“I make the rules,” said 18-year-old junior Dorian Harris. The Chocolate City native is an amiable artist with a plethora of noteworthy talents and eclectic ensembles. In addition to being a campus it-girl regarding all things style, she designs and sews, pretties up hair, scrawls poetry, serenades, skateboards, merengues, speaks a few languages and shrugs shoulders at comparisons between her and Renaissance contributors.
“Me like to dutty wine,” she intoned.
She is also an avid television watcher, preferably the Food Network.
When she sat down with the Gramblinite, Harris donned cut off capris, black and grey floral calf boots, shoulder grazing scarlet earrings and a yellow bow tie that she stitched.
It was a skirt in its previous life.
Her hair was razored into a jet-black asymmetrical pixie cut with a mid-cheek length bang. Continuing the contrasting themes of color and darkness, short nails matched her midnight hair color.
Open and theatrical, Harris went in and out of song, accents and topics.
“I can’t wait to finish my sleeve and my back piece.”
She has six tattoos. Her right bicep is inked with a multi-colored hibiscus flower.
Previously attached to her shoulder was a shiny goldenrod bag and her latest sketchbook with information about designers that she loves.
“Christian Lacrrrroix, that’s how you say it.”
She rolled the last name off effortlessly and pointed to medieval designs from which she drew inspiration.
“I feel that fashion is art and it should always be fun and playful.”
She draws inspiration from Coco Chanel and Afrocentric garb.
“I can’t say Christian Dior because he is so played. Of course I love him, but everyone says that.”
Her favorite black designer is Andre Benjamin of Outkast.
How does Harris view Grambling’s fashion scene? She gasped.
The haute world of stilettos, contoured countenances and microminis has one year to prepare for Dorian (D dot) Harris. She anticipates packing her sewing machine (Kimora) and moving to the Big Apple, to pursue careers as a fashion journalist and designer.
Her line will be entitled Fashion Victim.
The future for this artsy honor student is luminescent. Only issue? She won’t be able to celebrate in a posh club with a cocktail, legally.