Trey Alligood, of Shades of Black

Writer & Editor – Justin Howard @Jthnomad

Fashion Designer – Trey Alligood @treyalligood

“On matters of style, swim with the current, on matters of principle, stand like a rock.” – Thomas Jefferson

Designer Trey Alligood was a Broadway actor before a tragically timed accident forced him to abandon that dream, yet today he is the poster child of the newest generation of fashion designers to come out of Los Angeles. His creations have fast become a favorite among male celebrities like Zac Efron, Kanye West, John Stamos, and Jaleel White all who regularly wear their favorite pieces.

Trey Alligood, of Shades of Black

Justin Howard for Black Chalk – Tell me a little about yourself. Where are you from?

TA – I’m from a small town in North Carolina called Nashville. Right out of high school I landed a dancing role in a Broadway show called Blast! and moved to London. From there we went on to Broadway and took The Broadway Theater after Miss Saigon closed. I injured my back my fifth year in the show and I was sent to Los Angeles for physical therapy. The doctor ended up telling me that if I kept dancing I might end up in a wheel chair by the time I was 30.

BC – How did your career get started?

TA – I have always been passionate about fashion and the door had finally opened to give me the chance to pursue it. I helped launch the brand 575 denim as a west coast sales representative. From there I learned as much as I could about the industry and got as much hands on experience as I could. Soaking up all the information I could working with designers, sewers, wash houses, and anyone that would take the time to teach me anything about the fashion industry.

BC – How would you define fashion?

TA – Fashion is pretty much impossible to define as it means so many different things to so many different people. Fashion is all about being different, standing out and not following the trends but creating them…

My favorite quote is “Fashions fade, style is eternal.” YSL… Someone who has style could figure out how to wear a plastic bag and make it look stunning. I have always loved to create my own look and usually end up wearing the pieces that everyone else was afraid to wear.

BC – How would you define LA’s fashion?

TA – LA is always thought of as only having a laid back, casual lifestyle fashion sense. Although we like to be comfortable and love to wear our T shirts, hoodies, shorts and flip flops. We also know how to turn it up and look just as sharp as the men in NY. Don’t underestimate the LA Fashion scene!

BC – When did you realize you wanted to become a fashion designer?

TA – I have always loved clothes and shoes since I was a kid. I would paint, stud, rip and tear anything I had once I had worn it a few times to create something new and different. However I never imagined my self as a fashion designer because I was a dancer and I thought I would be in the entertainment business. It’s funny how things work themselves out and I ended up falling in love with fashion.

BC – What was the first article of Men’s clothing you ever designed?

TA – The first thing I can remember designing or creating was an old vintage denim jacket I ripped it up, put studs all over and covered it with metallic dark grey paint when I was 18. Of course Michael Jackson was my inspiration behind it!

BC – How does designing leather jackets differ from designing clothes? How long does it usually take you to construct a piece?

TA – Leather Jackets are tough because real leather comes in so many different colors and sizes. Not to mention it’s very expensive to develop. It usually takes a few times to get the sample perfect so I would say about 2 months for a sample and 4 to 5 months for production.

BC – Walk me through your the process you go through to design and realize a piece of clothing.

TA – First off I start with a concept and a vision of what I’m trying to create. I put together inspiration boards with anything and everything that inspires me. I choose colors and fabrics that fit the concept of the collection. From here it’s a lot of trial and error especially when your working with denim. You can get so many different colors and looks out of one fabric. I start with seeing how many shades I can get out of each fabric and then I start to get creative with the wash process. At this stage a lot of times you create things you never imagined you could and that’s when the fun begins.

BC – Who are some of your favorite designers?

TA – My favorite 3 designers are Tom Ford, Ralph Lauren and Kris Van Assche.

BC – Do you consider yourself an artist?

TA – Yes. I, like other artist’s, express my unique point of view and use fashion as a medium. In doing so i only hope that others will view the world through my eyes: even if it’s for a split second.

BC – What are some of your favorite fashion websites, magazines, or books?

TA – GQ, Details, Nylon, Esquire, Thrilist. However I feel they really need to start looking at new brands that are up and coming. They tend to feature the same old designers that have been around for years. There are so many cool new brands that have yet to be discovered.

BC – Thanks for your time and answers! Best of luck to you in the future.