Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Duane Topping. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Duane thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us about a time that your work has been misunderstood? Why do you think it happened and did any interesting insights emerge from the experience?

The interesting thing about my fashion journey is that it began with me shedding my own mischaracterizations of myself. As a US Army Veteran with PTSD, I assumed that’s all I could ever be. I learned that I could be More Than a Label. The depth of who I am could be more than what labels I had assumed I was stuck with. From the onset of my path as a Fashion Designer, I found I wasn’t the only one who didn’t see a fashion designer when looking at me. I tell the story of my very first runway where I was mistaken for the backstage security. I actually stood there checking the IDs of the other participants. Later on, while outside, a woman walked by handed me two dollars, and told me “good luck”. Would have loved to see the look on her face when I got out to the runway!. This has been a consistent misjudgment, if it’s not the security man it’s the HVAC repairman. People look at me and just don’t envision a Fashion Designer, even at a fashion event. In the beginning, it bothered me, but I soon realized that’s my secret weapon, my superpower now. My brand has evolved from being therapeutic to a place where I found my peace in the creative process. To something bigger than me. I now push to show people that they too can be More Than a Label. What better way to illustrate that than the contrast of a big bearded biker doing what I do. You are almost forced to rethink your perceptions. After all, if I can do it, anybody can.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a Denver native, retired from military service. My garments reflect my own journey through PTSD and my rise back to the light. Inspired by diversity and a feminist ideology, I create garments that combine ease, flow, and simplicity that attempt to empower and reflect the beauty in everyone.

In 2012 I retired from the US Army. 39 months of deployment left me struggling with PTSD. I spent many years fending off those demons. After 4 years of darkness, I decided I needed a change. None of the traditional treatments had been effective, and I needed something different, something out of the box. I’ve always been an artist, and as I grew older I developed a love of fashion. In fact, while deployed I would seek out the female care packages for the fashion magazines. In the back of my mind, I always thought I would teach myself to sew. So, one day in late 2016 I came home and told my wife, “I’m going to learn to sew.” She asked, “when are you going to do that.” I held up my new machine and said, “Now.” I sat down on a TV tray and made a purse. It was upside down and didn’t work very well, but that was the beginning. My first runway was in the spring of 2017 and since then I have fallen in love with the industry. I truly found light and peace in the creative process of Fashion Design. The brand has now evolved. It still is my sanctuary, but now it’s about spreading the message of my journey. I tell people that I am more than a label, just like them. And I believe in that. So now, we focus on showing our customers and fans that they too can overcome any obstacle. When they look in the mirror, that person staring back has the power to change the world. You’ll never get people to not label you. But what you can do is not believe in them. Choose your own label. I hope that people can find a bit of their story in mine, and be inspired. If this old biker can do it, so can they. After all, I just make wrapping. The power and beauty are in the gift wearing my creations.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

When I started, fashion was a weapon against mental illness for me. Once I found my peace in the creative process my goals have evolved. I want to inspire people. So often we are trapped in the labels of society. We feel we can’t be anything other than those labels. My hope is that I can show the world that, while you’ll never get people to stop labeling, you don’t have to buy into it. You can be More Than a Label. If an old Army vet biker can be a fashion designer then the sky is the limit for you!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

One of the things I try and do is have a different barometer for success. For me, it’s not financial or notoriety, it’s the stories of inspiration. There was a woman from Washington who was getting prepared to go to her 50-year high school reunion. She had been reluctant to go. After seeing my TED talk she was inspired not only to go, but she wanted to wear a very avant-garde piece I had just created. That to me is a success, and those stories of people who have connected with my journey and shed their own labels are the most rewarding. Seeing that emotional connection to the garments, to the artistry is absolutely amazing!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.facebook.com/toppingdesigns
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/duanetopping/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/toppingdesigns
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/topping-designs-03155b191/
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/duanetopping1

Image Credits
JOhn Rawson, Jason Atherton, James Long and Duane Topping