ATLANTA -- The thought of using his fashion line to show love for Atlanta had been on Quintin Crumpler's mind for a while. The fashion designer is a product of metro area. It's where he is raising his four children.
It's where he founded and is building his prep, sportswear and tailoring line Goat by James King. The brand, founded in 2018, is a nod to his middle name, royal disposition in the Black community and being the best at what you do. So, when it came time to plan his 2023 spring collection, Crumpler included a crewneck with brand's name embroidered on the chest, and "Atlanta" just below.
For the emerging Black-owned brand's creator, the subtle nod to home sends a message. "People probably would look at that and be like, well, 'I'm not from Atlanta, why would I wear it?' Other fashion cities -- New York, Los Angeles, Paris -- do it. It's me consciously trying to establish that Atlanta is serious about fashion," Crumpler said.
Whereas Atlanta is a fashionable city, it's not synonymous with fashion. Yet, like the city's rise to becoming the hip-hop center, Black and brown designers are bringing global attention to local catwalks. Like their predecessors, homegrown talents and transplants are finding success outside the Perimeter, but are still challenged by a lack of representation, funding and exposure.
"If you look at the music, even when OutKast came out first, they were getting booed, but they just didn't understand our point of view," Crumpler said. "I think that's.