An Interview with David Acala
By Anthony T. Eaton
This is Fashion Week in NY, established in 1943 by Eleanor Lambert press director of, the New York Dress Institute the American fashion industry’s first promotional organization. Over the last 78 years, it has evolved to be one of the premier events showcasing the best designers and their collections.
Although there is an official body that coordinates a weeks’ worth of events that include parties and shows, many shows take place outside of that structured formality. Most of these events are put on by independent designers, those who are up and coming and have a vision beyond the
One of those is the talented David Acala who is the founder of Devolution Productions who will present the work of Paradise Island Fashion of Hawai’i and Daturday Fashions. The theme of This two-person show is Women Meets Boyz and will focus on the intersectionality of fashion beyond the traditional conforms of gender identity and expression.
I had the opportunity to speak with Acala who’s pronouns are “we/they” who shared that the LGBTQ community is under-represented when it comes to Fashion Week and themes related to our diverse community. While there has been a lot of “appropriation” from the LGBTQ+ community in fashion, the subtext is often the heterosexual representation of us. In Acala’s show, there is an intentional focus on having those who do not identify as SIS be both in front of and behind the scenes in its production.
When I asked what fashion represents and means Acala said: “They represent a level of openness, and acceptance, for the fashion and the within the art world.”
We absolutely need to embrace the fluidity of gender and the many forms of identity when it comes to fashion and NY Fashion Week along with shows and events like this are the perfect opportunity to bridge a gap that exists within the industry.
Amongst presenting three categories: Evening Wear, Street Wear inspired by the late 90’s, and Flamboyant verse Manly. The event will feature several commissioned art pieces created by NYC Artists, FA Africa Boutik by Yassin Joof, East Pendragon and Kays Delights, and more.
Proceeds from this openly Bi-Sexual and Queer fashion show will go to the Wild Birds Funds and SAGE. The show will be followed by an Afro-Disiac show. Although the intersection of the LGBTQ community and fashion is nothing new, there is an element of the fashion industry and design that has not represented the community and the fashion machine.
Devolution Productions NYFW.NYC will participate in an invitation-only luxury hotel space hosted by Devolution Productions on September 11, 2021, at an exclusive location in New York City, in honor of New York Fashion Week 2021.
Amongst presenting three categories: Evening Wear, Street Wear inspired by the late ’90s, and Flamboyant verse Manly. The event will feature several commissioned art pieces created by NYC Artists, FA Africa Boutik by Yassin Joof, East Pendragon and Kays Delights, and more.
Fashion and design have always been a representation of how the world and our view of it have changed. It is important that we not use it to assimilate but rather use it to illustrate our uniqueness.
For more information visit the Devolution Productions and Fashion Week websites:
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