Learning to flex one鈥檚 fashion muscle can take time, but CEO Deron Washington had developed a standout sense of style by elementary school. As early as age 8, he was asking to be sent to school in dress shirts and ties, and in high school, the outfits he鈥檇 put together with clothes culled from thrift shops would win him 鈥Best Dressed鈥 in the student mock elections.
In 1989, he opened his first retail space, a 100-square-foot tie and accessories shop in Franklin. That was the start of a decades-long career in fashion retail that has included multiple shops, including ones in Northland Center and Trappers Alley 鈥 two relics of Detroit鈥檚 fashion history. Washington was also co-owner of Julian Scott Inc., the nation鈥檚 first Black-owned department store, which opened in downtown Detroit in 2003.
He says, 鈥淚鈥檓 not a bragger. I鈥檓 a very humble person, but you鈥檙e talking to the guy that started the rebirth of retail in downtown Detroit.鈥
More recently, in fall 2017, he and his wife, Tina, opened Shops on Top, a small shopping center overlooking Eastern Market that features three clothing stores, a leather gallery, and a coffee shop 鈥 each owned and operated by the husband- and-wife team.
鈥淲e are dedicated to our craft, no matter what,鈥 Washington says.
Inside the space are , offering sophisticated yet edgy women鈥檚 clothing and accessories; a haberdashery of sorts called ; and a T-shirt brand dubbed. Washington says the tees, and Shops on Top as a whole, purposely raise the question: Why not live, work, play, shop, and serve in Detroit?
Among a sea of athleisure, you鈥檙e likely to find Washington dressed in a slickly tailored suit and a peaked cap. Here, the retailer shares his style influences and how he sees the future of fashion in Detroit.
My biggest style inspiration is 鈥
My mother. When I was coming up 鈥 I know it sounds kind of corny, but she was a classy dresser, dressed to the nines. She鈥檚 wearing two-piece suits and some of the cleanest shoes that you ever want to find. Matching purse with the matching bag. She was always classy, nice blouses 鈥- just neat, super neat. When I saw her, I said, 鈥淢an, my mom is sharp.鈥
That鈥檚 where I got my swag from. My dad wasn鈥檛 living with us when I was coming up, but he was also a sharp person. They both came from the South.
Three staples that should be in every man鈥檚 wardrobe are 鈥
No. 1, a navy blue suit. They should also have at least one tie. These days, it鈥檚 kind of hard to find men wearing ties, but at least one tie. And a nice Cognac dress shoe or casual shoe.
When I get dressed in the morning and head out, I want to feel 鈥
Clean, real clean: crisp white shirt, nice pair of slacks, clean shoes. 鈥 Nice shave, clean face, smelling good, refreshed. I feel good when I do that. And there鈥檚 something about a crisp white shirt, too, that just looks good.
One trend I鈥檇 like to see come back around is 鈥
People getting dressed up more.
What most excites me about the future of fashion in Detroit is 鈥
That the city is growing. 鈥 You have more people coming [in]. All the retailers get a chance to make more money, a chance to survive, live longer, and build a business. If you have people in your city, you will get all walks of life to look at and try different fashions. 鈥 It鈥檚 all about people. Fashion is everything, everybody. Fashion is everyone.
This story is from the August 2023听issue of 糖心vlog安卓版. Read more in our digital edition. Check out even more fashion tips from stylish metro Detroiters at 糖心vlog安卓版Detroit.com.听
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