Levenity
THE OPPORTUNITY
CultureHype set out to share Venny Etienne’s story as a designer of Hatian roots who grew up in Brooklyn and how he broke into mainstream media which was traditionally known for not pursuing POC creators. We used aspects of his story that he’s never spoken about before in efforts to highlight his previous work and elevate his brand in Texas.
THE DEVELOPMENT
Venny Etienne discovered his love for fashion when he began styling for local fashion shows in his hometown of Brooklyn, NY at 20 years old. Since then, he has honed in on his design techniques and couture inspiration to create a sophisticated, worldly spin on American sportswear.
With a President + CEO who is extremely fashion-oriented, CultureHype and Venny made the perfect duo. CultureHype President + CEO Amber LaFrance was actually the first to write about Venny and his brand LEVENITY when she featured him in DFW Style Daily several years ago. Venny had a few fashion placements before (he was a Top 7 cast member on season 17 of Project Runway), but he had never done a full PR campaign. CultureHype ran Venny’s first PR campaign ever, focusing on branding him as THE new designer to watch.
THE RESULTS
Venny’s work with CultureHype focused on promoting himself and his brand by elevating his design featured in Beyonce’s “Black is King” video. CultureHype brought in LA and NYC agency partner ICON PR to assist with Venny’s campaign by arranging interviews, amplifying press and making sure LEVENITY was on every media list and press opportunity.
The CultureHype and ICON PR collaboration paved the way for Venny to gain local, national and international attention in order to set up for his next career phase and garnered attention for celebrity styling. His design feature in Beyonce’s “Black is King” elevated his story and brought national attention to his brand.
NOTEWORTHY PRESS CLIPS
E! News Exclusive Interview about New Collection
Advocate Lake Wood - Dallas designers reflect on working with Beyoncé
Central Track - Beyoncé Has Her Eyes On Dallas’ Venny Etienne
D Magazine - Beyoncé Wears Dallas Designer Venny Etienne in Black Is King
Dallas Voice - For Dallas designer Venny Etienne, ‘Black Is King’
Dallas Observer - Fashion Designer Venny Etienne Hopes His Work for Beyoncé Is 'Just the Beginning'
CultureMap Dallas - Dallas designer Venny Etienne outfits queen Beyoncé for Black Is King
Texas Monthly - How Venny Etienne’s Jacket for Beyoncé Inspired His Latest Collection
Patron Magazine - Venny Etienne Outfits Queen Bey in “Already”