The Flavor Of Dean Pardue:
The Flavor Of Dean Pardue:
Dean Pardue was born out of an etouffe of rich, New Orleans-based Southern culture
mixed with equal parts glamour, feminine mystique, appreciation of the simple
complexity of nature, and the lonely vigil of the unique.
Being a creative, sensitive and talented man in the South has never been easy.
But his grandmother, a Master Tailor, took him under her wing, and taught him how to sew.
It wasn’t long before he was making prom dresses, cotillion garb, and the like.
Now, he is a fashion designer and a stylist for many luminaries, including Kim
from “Real Housewives of Atlanta,” and that’s just what he does for his art.
He’s also a devoted father and a master of commercial styling.
The source of his vision is a melange of impressions: the wildness of Mardi Gras,
the intoxicating strength of Southern feminine prowess which contrasts lace and
silk with steel Victorian sensibilities.
He is a study in opposites. On one hand, he thrives in the creative straightjacket
that Corporate America forces on him, creating stunning retail displays that
please an executive mind.
On the other, he is a passionate wildman, a conjurer of flower-petal goddesses
and horned ninja enchantresses. He shreds, strews, cascades, throws, and
teases fabric, wire, thread, silk, lace, and tulle to make confections that are
just as outrageous as they are improbable.
“Fashion is very much like cooking, and there’s a lot of prep work to it. The models are the catalyst and the expression of that. Some people like to look at
models as coat hangers, but I like to look at them as more of a statement of what the garment is, because each individual female is different, as is the statement
that she makes through her eyes, her posture and what she evokes about what she’s wearing.” Dean said.
He caters to women, unafraid to openly worship at the font of feminine power. This Creole man who calls himself The White Chocolate; sinful, decadent,
but always refined, is equally at home in his African roots as he is in his European.
“I like to bring great little visual images forward. I’ve been asked to do things for men, but I’m not inspired by them. If I were to do anything for men,
it would be very simplistic and clean. When it comes to fashion, my impression of men is basic and classic. With a woman, the more you add to her, the more
expression she makes. I think men make a quieter statement, and it’s better that way, like the spaces between the notes of a song.”
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When dressing his models for a shoot such as this, he is in his element.
Like a shaman conjuring myth out of smoke and story, he brings out the masks, the costumes,
the shadows and the light. Hons it, smiths it, and stares at his creation when it’s all done,
a Pygmalion in a simple white shirt and jeans, gazing at his Galatea.
At the shoot, Sable and Alexis step into the roles he has for them without question, and he gladly points the attention to them.
For someone in the middle of things and about to appear on his own reality TV show, he is amazingly camera shy.
The spirit of his grandmother lingers; this bit of yarn from her yarn-stash, that bit of crystal from a chandelier that used to hang in her home;
she still finds a way to affect him even now.
Dean said, “The thing about it is, you do see models as beautiful creatures, but you also see them like a part of the piece.
I’ve done some shoots that are very sexual, but in your mind you don’t get caught up in that.
It’s artistically emotional in that degree solely in the moment, but that requires trust.
Some of the best art comes out of a partnership with people who you can trust.”
Article by Sam Chupp
Clothing/Head dresses by Dean Pardue
Models: Alexis LouStou and Sable Simone
Assistant: Tony Mills
Starburst Headdress by Deanna Bee
This is absolutely beautiful! What an amazing description of Dean. I have known and worked with him for many years, and I could never have described him so eloquently….and perfectly! I have always been in complete awe(and envy) of his talent, but could never put those feelings into words. You managed to do it, and then some… Thank you so much for sharing!!! xoxo