Brandon Maxwell

For the American ice hockey player, see Brandon Maxwell (ice hockey).

Brandon Maxwell
Born	September 18, 1984 (age 34) Longview, Texas
Nationality	American
Alma mater	St. Edward’s University (B.A)
Occupation(s)	Fashion designer, television personality, director, photographer
Years active	2009-Present
Titel	Fashion Designer, Brandon Maxwell
Awards	Fashion Group International Rising Star Award, CFDA Swarovski Award

Brandon Maxwell is an American fashion designer, television personality, director and photographer. He is the founder and creative director of Brandon Maxwell, the luxury women’s ready-to-wear label.

Early life

Brandon Maxwell was born in Longview, Texas on September 18, 1984. His grandmother worked at a boutique in Longview, where he often spent his time. Growing up, Maxwell would put together outfits and photograph his friends wearing them. In 2002, he moved to New York City to study painting at Marymount Manhattan College before transferring to St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. Maxwell graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Photocommunications. After graduating, Maxwell returned to New York City to begin working.

Life and career

Prior to launching his eponymous womenswear label, Maxwell entered the fashion industry as a stylist. He began assisting Deborah Afshani in 2009, followed by Nicola Formichetti in 2010, where he was introduced to Lady Gaga, as Nicola was her stylist at the time. In 2012, Maxwell took on the role of Lady Gaga’s fashion director.

Maxwell has styled for magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar, ELLE, V, Teen Vogue, and Porter. He has done ad campaigns for Barneys New York and Uniqlo. He was cited by The Hollywood Reporter as one of the top 25 stylists of 2015. Maxwell has collaborated with photographers such as Mario Testino, Inez & Vinoodh, Paola Kudacki, Giampaolo Sgura, Terry Richardson, and Steven Klein. In 2015, Maxwell débuted his women's ready-to-wear label, Brandon Maxwell, in New York at Mr. Chow. The brand was born out of the desire to make women feel beautiful, sophisticated, and powerful by creating timeless garments that are impeccably tailored. With a focus on craftsmanship, the entire collection is designed in New York City. Brandon’s integrity is present throughout the process; he crafts his garments by draping, rather than sketching, to ensure an ideal fit. Inspiration is drawn from the women whom Brandon surrounds himself with, which is evident in the sharp tailoring and the sculptural details.

While pursuing his degree in photocommunications, Maxwell met friend and collaborator, Jessy Price. In school they worked on projects, and this collaboration continues today. Together, Brandon and Jessy photographed and directed their first commercial short film together for the Brandon Maxwell Fall/Winter 2016 campaign. The success of this project lead them to directing Apple Music’s commercial for Lady Gaga’s song “A-Yo” from her 2016 album Joanne. They have continued to direct campaigns for Brandon's eponymous label that focus on highlighting the featured talent.

Recently, Brandon Maxwell revealed his Spring 2019 collection, inspired by his fascination with cowboy culture and picturesque landscapes of the American Southwest. Maxwell generated the highest earned media value during New York Fashion Week the week following his show, ahead of Ralph Lauren and Tom Ford.

Many influential women, including Michelle Obama, Karlie Kloss, Jennifer Lawrence, Oprah Winfrey, Nicole Kidman, Jane Fonda, Viola Davis, Queen Rania of Jordan, and Kerry Washington, among many others, wear Maxwell's brand. The collection is sold in retail stores around the world, including Saks, Bergdorf Goodman, Moda Operandi, Harvey Nichols, Harrods, and Neiman Marcus. Maxwell was awarded the 2018 Woolmark New York Semifinal Prize Award, 2016 Fashion Group International Rising Star Award for Womenswear, the 2016 the CFDA Swarovski Award for Womenswear, and was named a finalist for the 2016 LVMH Prize.

Maxwell will act as a judge on the 2019 re-launch of Project Runway on Bravo TV.

External links

• Ebony, 2017.
• Fall/Winter 2016 Campaign, 2016.