Meet Darryl Bordenave of Ruckage Design Company

Today we’d like to introduce you to Darryl Bordenave.

Darryl, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
When I was 11 years old, my grandmother introduced me to the sewing machine. I used to always play in the program paint on the 1990’s Compaq computer. In the program, I would draw clothing. One day I was sitting at the computer and said to myself “I need a name for my clothing line.” Then I said a short prayer asking GOD to give me a name. I started to say the names of popular brands at that time like Phat Pharm, FUBU, Roca Wear and Sean John. Then the word Ruckage came flowing out of my mouth. I said the name a few times and I liked It. I thanked GOD for the name and kept it ever since.

Shortly afterward I started to design on T-shirts, shoes, old pants and anything I could find to express my creativity. In high school is when I really understood that fashion was my calling as I began to sew my own garments… After high school, I decided to attend SCAD (Savannah College of Art & Design) to further my knowledge in fashion and hone my design skills. While in college I began to work with celebrities designing clothing for them. While most students were waiting on opportunities from school, I was creating my own outside of what college could offer. It’s nothing but the grace of GOD for where I am now. Staying focused and using my gift diligently helped mature my gift and expand my creativity. My road to success has been very rocky but not giving up is what helped me thus far.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth road for me. While in college my mother moved back to our hometown New Orleans. I was in Atlanta with no family or support. My student loans got rejected close to my senior year and I had to drop out of college because it was too expensive. I then faced homelessness for a short period of time. Through it all, I still was pursuing my fashion career by doing fashion shows, photo shoots and working with celebrities. I wasn’t getting paid for any of the work I was doing so often times I would spend my last dollar just to make it on set or to and from a fashion show or photo shoot. I remember I got booked to speak to a college fashion class and I only had $5 in my pocket. I used it for gas so I could make it to speak to that college class. I knew my gift could inspire someone else so I didn’t mind. It’s been times where I had to ask myself “Do you want this fabric, or do you want this burger?” I always chose the fabric because my hunger for design. I had to learn early in life to trust GOD and hold on to his promises.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
I own Ruckage Design Co. It’s a high-end fashion brand catering to men and women who has a keen sense of style and identity. My company specializes in outerwear at the moment but later will expand into full range fashion company offering everything from Jeans to accessories. I’m known for my well-detailed, edgy and structured jackets. As a company, I’m mostly proud that my designs have stayed original and that people can identify my design aesthetic apart from other designers. That is also what sets me apart from other designers or fashion brands.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I do feel like Atlanta is a good city for a business like mine. Atlanta has a lot of style and a lot of high-end stores. The fashion industry could do a lot more here in my opinion though. If someone was starting out in fashion in Atlanta I’m not sure if I would recommend Atlanta to them only because I would have to know their background and demographics.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.Ruckage.com
• Email: darryl.b@ruckage.com
• Instagram: @ruckage @mr.ruckage
• Facebook: Ruckage Design Company
• Twitter: @darryl_ruckage

Image Credit:
Photographer: James L. Young; Models: Brandin Jones, Erik Peterson and Robert Grant

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