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Christopher John Rogers

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Christopher John Rogers
Born
Baton Rouge, LA
Alma materSavannah College of Art and Design
OccupationFashion designer
Websitechristopherjohnrogers.com

Christopher John Rogers is an American fashion designer, born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and currently based in Brooklyn, New York. Rogers debuted his first collection in fall 2018 at age 24, and in 2019 received the top prize at the 16th CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.[1]

Early life and education

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Rogers was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His family has artistic roots: his mother, Johnell, was a former ballet dancer who became a medical technologist, and his father, Christopher, studied photography before making a career in library technology at Southern University.[2]

As a high schooler at Baton Rouge Magnet High School, he began designing a line for New Orleans Fashion Week.[3] He has described his early inspirations as including anime, the works of Paul Gauguin, and the monochromatic outfits worn by his grandmother and other members of the Baptist church his family attended.[4][5]

For college, Rogers applied to Parsons School of Design, but after his acceptance letter was lost in the mail, he was accepted to and attended the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Rogers graduated from SCAD in 2016.[6]

Career and brand

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Kamala Harris wearing a jacket designed by Christopher John Rogers at the inauguration ceremony
Kamala Harris wearing a jacket designed by Christopher John Rogers at the inauguration ceremony
Ensemble by Christopher John Rogers from 2020-21 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Part of the exhibit In America: A Lexicon of Fashion
Ensemble by Christopher John Rogers from 2020-21 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Part of the exhibit In America: A Lexicon of Fashion

After college, Rogers moved to Brooklyn to begin his career in fashion. He started by waiting tables, but soon landed a job at Diane von Fürstenberg. One of his first clients for his own designs was Cardi B, who wore a jacket from Rogers' graduation collection at the 2017 BET awards.[1]

Rogers created his eponymous brand in 2016,[7] and released his debut collection in fall 2018 at age 24, taking inspiration from his Southern Baptist upbringing, midcentury-modern couture and a deserted Californian beach. The collection premiered in Chinatown’s Martos Gallery.[2] In 2019, he debuted his second collection at New York Fashion Week, and described it as "a debutante ball thrown at Stonehenge and illustrated by Dr. Seuss."[4]

In 2019, Rogers received top prize of $400,000 at the 16th CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund,[1] and in 2020, he was awarded the first American Emerging Designer of the Year award by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).[8] The CFDA described Rogers's bold fashions as "emphasiz[ing] quality manufacturing and timeless appeal while encouraging its customers to take up space."[5] That same year, he was named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 for 2020.[9]

In 2021, Rogers' designs were featured in a fictionalized fashion in season one of the Gossip Girl reboot, in which character Julien Calloway (played by Jordan Alexander) walks in the show. The same year, Vice President Kamala Harris wore a design by Rogers in her inauguration ensemble.[10] His brand also released a 70-piece collection with ALEXIS and RIO for Target in 2021.[11][12]

Rogers returned from a two-year hiatus in 2022, with Collection 10 debuting in Brooklyn.[13] The collection was titled "Playdough," and featured footwear designed by Christian Louboutin exclusively for Rogers.[14] The same year, the Metropolitan Museum of Art displayed his work in its annual fashion exhibit, which that year was titled "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion."[15]

One of his signature design elements is the "strawberry skirt," featuring a voluminous and structured exaggerated hip and a nipped waistline and hemline.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Friedman, Vanessa (2019-11-05). "Fashion's Newest Star Already Has Michelle Obama's Approval". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  2. ^ a b Okeowo, Alexis (2022-02-14). "Christopher John Rogers's Fearless American Luxury". The Cut. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  3. ^ Koh, Liz (25 February 2021). "SHOWCASING LOUISIANA: Christopher John Rogers". www.wafb.com. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  4. ^ a b "Meet Christopher John Rogers: The New York Designer Who Has All Eyes on Him". Teen Vogue. 2019-02-18. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  5. ^ a b "CFDA". CFDA.
  6. ^ a b Drohan, Freya (2022-04-22). "All The Things You Never Knew About Christopher John Rogers". Daily Front Row. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  7. ^ Solá-Santiago, Frances. "Gossip Girl's Reboot Will Feature A Christopher John Rogers Runway Show". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  8. ^ Huber, Eliza (14 September 2020). "Pyer Moss, Telfar, & Christopher John Rogers Are CFDA Fashion Award Winners". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  9. ^ "Christopher John Rogers". Forbes.
  10. ^ Grechko, Irina. "Kamala Harris Wore Purple & Pearls Today — Here's Why That Matters". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  11. ^ Huber, Eliza. "The Target X Christopher John Rogers, ALEXIS & RIXO Collection Is Here — & We Want Everything". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  12. ^ writer, KAREN MARTIN | Staff (26 April 2021). "Fresh off designing for the VP, Baton Rouge's Christopher John Rogers heads to Target". The Advocate. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  13. ^ Friedman, Vanessa (2022-06-08). "Christopher John Rogers Returns to the Runway". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  14. ^ Abad, Mario (8 June 2022). "5 Things to Know About Christopher John Rogers' Joyful Brooklyn Show". Paper. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  15. ^ "The Atelier with Alina Cho: Christopher John Rogers | the Metropolitan Museum of Art". Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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