. During my sophomore year of college is when my life as a Designer began. I was introduced to my first Design mentor David Montoya who helped me hone my craft and taught me everything that I knew when I was a young Designer. I was at the top of my class in my program and anyone who came to the floor seeking custom garments were referred to me by my professors. I was always the top student that went above and beyond in my department. As a Sophomore, I designed my very first collection, debuted in my first fashion show and started a clothing line business ‘Destin’ee Nicole Browne” with the support of my professors David Montoya and Dr. Lagette Traylor.

Fast forward to my senior year at Virginia State University where I was privileged enough to have been able to Design a custom African evening gown for the first lady of the school. My senior collection was showcased in a Museum in Petersburg Va for a month DNB had it’s very first professional photoshoot for the “Tribal Fusion collection”. Post-graduation I was eager to establish myself as a professional Fashion Designer in this industry. I then began collaborating with local talent on photo shoots and started to book more clients for custom clothing. In October 2017, I debuted my first Couture Collection Nouveau Riche Sophistiqué at RVA Fashion Week. I later went on to doing shows in different states, I took my collection to New York Fashion Week in February 2018 and the crowd went crazy. I was then booked to showcase for Raw Artist in Manhattan in April of 2018. I later debuted my first Spring/Summer Couture Collection “Romantico Reale” at NYFW in September 2018.

Shortly after showing at NYFW I packed up my entire life in Virginia to relocate to Los Angeles California to persue my career as a legendary Fashion Designer and to begin Graduate School at one of the top ten Fashion Schools in the US. The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising “FIDM”. Since then, I have put the runway shows and custom clothing on hold to truly hone my craft and finish my second degree. Since then, I have been contacted by Paris, London, ATL, NYC, LA, Miami, BET and many more to showcase my designs on their runways. I have kindly had to decline because right now I am focused on school and figuring out exactly what it is that I want to do in this industry, I will be finishing school in the upcoming months and the people will be seeing more designs From DNBCouture.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
As a Designer and businesswoman I have had a few obstacles throughout my career. Sometimes deadlines have had to get pushed back when working with Graphic Designers and photographers. This part of the business is very stressful relying on other people to do what they hired to do. This is a part of the business and this is how you learn who is professional and who you will and will not do business with in the future. Being an entrepreneur is not easy because everything falls on you; it is your responsibility to make sure that everything is going afloat. With this being said is one of the main reasons that I decided to go back to school.

Another obstacle that I have faced in being a Fashion Designer is the prices of the mainstream Runway Shows; companies all over the world charge designer up to $8,000 to showcase their collections on the runway and sometimes these prices are only to show up to six looks. This gets frustrating at times to grow and expand business as a designer when you can not afford to put your collections on the runways worldwide. Free shows are offered in this industry, but when it comes to showcasing in Paris, Milan, etc. you have to pay the big bucks and if you do not have the revenue coming in this can get challenging. That is another reason why I have stepped away from doing runway shows to build a strong foundation for my business and bring in more revenue to turn DNB into a Billion Dollar Corporation.

Alright – so let’s talk business. What else should we know about your work?
My company is called Destin’ee Nicole Browne which is named after me the acronym of my business is DNB. I am a Fashion Designer who specializes in custom couture clothing for special occasions. I am now working on expanding the business into Ready-to-Wear and partnering with production companies and sample makers in the Los Angeles area to reach more people and new clientele. DNB is known for its eye for detail, craftsmanship, and fit. As a company, I am most proud of being a strong designer and always releasing the best garments and coming out with new innovative ideas. What sets DNB apart from other companies would be its originality, eye for detail, use of expensive designer fabrics and trims, and the use of fabulous silhouettes. Destin’ee Nicole Browne prides itself on being the best and using the best fabrics for their clients. All of the garments created by DNB are made from industry standard pattern making and couture draping techniques. DNB goes through multiple muslin fittings on each garment before creating the garment in fashion fabric. This design process guarantees beautiful, well made, and fitted garments.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I would love to show recognition to all of my design mentors David Montoya, Dr. Dana Lagette Traylor, Michael Taylor, and all of the industry professionals at FIDM Nancy Riegelman, Nick Verros and of course my wonderful mother Nicole Browne. My design mentors from Virginia State helped me to build a solid foundation as a professional Designer and businesswoman. While my mentors at FIDM have helped me to see different parts of the Fashion Industry and really learn what is needed to be successful in this industry in this day and time. My mentors at FIDM have really helped me to reach a new level of design, I have been able to become a better sketcher and marketer.

Pricing:

• Knee Length gowns start at $450
• Floor Length gowns start at $750
• Contemporary Prom Dresses start at $350
• Pants start at $150
• Lined Skirts starts at $185

Contact Info:

• Address: 919 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90015
• Phone: 8044391661
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/DNBCouture
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/CoutureDNB
• Other: dnb9235.setmore.com

Image Credit:
@jlugo_photography, @major_look_productions, @RVAFashionweek

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