Editor's Letter: Best Dressed 2024
Detroiters have been putting on their "Sunday best" nearly every day of the week for a very long time. In fact, one of the very first commercial businesses to open in the Broadway Avenue Historic District back in 1893 was a furrier, A.W. Reckmeyer. That same year, Henry the Hatter, whose hats have adorned the heads of notables from President Dwight D. Eisenhower to Steve Harvey, opened on Gratiot Avenue, and itâ€TMs still going strong at its Eastern Market location.
Detroitâ€TMs global presence as a fashion and design city has continued to flourish over the years, especially these last few. Not only are luxury brands like Hermà ̈s, Gucci, Christian Louboutin, and Dior opening shops here, but we are also cultivating future designers. Pensole Lewis College â€" the only design-focused historically Black college or university in the U.S. â€" has an industry partnership with Nike, and in late September, it was announced that Big Sean is partnering with the college and PepsiCo on a "first-ever student capsule collection."
Meanwhile, over the pond, collections from 2023-24 College for Creative Studies alumni were in an international showcase in September during Paris Fashion Week.
Hour Detroit has been covering and influencing fashion trends since our very first issue in 1996. But it wasnâ€TMt until 2008 that we started talking about metro Detroit residentsâ€TM style. In that issue, fashion journalist Chuck Bennett picked our first Best Dressed honorees, among them Pistons guard Chauncey Billups, WDIV anchor Rhonda Walker, and trial lawyer Geoffrey Fieger. And while the looks and people have changed, some things have remained consistent.
Chuck is still helping curate the list, and this yearâ€TMs honorees include a professional athlete, a TV news consultant, and a civil rights lawyer. One thing that is new is that we are now asking readers to send us their Best Dressed suggestions as well. Thank you to all who sent in nominations.
See who made the cut in our Best Dressed feature here , and make sure to read the rest of the issueâ€TMs content so you can navigate the many places to go and things to do this month.
