Minnesotan, Army vet lands spot on Netflix fashion competition show
A fashion designer got his start while stationed in the Army; now, he'll be competing to take his brand to the next level
Updated: Feb. 19, 11:52 a.m.
Julian Woodhouse is “Next in Fashion” — literally. The 30-year-old University of St. Thomas graduate is featured on a new Netflix fashion competition show where designers from around the world compete for a $250,000 cash prize.
The reality show premiered a few weeks ago with the contestants hitting the ground running. Although he’s been in the fashion world since launching his brand in 2015, Woodhouse felt a different kind of pressure being on the show.
“You get seven hours, make a full look with someone you've never worked with before, you have a completely different style and taste direction,” he said. “It does put you into a different arena and for me, it was definitely challenging.”
Woodhouse got his start in the fashion world while being stationed in the Army in Seoul, South Korea. He became the first black man to show in Seoul Fashion Week. Following “Next in Fashion,” Woodhouse is working to take his brand, Woodhouse Army, to the next level.
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He and his partner, Kirill Kabachencko, are tailoring the company to be more environmentally focused and less fast fashion. They patented a device called WHAMTO which automates the manufacturing process and gives the customers a say in the clothing design. He believes this technology allows consumers to create clothes they want to wear.
“I think that anyone and everyone who has a normal budget to afford fast fashion has the ability to fill their closets with things they've designed or things that they really connect with,” he said.
Ultimately, Woodhouse wants to continue to stay ahead of what’s next in fashion and change the way clothes are produced.
“We're doing our best as a brand to really make a difference in the world of fashion,” he said. “The people are worth something that makes them feel good about themselves.”
You can find all of 10 episodes of “Next in Fashion” on Netflix and his Menswear collection online.
Click the audio player above to listen to the full interview with Woodhouse on All Things Considered.
Correction (Feb. 19, 2020): An earlier version of this story misspelled the device WHAMTO. The article has been updated.