L’Enchanteur’s Dynasty and Soull Ogun, Winners of the 2024 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund

0:29This is The Run Through. I'm Nicole Phelps. a really terrific group of finalists in our 20th year of the CFTA Vogue Fashion Fund. Yes, it's such a treat to be back on the jury. We missed you. Yes, and to get to know a whole new group of designers. I was really thrilled to be part of it. Thank you. Here is our conversation. Dynasty and Soul, thank you so much for joining us on the Run Through Podcast. Thank you. Thank you. I'm going to jump right in. On Wednesday night, you received the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund first prize, and it was a great night, and it's a huge accomplishment. And we want to know, Mark and I want to know, how did you feel about winning, and did you think you would win?

1:13Well, I think throughout the process, there was a lot of affirming things that allowed us to be like, oh, okay, maybe we might win this, because it was just going along with what we had been doing. However, there were times when I did think of some of our other peers and I thought like they had strong things going on, but we still was settled in our confidence of what we were doing at the same time. So it's basically like appreciating that they had strengths, but it was just like we were just focused on what our journey was. It wasn't really taking us off so much. I will say funny enough, what was funny is when when we sat down, we were like, wow, we're like in the blood nose section.

1:52I definitely said that. Because we thought it was funny because we were like, you know, like it was just little things that you try not to pay attention to. But it was we were like getting served last for food. We were kind of sitting where like they would be bumping you when they're coming out the kitchen. I said this. So I was like, so we're in the blood nose section. So I was like, you don't need to worry about that. I was like, don't focus on that. Do not focus on that. That doesn't mean anything. And then I looked around, I'm like, are we here? So I thought that was kind of funny. But then I also thought like, oh, maybe it makes sense.

2:30Maybe it's like, OK, we're not going to just fully let you know if you want or not. Like, we're going to keep guessing until we announce the name. But there was always like the echo of, you know, I think at some point I asked Tom, I was like, how do we win? And I think I asked that to Nicole. I was just like, what do we do? And it was always affirming, like, keep being you, keep being yourself. So you mentioned Journey. So I'd love to go right back to actually pre-Launch On Tour. I'd love to know a little bit of your history, what you were both doing before you founded Launch On Tour and why you founded the label.

3:05What inspired you to do that? Well, Sol and I had separate brands that we wanted to cultivate. You could even go back before that. What was before that? Before I was rapping. Oh, and Sol was rapping. But Sol was making music, and she wanted to get into the music industry. And I was her hype man, woman. man. And I've already had my brand settled or the idea of what I was going to do with clothing. And I called so one day and I was like, I know what I want to do with my life. She's like, what? I was like, I'm going to like design clothes. And then so I was like, what am I going to do with my life?

3:47And then she was designing bags or just designing. And then it was going into bags. And And then when we had our first show, Soul helped with the, what do you call it? The souvenirs. The souvenirs and the gift bags. And it's something that's really known in, let's say, the West Indian community. You always give a gift or you give something back as you're having your event. And Soul made these amazing masks. and then as she was doing it she was like oh well I think I want to um pursue this further and I was like all right dope I'm gonna continue to pursue what I'm doing and then you know I just was definitely designing for a while yeah I was like I'm gonna figure it out exactly and I was like I'm gonna stick to this I'm gonna um just pursue it heavily and then soul she wanted to add her story to it, which I thought was beautiful, and that we wanted to join forces and see what that looked like for us.

4:54And then as we continued to explore that, we were approached by someone out in Berlin who was like, hey, I love your work. I love what you guys are doing. And he sees some genes on an artist that we were working with. And I was like, oh my God, my sister and I, We just launched our brand together, and we hadn't. And I called, so like, we need to launch our brand, and we need to come up with a name now. And then someone was like, all right, let's do something that cultivates all of us all together. And then we came up with Le Chantere, and Le Chantere was an ode to our mother. And it was also like making fun of the fact—it was making fun of her a little bit more—of the fact that as first-generation New Yorkers, our parents wanted to give us that American dream.

5:45And they didn't necessarily— Yeah, they wanted to assimilate. And they didn't speak their languages to us. They spoke only English. And Sol and I was like, oh, this is, like, perfect. You know, Mommy's going to be so, like, tight about this. And as we decided to bring the brand together, we wanted it to highlight the fact that we were first generation, the fact that both of our parents spoke a different language and the fact that we only spoke English and what that looked like to us.

6:20Okay, we're going to take a quick break.

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7:26so you've called yourselves autodidactic artisans i think and i think that means that you're self-taught right like does it mean that i think that's what it means it does i definitely love that word because it does i do too so how did you teach yourselves how to be these incredible designers? We grew up in this household of artistic beings and artistic people. Our mother was an artistic designer and creator herself. Our older sister, Catherine, was a creative herself. Our brothers was into, you know, graffiti art and things like that. And we had a lot of self-teaching. And also, I think using the quote-unquote adversity of lack allowed us to create a lot in the house.

8:10So, you know, we really wanted to be on Wheel of Fortune. So what we did was turn over a bicycle and spin the wheel and we're like, Wheel of Fortune, right? So it was a lot of that happening in the house of like teaching yourself how to have fun. So, you know, that came along with teaching ourselves how to create because also it comes from quote unquote lack. For example, when I wanted to study jewelry making I went and researched schools and I think the schools were about 35 40 thousand dollars and I'm like what and then you know that allowed some openness that I found a bunch of books that were about you know metal smithing and metalworking and then that also then aligned me with this artist who had a studio and then I went into his studio Hugo McLeod, I went to the studio and then worked.

9:01Similar with Dynasty, Dynasty was making a lot of clothes that we were wearing in like the club scene, you know, so we were just making, making, making, making. And we took a lot of the way that our mother would just make our clothes for like graduation pictures and like, you know, events or things like that. And we read a lot of books, like our dad was, I would say kind of the opposite of our mom in terms of a very scientific science knowledge-attaining kind of person. I would also add on into the way that they discovered knowledge, and the way that they discovered knowledge was separate, was different.

9:37Our dad, he discovered it through books and reading and course and discourse, and our mother would, she would find that way through physically. Trial and error. Trial and error. Trial and error, essentially, through learning through that. So I think the autodidactic aspect came because we were put in a position or brought up in a household where reading was fundamental. Well, it's interesting because when we saw your design challenge, I was actually blown away by the amount of research you had put into that look. You know, when you were mentioning the architect from DC. Absolutely, Benjamin Manica.

10:13Yeah, it was kind of incredible. And his actual birthday, the day that we actually had the show, his death. The challenge, the challenge. Oh, I'm saying it's a show. But, I mean, it was a show. It was a show for everyone. But the challenge, that date, was an anniversary of his passing. So it came all through. It came all together. Of course we had no idea what we were doing. We didn't. We didn't have any idea. We didn't have any idea. So the challenge, just so everyone knows, it was Stripes and Stars. Tommy Hilfiger sponsored this design challenge for all of the finalists. and give us a synopsis of what the look was.

10:52When we chose our muse, which was Joey Badass, Joey is like, we've been working with him for a minute. And we were like, Joey's from Brooklyn like us. He's younger than us, but he's from the same neighborhood. And he's 10 years younger than us, but he grew up in the same community that we grew up in. So we wanted to showcase that. So when they said stripes and stars, I think immediately Dynasty and I turned to each other we're like, how can we create stripes and stars and think of it less of the immediate thought of stripes and stars, which to me would be like, whether it's a flag or it's just about stripes, we were thinking galactically.

11:30I think we said that. We were thinking, how can we galactically connect a stripe and a star? And I think what came up to us was constellations, because in order to make a constellation, you need stripes, aka lines, and you need stars. And that is the first level of how that came up, then we were thinking of what, like, can we think of an astrologer or somebody that works with, you know, astronomy or an astronomer? And when we, it kind of popped up right away for us, Benjamin Banneker, because we specifically was looking for something that also connected to Americana, but in this other way that I think a lot of people don't actually think about first and foremost.

12:10And we did want to highlight a black astronomer, right? So we wanted to bring that into fruition and then what was beautiful is that when dynasty saw some of the images you thought like that would like when when dynasty thought about like leather denim then we thought like what's the lining going to be because you have to line leather and we were like it has to be something really special also and and bringing who the initial muse was which was benjamin dynasty was like she would draw the image that would be on the silk that we would line the the denim with and that was just a beautiful it just really flowed i want to ask you because you mentioned joey wrote grew up in the same neighborhood which i think is flatbush right you both grew up you all grew up in flatbush baby can you talk to me a little bit about that and kind of what about flatbush yeah i was told to a whole bunch about flatbush what has it been influential to you i mean flatbush is very influential to us i think flatbush is it's our home and a lot of people from flatbush are first generational and i think that flatbush um it gives a unique identity to someone who's growing up there and the way that we talk, the way that we eat food, the way that we introduce ourselves is very unique and specific to that neighborhood in Brooklyn.

13:45Well, I know home is really important because I went to your solstice party over the summer, which was a lot of fun. You had your home, which was wonderful. And then you also had your presentation there during New York Fashion Week. Yes. Well, so Dynasty and I had our showroom in my old apartment further into Bed-Stuy, closer to where Dynasty lives in Bushwick. So it's always been this creating a space that felt familiar and home to the visitors that would come anyway. So when I was thinking about a place, I was thinking of enough space to be able to create a zone for the atelier and for the ready to wear clothing, jewelry and have its own space.

14:36A whole landscape. a whole landscape. And then also, I wanted to then pivot and think about our artwork and us as artists and our sculptures and our textile designs. Dynasty and I separately, respectively. Those places where that can live and be exhibited in its own space that was separate from the Atelier and the Showroom so that it wasn't confused with one another. Like that was that space and then this was another space. And then, you know, a place to live at the same time. So, you know, it's kind of, a more avant-garde space of, I think, a mom-and-pop. You know, like when you think of a place that's like on the bottom floor and then you live upstairs.

15:14But how do we make it, you know, that's our brownstone. More after the break.

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16:05Speaking of your presentation during New York Fashion Week in September, it was very immersive. You had tarot card reader, a beautiful tarot card reader. Astrology is part of your work. I want you to talk a little bit about that, how those other systems or mediums or things sort of weave into the jewelry and clothes you make. Oh, I mean, it interweaves seamlessly. We utilize that in our everyday waking. We like to highlight it in our works. I think highlighting in our work is an afterthought. The way in which we do and carry our work is always research, study, research, study, apply. And then when it comes to the metaphysics, the mysticism, I think that that's also something that we bring in to ourselves.

17:02And then it becomes something as an afterthought in the way in which we showcase our work. for the show, it was easy to do it because it's something that we always utilize, something that we always bring into our everyday life. And the way in which we shared the story, we had an amazing art director, Cynthia Cervantes, who she's able to help us showcase and share our story. And she was able to bring that in. And she was able to speak the language in a way that it highlighted what we do on a normal basis. It was wonderful to get a tarot reading. Was it right? It was great. I have to say, though, I actually do need to get her name and number or email so I can reach out to her.

17:48Oh, we'll have a few. Because we could only get, I couldn't have time to get one card turned over. I got a very good one. It was kind of amazing. You said, tell me more. I was a little like that. I had to leave, sadly. I think, Nicole, you got one. I really liked mine, too. It was great. I took a picture of it. It was great. Amazing. But maybe you told her, tell them really good things. Really good things. Even if it was real things that didn't seem like they were quote-unquote good, they were insightful. Yes, she was very insightful. It lets you know what moves that you need to make next. It was very perceptive.

18:20Do you want to share what Jotaro said? It was a card about community and the importance of community and being part of a community, which actually I thought was very appropriate, given that we were there to see your work, both of your work, but also because we were so immersed in your community at that point. And of course, then thinking about the community of the CVFF, the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund too, it's a real community. And I'd actually love to ask you a little bit about that, what it was like, because you're also, you know, and we talked about the competition and how you felt as you kind of were through it, But it also does create this moment of being with other designers and being part of a group of creatives.

19:03Of community. Of community. I think that it inspired us to engage with our community. I mean, we engage with our community so often. I think it was just highlighting engagement with community. It was highlighting. It probably expanded your community, right? Because you do have a lot of, I mean, a lot of people. It expanded our community so much. And it also offered us the opportunity to ask questions when it needed to be and to feel like things that we felt like we knew. What does that actually look like to know it? I think that. The things you don't know. That's what I mean by that. That's what I mean by that.

19:44You only know what you know. Exactly. So to ask questions was showing a sense of vulnerability that we wanted to know more. We wanted to know more what helped us, propel us, and to win, obviously. But to go beyond winning, what happens after you win? What happens when you take it there and then you want to take it further? I think that was amazing with all of our, when we had our, when people came to our spaces, I think that intricate, you know, the judges, when the judges came to our spaces, I feel like even if we had our peers come to the spaces, that would have been really interesting. I think that might be something that you might want to throw in for next time.

20:31That's a good idea. That's a great idea. So everyone gets to – no, but you're right because I never underestimate, I think any of us do on the committee, that it's quite a vulnerable act to have to open up and reveal your work and reveal your story and talk about what drives you and inspires you and what kind of powers you through to kind of move forward and create the way you do. Exactly, exactly. And that does require a moment of just being open. And there's strength in that. Yeah, I agree. I think there's strength and power in vulnerability. And I think that the fact that we've all made ourselves vulnerable to individuals who had the hand in what was next for us was powerful.

21:12I think that everyone who showcased that, I think that was just a powerful moment for us. I think that was as powerful as the announcements to be there, to be there with others and, like, you know, showcasing around and not trying to make a sale. But also like, you know, someone was always trying to make a sale. We'll be back. That is a very good note. And we will take that back to the CFDF. The finalists are going to go visit each other. Each other. But on that note, what would you tell designers who applied to the fashion fund next year? Is there any advice you would give other aspiring talents?

21:53What was interesting about this is that this is the first time Dynasty and I applied and we'd have been told to apply before but i think there was a level of having your ducks in a row having your and it's not that you have everything all together obviously you're still coming to learn you're still coming to explore and be open and vulnerable like dynasty said but having certain things in order like specifically your finances right like we had heard from like other previous finalists about, you know, being really great and innovative in design and the other aspect isn't together. So it really, that locked in on strengthening.

22:35And again, it's not about just making a lot of money, but it's knowing what you're making. It's knowing what it is that you're putting out and how the return is because, you know, the glamour of designing beautiful clothes and beautiful jewelry is there. We love that. then there should be some type of glamour in the way that your finance is being run so that you're able to sustain yourself and make a company that is not only sustaining you, but you're also employing other people. You also know where your material is coming from. You know who you're working with, like all these things that we, I think, are blindsided to because we're artists in the beginning of things that can.

23:16And that's just not just to apply for Vogue Fashion Fund. It's also just for your company, right? Just like even if you decide not to apply or not, but it's just I think those are important elements to have some kind of understanding of the ins and outs of business. Well, I think that's a really good point. And honestly, both of you, because, you know, I remember years ago, Telfar applied and people kept saying to me, but Telfar's been around for ages. and kind of saying, why didn't we have him sooner? And I said, well, Telfar only applied this year. We're getting our money together. Well, I think Telfar had gone through lots of different iterations.

23:57He'd perhaps been working more in the art world, and then he decided maybe to work more in the fashion arena. I was thrilled he did the fund. I was even more thrilled that he won. But sometimes, you know, it takes time. And I think for all the points that you're saying, all the reasons that you're saying, so sometimes you get to a point where you're like, This is the moment. This is the right time for us to do it. I was going to also add on to what Soul is saying, is that being confident in what you're doing. I think that the fact that Soul and I, we came in on the first trial and then we won.

24:31It's so profound. It's so profound. It's so now. But it comes into everything that we were doing. It comes into getting our business together. It comes into getting our identity and what we needed to know about ourselves as we were applying, as we were showcasing, as we were sharing our muses. They also reflected who we were as a brand and also reflect and we can cultivate that in a way where our everyday customer or client can come into and reflect on that brand. And I think that deals a lot with the confidence in who you are as a structure. And I think that our confidence as a structure, as us getting our things together, getting our ducks in a row, it really showcased that.

25:21I think that anyone who's coming in who's applying, I would suggest that they build the confidence. But by building confidence, confidence is not something that you're necessarily automatically born with. You can build on that. And you can build on that through your work. You can build on that through the business level, the business aspect. You can build on that, who your clientele looks like. And also building on working through the things that you don't want to work, the uncomfortable things help build the confidence. So the things that you quote unquote think that you're lacking in, if you can focus some type of attention and energy on the adversity or on the lack or something like that, that is going to build because it gets you over the hill.

26:03It gets you over the hump. So if you're so focused on the things that you're good at, yeah, of course you're going to have confidence in that. Because when you're coming up against what competition looks like, you're not the only person that's there. There's going to be nine or ten more people who are going to show you how to get up that hill. You have had a really big couple of months in addition to winning the fashion fund. You have also, you learned earlier this month, I think, that you have pieces in the Costume Institute's upcoming exhibition, Super Fine Tailoring Black Style. So can you tell us what pieces are in the show and how it feels to be part of this landmark exhibition that's coming up next year?

26:48So I was going to tell you what pieces are in the show. I'm going to tell you how it feels. So the pieces that are in the show are our name spell necklace, which is something that we made during our show, Hood Breakfast, in 2022. too. And basically what it is, it's playing on the nameplate necklace and repeated many times. And it was inspired by our mother's nameplate that she probably got made in the 80s. So they don't do that particular typography anymore. So we wanted to play on that, that it's rare, but also her name is Althea. And when we made it, we wanted to echo her name. This is after she passed.

27:27So it was basically the concept of saying her name over and over and over. So that felt like a beautiful thing. So that's the name spell. And we also have our Kalanago medallion. And that's also in reference to, I mean, I feel like it's all about our mom in this one, but it's a reference to this indigenous tribe in Dominica that is the last of the indigenous tribe throughout the Caribbean. So I think it's about 0.5 % left of this tribe, and they're all in Dominica, which is where our mom is from. And we created this storyline of this indigenous royal family who essentially had to escape the colonialism of the Columbus colonialism.

28:09And when they escaped, they left these coins to show that there was this actual royal family that existed. So that's a storyline that we created. Boom. And then we also have our LE bullion coins, which I should look out for later. And what that is, is us creating our own gold currency. And they are all 10 grams of gold. And it's numbered in codes. Some people get them custom made. And on the other side is a motif of our mother. Again, immortalized in our mother's image. So those are the three pieces that are there. And I think they chose those because they represent a bridge between what we consider Dandy in the times of like the 30s, the 1800s, and what we consider Dandy now.