Jalil Johnson's style may be exuberant and expansive, but his roots are in a tiny town with a population of just around 1,300 people. "I'm originally from a very small town called Hurt, Virginia. I moved up here seven years ago to go to NYU," he says.
He intended to be a journalist, but when Anderson Cooper spoke to his class and told them they don't need a degree to go into journalism, something shifted for Johnson. He switched to NYU Gallatin, where students can create their own concentrations, and he focused on how fashion influences race, minoring in history as well. "While I was in school, I was also interning and working," he continues.
"I'd be on set and then I would have an AirPod in so I was also in class. So, I was steaming [clothing] and also listening to a lecture about Aphrodite. It was quite a time.
" After graduation, he worked at Saks for three years before departing recently to focus on his own endeavors. "I was assisting Solange Franklin, who's an amazing stylist, on set with my future boss, now former boss, Roopal Patel," he recalls. A few weeks ago, I met Johnson in Harlem to photograph his outfits and discuss his journey at Saks and why he chose to leave the job behind, his Substack, how he first found a passion for style, and plenty more.
Fit One Open Gallery Coat by Tory Burch; top by Christopher John Rogers; vintage T-shirt; shirt (wrapped) by Comme des Garçons Play; trousers by GU; hat by Lauren Manoogian; watch by Breda; bracelets by Dorsey and Catb.