As the dust settled from New York Fashion Week earlier this month, most fashion designers are ready for a break. But one from South Florida is still going strong.
Right after his New York fashion show Feb. 8, David Woods started working around the clock to revise the collection, moving it across the Atlantic Ocean for London Fashion Week just seven days later.
Woods is the creative director of international fashion brand Tony Visions. Based in Miami, the brand is most known for custom handmade pieces and luxury streetwear. His showcase in New York was his seventh at that event. On Feb. 15, he made his London Fashion Week debut at the House of Ikons with a show of the revised collection.
“Miami is definitely a tough market,” Woods said. “I use Miami as my home ground and portfolio builder more than anything. This is where I’m from so we do a lot here, but I like to take what I do here and bring it somewhere else. We’re just excited to take all of our collections and energy to London Fashion Week.”
The designer’s journey hasn’t been easy. He attributes most of his success to hard work and self-reliance. Six years ago, after a difficult time in his life, he said he impulsively decided to pursue his dream. With no experience, he spent three years learning about the industry before starting his company in 2017.
“I had no idea that I could make my own clothes, and it wasn’t something I ever thought about until I actually sat down and taught myself how to sew, and then it was like wow, you could make anything you want,” he said.
“Taking the first step and trying something new is the most important thing. Looking back, I would definitely tell myself to push boundaries much earlier.”
Michael Hursey, a photographer and friend of Woods, said he loves working with him.
“I feel like we approach our respective crafts similarly, so we understand each other and there’s an open flow of ideas,” he said. “We’ve worked together long enough to feel comfortable giving constructive criticism to each other on projects.”
Woods’ creative process involves drawing inspiration from his life experience. He said this practice has allowed him to produce some of his best work, including the current Fall/Winter collection.
“This collection is called The Trinity Collection. My brand is based on faith and empowerment. The trinity is the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost. Based on everything I believe, they come in three,” he said. “That’s why this collection has a lot of deep reds, black and gold. I get inspired by just living, breathing and watching people.”
Woods’ vision for the company includes continuing to expand, bringing a bit of Miami’s fashion scene to markets around the world. He brought a collection to Paris Fashion Week for the first time in September before coming to England this month.
“I always look forward to expanding the network. In a new country, my goal is always to leave a footprint, be able to come back easily, be accepted and have people we can reach out to when we’re not there. We have our sights aimed high for the remainder of this year.”
Keep up with the brand on their website or Instagram.
