Young entrepreneurs Chi Uwazurike and Rene Marie Marod partnered to bring the fashion show of the year to the Garden Theater located in Midtown Detroit. Their brand is called Le Don and their goal for the show is to inspire the community with fashion and artistry and encourage the people to come together and team up in order to make the city prosper and help get each other’s businesses get off of the ground. The show was hosted by local event host J Neely and media personality Nunu Thurman with sounds by DJ Slick B and DJ Ehab.
Rolling out was able to attend the event and speak to the partners to see the vision and purpose of the show.
What inspired you to have a fashion show?
Chi: Rene helped me organize my Black Tie and Heels event and we become very close. I reached out to her and asked her to partner with me for this fashion show so here we are. I wanted to do something bigger than I’ve done before and inspire people to come together and work together. I wanted us to build a legacy. I want this event to be one you’d never forget. I want it to break barriers. People have fashion shows all the time, but I wanted to do it bigger and better. This is all Rene. She explained the vision she had for me and I didn’t get it, but that’s the Don in her. When I walked in, I saw the vision.
Rene: My business is Rene Marie Events and we are an event planning and decorating company. I can do it all. Chi reached out to me one day saying he wanted to do a fashion show and I said okay so let’s do a fashion show. Anything that I put my name on has to be great and over the top and we definitely took it there with this show. This was his very first major fashion show and we made the vision come to life.
What is Le Don?
Chi: Le Don is the brand I created and it means to be the absolute best at whatever you do. You can be a Don of photography, Don of decor. You are the Don of anything you’re the best at, but you have to feel like you’re the best to be a Don; believe it. When I explain it to the people in my circle, it speaks volumes to them because they’re already that.
What is the purpose of the fashion show?
Rene: We want to bring classy events to the city. We want to bring our people together. We want everyone to mix, mingle and refer one another in support. That’s our ultimate goal. Also to promote some of the hottest brands from Detroit natives and local designers.
What kinds of fashion will be on the runway?
Rene: We have all kinds of fashion; a really nice mix. We have urban wear like Dream Rich. We have Her. We also have Rich Fur and a men’s line called Mature Look, to name a few.
Chi: We have urban, formal, fashion-forward, chic and more. We even have people who can’t tell you their style yet because it’s just that creative and dope so the style type hasn’t even been invented yet.
What’s next for the Le Don brand?
Chi: I’m building a super team, [who] are here with me tonight. It is a group of 12 individuals who can and will take the business to the next level.
What would you say to encourage local entrepreneurs?
Chi: I need everybody to start coming together. Your legacy is built off of the opportunities you give other people to work with, not only for what you’ve done. People don’t remember you for what you did alone, but who you’ve helped along the way.
Follow the Le Don brand on Instagram at @Le___don.
Photo Credit: Worldiction Arts Detroit
