Sylvian Hyde
(Belmopan, Belize)
Very few designers have come to New York City and accomplished what Sylvian Hyde has in such a relatively short amount of time. After spending two years in immigration detention in which he discovered his desire to pursue fashion design, Hyde was granted asylum in the U.S. in 2016 and has worked to achieve his dream since then. With the help of his business partner, Jabari Chambers, and other connections that he has made in New York, Sylvian Hyde now has two collections, which were both shown at New York Fashion Week Men’s, and a growing brand with a unique take on menswear. It was not easy for Hyde to get to where he is now, but he did it, and shares his story.
Tell me a bit about your upbringing in Belize and how you think it influenced what you’re doing now.
I came to the states in December 2014. My upbringing there definitely makes me more determined and resilient. More determined because a lot of opportunities that I have now weren’t there. And I’ve had a pretty interesting life so I don’t give up easily because I’ve been through way worse.
Were there any particular fashion influences that you saw growing up in Belize that made you want to work in fashion?
The biggest fashion influence I had growing up was my mom. She just loved clothes and, even if she was just going to the store, she looked great every single day. My grandmother influenced me as well, she sewed her curtains, her linens, and her dresses and they looked great. I also remember watching my aunt make my cousin’s prom dress. So the women in my family first exposed me to fashion, but since I was a child I’ve always drawn. That’s just what I did. My mom tells me that I used to draw houses and big buildings and cars, and then people, and then women in dresses. So I can’t say that I knew that I definitely wanted to do fashion, but I knew that I wanted to have a career that involves some form of design, architecture, automotive design, or fashion and as I grew older I appreciated fashion more.
When did you realize that you wanted to be a fashion designer?
Growing up in Belize, being a fashion designer didn’t seem very likely. I didn’t even pay any attention to it as a career then, for me it was just a hobby. When I was younger, I really wanted to be an architect.
What made you switch from architecture to clothing?
I actually didn’t make the decision to pursue fashion design until I was here in the United States. I got here in 2014 and I was in immigration detention for two years. During that time, I would collect the old New York Times newspapers and different magazines and I came across stories about people like Tommy Hilfigher, Olivier Rousteing from Balmain, and Jeremy Scott from Moschino. When I read these peoples’ stories they really struck a chord in me and I figured that since I’m here in the states, these things really are a possibility now. So I used the time that I was in there to just sketch and build a portfolio and make a plan for when I was hopefully going to be granted asylum. Now I have been able to make those dreams a reality.
What was it like when you first came to the U.S. and New York City to become a designer?
It was…crazy. When I first got out of immigration detention, I came to live with my aunt but I didn’t feel comfortable in that situation so I left and checked myself into a homeless shelter in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. My asylum case was still pending so I had to go back to court every now and then. I was working in the Brooklyn Navy Yard on the rooftop doing agriculture for about $50 every two weeks. Then I was robbed at the homeless shelter, so I decided to leave and I reached out to some friends from high school that live in New York. Luckily through them, I found a place to stay. But it wasn’t until August 2016 that I was finally granted political asylum and I was able to find a legitimate job.
My first job was working for my immigration attorney as his personal assistant. I was doing filing in the office, taking things to immigration court, that type of stuff. And then I figured since I was making money, I should start pursuing my dream. My boss bought me the iPad Pro and I started sketching electronically. So I did that for about a year and I networked and met people, including my business partner today, Jabari Chambers, who is a Pace University alumnus and has experience in the business side of fashion. So we would hang out and he reviewed my sketches and one day we just decided to create a brand. That was nine months ago, and now we have two collections.
Your website says that you create clothing for men who are into syle and want to show it, as opposed to creating menswear that is “utilitarian.” Tell me about your designs.
I just hate seeing very distinguished, talented, successful men, fade into the background on the red carpet because they’re all dressed the same and they are usually with a very elaborately dressed date. I want men to feel like they are entitled and allowed to dress up. Women have that luxury. Why shouldn’t men also wear clothes that present them in the best way possible? That’s what really motivates my designs.
We also like to use unexpected fabrics for men’s clothing. I never went to fashion school, so maybe that plays a part in my mad scientist design mentality. I just love fabric, so if something catches my attention, I find a way to use it for menswear. For example, we have a hoodie made from tweed, and bomber jackets made from a metallic brocade fabric, and now we’re making tailored suits out of athletic mesh. So we’re just finding a way to do something different.
Once you decided to start a brand, how did you then get your first collection shown?
It took a lot of researching, experimenting, and wasting money, until we found a good sample room and people to work with. We had to use every last dollar that we had to build our brand to a point where somebody would want to invest in it. Which is a scary thing to do, to empty your bank account into a dream that you have no guarantee is going to pay off. But after our first show we reached out to investors and we now have two.
Who and what helped you get to where you are now?
The aunt of one of the immigration attorneys that worked on my asylum case, Kate Phillips, is one of the directors in an organization called SoHarlem, a non-profit organization that provides resources and help to creatives. She used to mentor me and teach me about fabrics and construction. So she’s been very instrumental. Jabari, my business partner has been very instrumental as well. And Dorothy Wetzel who was our first investor, has really supported us by investing and believing in our brand.
What advice would you give to your younger self who is just beginning to design or launch his own brand?
I feel that my downfall is also…a strength. I’m very impatient because I feel like I’ve been held back a lot so I have ground to cover. When I want to do something that might be a big task or it may be a bit out of my reach, I spend days and nights thinking of ways to get to that place. In some ways it’s a setback, but at the same time, not accepting limitations has helped me. I would tell myself to be a bit more patient and to allow the process to play out naturally.
What’s next for you?
I want to really hone my skills and continue to grow.
SYLVIAN HYDE
Website: sylvianhyde.com
Contact: info@sylvianhyde.com
Edited by Marley Shelby (marley@andthem.com)
