Kadeem Alphanso Fyffe’s life is about to get busier than usual.

“I am working 90 hours a week, every day from January 15th until the show,” Fyffe said. “During Fashion Week, no one sleeps.”

Manhattan comes alive with even more buzz than usual as reporters, buyers, designers, and celebrity fashionistas from around the world crowd the city streets on their way to invite-only runway shows and indie events.

A 2013 graduate who majored in studio art and women’s studies, Fyffe will present his fall/winter 2025 women’s collection at a Midtown rooftop venue during New York Fashion Week, on Feb. 8. This is not his first runway appearance. In 2021, he collaborated with another designer for a show and had his solo NYFW debut last September.

His designs focus on special occasion garments, including wedding dresses that reflect both his client’s personality and his vision. He loves a good, sharp shoulder and a bow, working in black and white, often with a dash of pink.

“My aesthetic is about female empowerment and building structures for the female body,” he said.

Fyffe primarily does it through neoprene, a fabric used to make scuba gear. “It holds structure really well,” he said. “I don’t always have to use silk. I use a tough fabric that’s normally reserved for very intense sports.”

Fyffe brought his style to the Kennedy Center this past November, where he presented a three-piece haute couture collection entitled “Back in Black: A Tribute to the Sartorial History of Black Women at the Kennedy Center Honors.”

“When I was growing up, I would always watch these iconic performances of people giving tributes at the Kennedy Center Honors. Specifically, I am really entranced by the Black women who honored other Black women — so like Cynthia Erivo performing ‘Alfie’ for Dionne Warwick, or CeCe Winans performing ‘Blessed Assurance’ for Cicely Tyson, whom I have had the pleasure of meeting,” Fyffe said. “My style icons are typically singers, the woman that gets to stand at the end of the stage and really just sing her heart out.”

Fyffe said having his turn on the Kennedy Center stage to present his vision of the past, present, and future of Black female style — everyone from Marian Anderson and Jessye Norman to Beyoncé — was a “fulfilling moment,” his version of the American dream.

His mom was his first supermodel, especially when dressed in her Sunday best for church.

His parents, who emigrated from Jamaica to the U.S., where they earned their master’s degrees, encouraged him to prioritize education. At UR, Fyffe took numerous classes in costume design. He was mentored by theatre professor Johann Stegmeir, who guided him in creating the portfolio that helped him get accepted into the Parsons School of Design for graduate school. He also studied at Istituto di Moda Burgo in Milan.

Fyffe acted as the lead in several plays at UR, including Angel from Rent in 2010, and also helped create the costumes.

A pivotal study abroad trip took him to Italy during the fall of his junior year. He let it be known during his first week there that he desired to work in fashion. Someone from the study abroad program connected him with those in charge at Milan Fashion Week.

“I got to work with 10 emerging designers from across the world,” he said.

Little did he know that upon his return, Marissa Klein Kay, a 1999 alum who was a staffing recruiter for the fashion industry at the time, would read about him in a University of Richmond Magazine article and get him one of his first jobs in New York. He has since worked for major brands, including Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, and Burberry.

Fyffe, who received UR’s Distinguished Recent Graduate Award in 2023, remains connected to his alma mater. He consults with Stegmeir about some of his custom pieces. He also chose UR senior Jaize Francis to intern with him during the summer of 2023. The pair worked on a custom blazer for Broadway producer Bruce Robert Harris to wear to the 76th Annual Tony Awards.

“For a while, I had a mental barrier about putting out my creativity and releasing it to the world because once it’s on the runway, it’s not yours anymore.”

There was a point when he even considered walking away from the fashion industry altogether. "The challenges and setbacks made me question if it was truly the right path for me, and I even considered a complete shift to law school to become a lawyer," Fyffe said.

He’s long since gotten over that sentiment.

“In that moment of reflection, I realized my purpose wasn't just to create beautiful designs. I was to use my art and my voice to make an impact, to tell meaningful stories, and to uplift my community. That realization reignited my passion and solidified my commitment to fulfilling my destiny in fashion."