Designer KORTO MOMOLU blazed on the scene as first runner-up and “fan favorite” on Bravo TVs Project Runway, Season 5. She coped a top spot when she returned on Project Runway All-Stars, as she established her fashion line, always to rave reviews. Born in Liberia, Korto endured a rough start when as a youngster, a military coup in her country, forced her family to relocate to Canada in 1990. Korto graduated from L’Academies des Couturier Design Institute in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Her talent and creativity as a fashion designer gained notoriety on a global scale. She’s a staple at Collection Moda in Jamaica and has shown in Africa and the British Virgin Islands along the way. Korto became a Cheerios Ambassador for the Shoprite Partners in Caring “Knock out Hunger” campaign and has an accessory line in Dillard’s Department Store. Korto presently resides in Arkansas with her husband and two children.
FAST FORWARD to New York Fashion Week 2019. The Spring/Summer 2020 collections. Studio C fashion space at Pier 59, downtown NYC was buzzing with excitement as fashion insiders, faithful friends and fans cram the space to get the first glimpse of `KORTO MOMOLU WOMEN GROW’ – her new collection where she partnered with `Women Grow’ the largest network of women within the cannabis and hemp industries. The 26 looks showcased on the catwalk made a powerful statement in terms of sustainable clothing. Korto’s luxurious line was made from hemp, jute, linen, and cork. It turned out to be one of the more memorable collections shown during New York Fashion Week.
Fashionedits.com caught up with Korto after the show and dug deeper into the designer’s collection and her partnership with Woman Grow. Listen in;-
WALTER GREENE: How did you get involved with Women Grow? KORTO MOMOLU: We, (Women Grow and I) have a mutual contact that connected us and we did a small introductory capsule athleisure collection, that debut at their annual summit in D.C. in June of this year. It was a hit, as the collection sold out before we even did the runway show. That night, I got a call saying that they had a sponsor that was interested in taking the collection to a bigger platform at NYFW. The rest is history.
W.G.; Is this going to be an ongoing collaboration with Women Grow?K.M.; Thus far, I have two collections with them…the athleisure wellness line and the high fashion line. The wellness line is already for sale on the women grow website and the high fashion, we are looking into a small manufacturing run to launch in spring 2020. I would say we are in it for the long haul, time will tell how things progress!
W.G.: What were your inspiration for the new Spring/Summer 2010 collection? K.M.: We wanted to change the narrative of what it is to be a Cannabis user, grower, distributor, and the best way to get it across was through fashion. I wanted to create pieces that women in the Cannabis industry could wear proudly. Women that supported the industry could wear and create new conversations.
W.G.: It was a totally different design elements in your creations. Can you expound on that? K.M.: I made looks using the usual fashion fabrications but included some sustainable fabrics like hemp, linen, cork, and jute (burlap). Fabric usually not affiliated with high fashion or luxury..I wanted to also change that narrative as well. Nobody knew what to expect but once we let the clothes speak it was simple…the rule book was out the door and we controlled what the industry of Cannabis looks like in fashion.
W.G.: Is it like a Korto Momolu “coming of age” collection? K.M.; It began as the story of Korto but it changed as I progressed because this show was bigger than me. I felt the pressure to really step out of my zone and fly so I guess in a sense it was my coming out party…I had to step up.
W.G.; Can you talk about your hemp outfits shown in the collection? K.M.; Finding hemp wasn’t easy, I actually had to get it shipped in from Thailand. It’s a beautiful fabric but very limited resources. I wanted to place the hemp where it seemed almost invisible. You couldn’t point it out from the looks I used it in. I wanted it all to flow like high fashion.
W.G.; The casting was obviously special, what was that thought process like?K.M.; We wanted every woman to feel like she was represented and beauty was ours to determine not society. Each model represented a girl that in our industry isn’t included. Inclusion was key, no limits on beauty.
W.G.; The attention and notoriety from this show has been quite favorable. How do you feel about this? K.M.; I feel like people in the industry finally saw ME as a designer. I’ve been working hard for years, grinding and keeping consistent and this season I felt like my harvest came through.
W.G.; How do you feel about the show, now that it’s over? K.M.; I’m very proud of the show and thankful for the opportunity to show on such a large platform…
percent happy.
