Denisha Ferguson is not your average fashionista. Dlang, as she is professionally known, is a creative that produces on many levels. Recently, Dlang shared some of her history, vision and insight on The 317 Experience, which is the official podcast of The Exchange. The podcast is currently running the Black Business Edition of their episodes, Black Businesses Matter.
Dlang shared her background in that she is an Indianapolis native that comes from a family of artists who have always supported her endeavors. She got to express some of her creativity in high school by attending the J Everett Light center at North Central for cosmetology. She furthered her passion by producing her own fashion shows as a teenager in her community. Her idea has always been that fashion is a connector in everything and has spent her years proving that point. While Dlang produces and creates, she holds an Associates degree in fashion, but also boasts an MBA because fashion is business and there is business in fashion.
It was Dlang’s goal to highlight the creative economy in Indiana and after a chance meeting in New York with a fellow Indianapolis native in 2018, the Indiana Fashion Foundation (IFF) and Indiana Fashion Week (INDFW) came to life. This team of two, Dlang and Michael Weston, started planning events and reaching out to the community to garner involvement from models, designers, venues, sponsors, makeup artists, musicians, producers, partners and the list goes on. Indiana Fashion Week 2019 was in the works. By the week of the event, they had put together a team of 140 people, hosted events throughout the week attended by known industry celebrities and supporters and attracted a crowd of 800 to the actual show.
In wake of the pandemic, there was no show in 2020, but for 2021 there are several ways to connect with the Indiana Fashion Foundation. The month of August has been deemed Indiana Fashion Month. There are multiple opportunities to become involved, participate or attend events. IFF has collaborated with the Indiana State Fair to host a space, pop-up events and vendors during the entirety of the fair, July 30-August 22. Also, the youth division of the IFF will be hosting a two-day event, Imagine IFF Fashion Camp at the Fair, August 7-8.
This year, Indiana Fashion Week is a joint partnership with Downtown Indy and Pattern Magazine. The official dates for Indiana Fashion week are August 16-21, 2021. (All pertinent information can be found at indianafashionweek.com or on the parent site of the organization indianafashionfoundation.org). Dlang shared that she is excited about the idea of hosting personal experiences, creating world class events and impacting those involved. Her sincere hope is that after attending the events, people will see how fashion correlates in every day life.
You can listen to the full episode below:
