Viral moment brings South Bend to New York Fashion Week

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- A South Bend fashion designer's outfit took New York Fashion Week and social media by storm following a viral post featuring matching Lady and the Tramp trench coats.

Darris White, designer and founder of DW Styles, has sold clothes for half of his life and designed for over 15 years. White and his brother formerly owned J Image in Town and Country.

White was showing 22 items in his second New York Fashion Week; saying the reason he went to New York was purpose. He and his wife love to wear matching trench coats when they go places, so he chose lovers lady and the tramp. Which caught on instantly.

"Getting out of the car at the airport was hard because were stopping us," White said. "We were getting on the train to go to our terminal, and a young man was like 'hey can I take you picture I'd really like to send this to my wife.' I said 'only if you send it to us. Perfect frame. Nice shot. Lighting was great.' I posted it and it went viral."

Not only is White a Michiana native, but the trench coats were made in South Bend through the non-profit Sew Loved, where White has also designed a bag with the help of his mentor Jenny Fry.

Sew Loved helps people explore sewing and textiles as a hobby or occupation with the hopes of becoming entrepreneurs. Jenny Fry has worked with Sew Loved since the pandemic and has sewn for over 40 years. She says because modern consumers are distanced from the creation process, we waste money by buying bad quality inexpensive things.

Fry says the process of working with textiles she considers part art, part engineering. The viral moment not only allows people to be exposed to what talent and skill can look like, but also where it can take you.

"I do think that it's useful to have somebody show just the art." Fry said. "Because we don't live in that world in Indiana where we think this could be a field, this could be an expression. Having that kind of exposure with that, [means] maybe if somebody came to us and said, 'could you help us work on a movie with your production.' That's a whole different field, and exposing people to those possibilities is definitely going to change South Bend."

If you'd like to take classes with Sew Loved, they are free and you can sign up on their website. They also would like for you to bring them things you need altered or mended so their students can practice.