By Amira Turner
The models strutting between the East and West Quad decked out in designer streetwear on April 16, didn’t think they’d be making their runway debut on Bedford Ave that day. Students became models, adorned in runway looks that looked straight out of New York Fashion Week, bringing the fashion world to Brooklyn College that day.
The fashion show was a collaboration between Professor Ngoc Pham’s “Consumer Behavior” course and designer Deshawn “‘Kenzo”’ McKenzie, founder of Brooklyn-based streetwear brand “-Cide.” Pham invited McKenzie to guest lecture at BC, which was open to all students and friends interested in fashion marketing.
McKenzie founded -Cide independently in 2017, after designing a pair of pants and received an enormous amount of positive feedback for only one item he designed.
“When I would wear these pants, I’d get a lot of compliments… one day someone asked ‘how much for them?’ and I was shell-shocked,” he told students at the lecture. McKenzie ended up selling the pants for $150.
He then started designing clothes for his wife, Shanice McKenzie, which then led to him starting -Cide. His designs have now been worn by celebrities like Halle Bailey, and featured with brands like Shein.
McKenzie’s lecture included advice on blending marketing skills with creative endeavors. “As you go with designing, you have to as well think, what audience you know, you want to resonate with who you’re going to sell this to, and then how you’re going to sell this too as well,” he told the class.
McKenzie also emphasized the importance of family, as he brought his wife and grandparents to the event.
“I told him ‘I’m going,’ because you have to support the younger ones, and I’m so proud of him,” McKenzie’s grandmother, Sheila McKenzie, told The Vanguard.
The lecture concluded with a student-moderated Q&A, as well as an opportunity for students to pitch marketing ideas for the brand directly to McKenzie.
This integration of real-world fashion experience has helped bring out new sides of Dr. Pham’s students, providing them with an opportunity into the fashion world that they may not have otherwise gotten exposure to.
“I think so far it’s been a really great exposure because I tend to be more on the introverted side […] So seeing people who are very comfortable in their skin when it comes to fashion and design is a new side for me to explore,” student Somaiya Ahmed told The Vanguard
McKenzie shared the significant impact outreach events like this can have on students, showing them that anyone can make it in the fashion industry if they are passionate about it.“I can come in there, you know, and give that student the exposure or give them the spark that they need to thrive in life,” he told The Vanguard.
McKenzie provided a myriad of runway-worn sample pieces for students to try on and model. The pieces ranged from red leather snakeskin pants to floral quilted blazers and his staple white t-shirts. Dr. Pham enthusiastically encouraged all in attendance to try something on, transforming a classroom of students into a diverse range of runway-ready models. Once everyone in attendance was decked out in -Cide, Dr. Pham led a cross-campus catwalk, turning the heads of students and faculty alike.
The line of 18 models began their strut at Whitehead Hall, through the East Quad, across Bedford Ave, and to the West End building, where they posed for photos, and continued back to the East Quad. The line of models was trailed by McKenzie, who proudly watched on with pride.
For McKenzie, the event was a success, as his ultimate goal for the brand was for everyone to have a positive experience.
“Feel good in -Cide,” he told The Vanguard. “That was my motivating factor.”