Meet Terry Lawson | Fashion Designer & Curator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Terry Lawson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Terry, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I grew up in Birmingham. And believe it or not… especially when I was growing up, Birmingham was hella fashionable. Especially see I grew up in the “cracking” era… people would make fun of you if your weren’t together lol… can’t get caught lacking out here. But… I was always a fan of all the different looks. Back to Duckhead, Starter Jackets, baseball outfits, airbrush shirts and jeans, Polo, Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, etc… all of it.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art/design style is all about being versatile. Ive also always been a big believer in exclusivity and individuality. It’s just the basic makings of being a human being. I don’t feel the same everyday, so I don’t wanna look the same everyday. I don’t wanna look the same way everybody else looks. I don’t wanna wear the exact same thing everybody else is wearing. So I don’t make a lot of the same pieces. I want people to stand apart when they wear something I’ve designed. There are a lot of challenges that comes with branding yourself and your looks. Because you want to make things that pop today, but also things that will pop always. The fashion houses that have mastered that have sustained success no matter how much trends change. I just want the world to know that we’re playing the short & long game here… and our work will be considered timeless at some stage.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh man… that’s a loaded question lol
I deal with this often because Nashville is a very unique place culturally & aesthetically. I’ve found a few places I like to eat or have a drink, like Noir, Suite 1225, Supper Club, Jeff Ruby’s, etc… of course you take them down on Broadway to see all the things, Man, it’s so many…. But yeah we’ll start there.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I read a book called “Contagious: Why Things Catch On” by Jonah Berger. It’s really given me clarity on what I want to do and how I want to do it. So I’m in the mode of executing my plan, but this is the anchor of the planning. There are a couple more…. “Think & Grow Rich”, “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”, but that one stands out the most.

Website: https://www.debiase1989.com

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