The Fashion Designer Philanthropist
Chuks Collins
A philanthropist is someone who donates their time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes. The word can refer to any volunteer or anybody who contributes and cares for the needs of others rather than their own. And we feel that is the finest way to define fashion designer Chuks Collins. Chuks Collins is the creator of the international fashion brand CHUKS COLLINS. Born in the United Kingdom and raised in Nigeria, the Chuks Collins brand was established in 2006 to give every fashionable person a voice through its apparel line.
Chuks Collins is strongly committed to his non-profit business, Fashion Vie, which leverages the creative sector to help social justice concerns, access to healthcare, and global human rights issues. Fashion Vie’s exhibitions and activities provide funds for groups that promote social justice and assist the underprivileged. Fashion Vie aims to bring together audiences for a modern fashion and art experience while drawing attention to the great work of local, national, and worldwide organizations. The earnings from his 2017 Spring-Summer Fashion Show with Fashion Vie were donated directly to the Oando Foundation in Nigeria to aid in the education of females. Previous performances have also raised funds for Housing Works NYC and Turning Point Brooklyn.
Collins stated that his interest in fashion began with his grandmother, who was a seamstress. In his view, the young Chuks wanted to dress people more than anything else; he was intrigued by the concept that clothes and a person’s sense of style revealed a lot about the individual. Collins’ fashion career was nearly cut short in 2012 when he was involved in a vehicle accident that resulted in near-fatal renal failure and other health complications. His debut collection, “Survival” was motivated by the path his life had gone and where he was at the time. The names of his second and third collections, “The Journey” and “The Dream” were chosen as an homage to his life’s journey.
Chuks Collins has participated in fashion weeks in New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Western Canada, Belarus, and Nigeria, as well as working with other design companies in New York, Philadelphia, and New Jersey. Chuks Collins is more than simply a fashion label. He is a designer, architect, stylist, image consultant, style influencer, entrepreneur, and artist. All the more reason to keep an eye on the new philanthropist on the block.
Volatile: Tell us a little about your brand and why did you change the name?
Chuks Collins: Actually, it was first Kholyns Couture, which is spelled with a K, and the reason why I wanted to do that was as I was seeing that as a business, and it picked up. So, I stood out as a designer, and I love couture I love made to measure I love beautiful craftsmanship in construction. I believe in a one-on-one relationship with your clients in paying attention to detail. Being able to design something personal to the client or to the person you care for and was the module of how I started. But you know, moving here, a lot changed the way the system works here, people are more able to see now by now, not everybody is ready to wait for two, three weeks for you to produce something for them to buy. And also, the brand transition. And I kind of wanted to make it more personal with me and a creative brand that is more me. That’s the way the reason why I decided to name it just call it, which is my namesake brand. So that’s, that’s kind of the backstory with that, and also creating a brand that, you know, that is me and there’s a station of my arts.
V: Your work has been seen all around the world, what would you say is the best and worst part of being a black fashion designer?
CC: Hmm, good question.
Mmm-hmm. I think one of my best moments is actually being authentic to myself, which is something I gradually worked my way up to, which is also like a continuous process for me, or I think I would say one of my best moments is learning and experiencing my journey personally. Because that’s the best gift anybody could have given me. It’s not about the press or the fashion weeks or the recognition for me, it’s important, but I think the learning process, being able to embed myself and relate on a one on one basis with people who buy my clothes, so I would say the worst moment: I haven’t seen things are good or bad anymore. I just see things as the way they are. We’re all learning. We’re all evolving as humans, and we are all learning how not to do things. As a black man having to work five times as hard of how white men work, I know my counterparts who DON’T do as much as I do, and they are all getting the accreditations and, but again, we are all learning we are all evolving as human beings and just I hope and I pray the awareness and the inclusivity just keeps expanding and the work keeps becoming an accepting place for everybody for us to see that we are all humans and despite the color of our skin.
V: CC believes social responsibility to be a core value of the brand, how does CC contribute to sustainability and movements like the Black Lives Matter Movement?
CC: So, um, so I Oh, well, I have two brands. I don’t know if you know that. I just launched a new brand recently in February, called “the athletic side of us”. the athletic side of us is a lifestyle brand. My thoughts with that were to reconcile ourselves with everything that we are and what we do with it is our act self. So, I’m bringing the awareness to people that you can choose what fluidity and athleticism mean to you. And I created a nonprofit organization called Fashion Vie and my thoughts with that were to utilize the creative industry to provide access to social justice issues, health concerns, or anything that affects humanity as a whole. So, every collection of designs so far, since I moved here, are partnered with an organization to give back. So yeah, and this line is, you know, it’s not 100% sustainable, because not there’s not a nice 100% sustainable, but most of our fabrics are made from recycled plastic bottles. Most of the things are upcycles, like our zips, even the Nets from the ocean, and a lot of the materials are the sustainable source, all the materials are sustainably sourced, eco-friendly. And, and we put into consideration where and how we source our materials. So that’s also very, very important in all of the brands I’ve worked with, and all the brands that I create, including the scholars, brand as well. So, you know, we contribute, however, no matter how small and wherever we can, just to, you know, do our little quota even my journey as a sustainable designer, I don’t know it all, I’m just trying to figure it out.
V: What is Cuks Collin’s policy on seasonality? Who would you say are CC’s target market?
CC: Seasonality Mmm-hmm. So, I for one think it is not sustainable for emerging brands. In September, for instance, September 2020, September this year, I’ll be showing Spring Summer 2022. And I have to wait one year before I can sell it online. So, I like the idea of, you know, creating pieces that I can sell immediately. For some people, it doesn’t work. The reason why I’m kind of merging two collections in one is just that I’m going to have the opportunity to show it to a larger crowd. In a sub maximizing that opportunity as a businessperson. So, I’m looking at this not just as a designer as an artist, but also looking at this as an entrepreneur as a businessperson.
My target audience? Good question. I think my target audience has changed a little bit for some time now. I will say my target audience is between 25 to 55. Those are the people who can afford your clothes.
V: CC has been active for years, what were your hopes and plans for the brand? And has that changed throughout the years?
CC: Evolved and they even keep evolving. I think what happens is, the world is changing, there are new technologies, we are discovering, when I started designing, I wasn’t thinking about sustainability. Now I’m big on sustainability. When I started the business, when I started the brand, I was starting the brand as a businessperson, not even as a designer. And that was my goal first time. But later on, when I said, you know, being authentic with myself, I said, believing and having a voice for myself shaping and molding myself, I decided to like, okay, I’m gonna be authentic to myself, I am just not a businessperson. I am more than a businessperson. I’m an artist. But this is my art and is an extension of myself. That’s why I decided to name it, just call it but this is me and is what I’m giving to the world. It’s an extension of myself.
V: Of all the collections that you have created which one would you say is closest to your heart?
CC: I would say the dress I made for my mother before she passed away. I think just because and also, I think one of the beautiful things that my mom passing away taught me was also freedom, unforgiveness. So, I would say yeah, one of the best things I think I’ve made was a dress for my mom.
V: You are set to be part of the upcoming New York Fashion Week; do you mind sharing a little about your collection and what inspired it?
CC: I’m working on a collection titled “reservation” which happens to us every day of every minute here. Yes, reconciling. Two. Three of the features that I love most Lord spoke to me for the collection was the boss of life, time, and human anatomy. Those are the three things that spoke to me briefly when I was designing the line. It’s but I’m also approaching it from reservation, from the point of freedom, freedom for black people freedom from freedom of self-freedom of everything that we as humans aspire for, and we all have it one way or the other, or we all can create it.