Essentials: Donwan Harrell

“Everything in life should have a purpose.” Profound statement right? But have you actually thought about its meaning? The decisions we make, actions we take, and processions we claim should be handled with a desired outcome. Sure life is meant to be lived and enjoyed freely, but we’re given one shot at pulling it off correctly, so planning along the way won’t hurt. Take fashion for instance – although done whimsy at times, many items in our wardrobe serve a specific purpose for certain events and environments. Donwan Harrell and his clothing label Prps would like to think the New York-based label offers garbs that allow its wearers to go through life purposefully, yet with style and grace. Born in North Carolina and raised in Virginia to a seamstress and naval ship repairman, Harrell was intrigued with fashion at an early age helping his mother sew her own designs with the help of his foremost sketching skills. Moving through life winning every art competition in sight and designing his own clothing for classmates, the Southern gentlemen decided to take his talent to New York and after a few stops he eventually landed a job as associate menswear designer for Donna Karan. The next stop on the calculated Harrell expressway was a stint at Nike as the worldwide director for “Organized Team Sports,” designing uniforms for a slew of international teams including the 2002 World Cup. Having gained the necessary experience to build his own successes, the emerging fashion visionary eventually opened the doors to Prps. He took pride in utilizing arguably the finest cotton in the world form Zimbabwe and the experienced craftsmanship of the Japanese to produce garments infused with originality and an ode to traditional menswear. Vowing to never lose sight of detail and quality, Prps has been worn by a long list of A-list celebrities, from Kate Moss to Christian Bale. Donwan Harrell, a name that will certainly reign supreme in the realm of fashion for years to come, leaves us constantly wondering where he will take our imagination and wardrobe next. In the meantime, peruse the items featured here in our latest Essentials installment and tell us what you think of his personal style.