Liberation

I first started on this journey of She’s a Gent to help fill a huge void in the fashion industry which consistently lacked visibility of androgynous and masculine presenting women in menswear. I felt impassioned about showing that women could wear menswear, ever more specifically, suiting, just as well men did while also inspiring others to freely express themselves. However, so much has changed in almost a decade of this ongoing journey. I will always love a tailor made suit and dapper attire but over these past years, even prior to the pandemic, I’ve realized that I no longer need that sartorial uniform. What once stood as “my shield of armor” and so often boosted my confidence and offered me protection from the biases and discriminations of society was also beginning to limit my personal style and identity. What I thought was helping break those chains was, in fact, putting me in even yet more bondage.

I have been on a steep learning curve for years! I’m not going to lie, so much of this journey has been intense and quite frustrating at times. Ultimately, I’ve come to realize and accept that we are all operating in this system. It doesn’t matter if you are black, white, or brown; a citizen or immigrant; heterosexual or LGBTQ+; rich or poor, in America, we are all pawns in the same game. Sadly, some people experience more hardship than others and are quite often treated differently based on some attributes like race, cultural, socioeconomic background, gender, and even sexual orientation. It took me a while to understand this and to realize that one individual can’t change the world or dismantle this system. That must be a shared and collective human effort that I hope one day we accomplish. Until then, I want to do my part and leave a trail of positive breadcrumbs wherever I go and positively shift peoples perspectives just as others have and continue to shift mine.

Being able to spend quality time with my parents and my elders as well as time in deep meditation listening to nothing but the rhythm of my breath has given me perspective and allows for me to be more grounded and connected to my inner peace and purpose. The more I learn about my African, Indigenous, and European lineage, American history, and the nuances of this American system….in other words, the more conscious I become, the freer and more liberated I feel in my mind, body, and my soul.

That’s why I no longer need the sartorial shield of armor. I am free and now, fully, embracing and celebrating my identity, my culture, my truth.

Danielle Cooper She's a Gent — Photos by Rachel Bires

Ade Dehye

I first learned about Ade Dehye from my supportive and fashionista mother who is always sharing new brand finds with me. She was following some of the trends during last season’s NBA Finals and learned about some of the Black-owned brands that Sherri McMullen, Stephen Curry’s stylist, was intentionally styling him in. I instantly gravitated towards the rich textures and heritage of Ade Dehye.

Ade Dehye is an ethical and sustainable fashion brand produced in Ghana, West Africa. The brand uses hand-dyed or hand-woven textiles sourced on the continent of Africa. Founded by Akintunde Ahmad, Ade Deyhe is 100% Black-owned and operated, all the way down to the weaving of the fabrics and tailoring of the final product.

Style is Personal

Style is personal and it stems from the internal relationship you have with yourself. In fact, I believe that real style is never right or wrong, it’s about being yourself on purpose. Whereas fashion, like trends, are ever-changing depending on how society accepts or rejects the movement.

Ade Dehye’s Multicolor Bogolan Overshirt is one of the brand’s hottest selling items and I can understand why. The traditional loom-woven Bogolan from Mali has an inner lining, two chest pockets, and two waist pockets. This cultural and vibrant overshirt is meant to be a staple piece from which you create your look.

While my style is ever evolving, my sentiments remain the same, which is to create an un-complex modular wardrobe full of pieces that can be worn in different ways while continuing to highlight your personal style.

Here are three similar yet different ways I styled the Multicolor Bogolan Overshirt.