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Demetrius Williams, 32, is an Atlanta-based designer who started his own men’s and women’s brand, D’Alannis, in 2002. “I sell mostly on MySpace and the Web,” he says. “My clothes have a funky and edgy style. I pay attention to detail, color, and texture, and people can mix and match.” He made the jacket that he is wearing.
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Ivy H., 28, is from Hawaii but based in New York. She has been in business for three years and is in the process of building her line, Ivy H. She sells mostly online.
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Juan Colon, 27, “flew in from Puerto Rico just to attend the audition.” He’s been in business for nine years. His namesake line is sold at boutiques in Puerto Rico and through his Facebook page.
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Rebecca McKinney, 24, came from Utah with her model, Heather Willson. “I design children’s clothes, but I prepared women’s clothes just for the audition today.” Her line, miniELEGANCE, is sold online.
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Motoko Suzumegano, 34, is a native of Tokyo, Japan, and a resident of New York. “My friends encouraged me to try out for the show because there have been no Japanese [designers] on it yet,” she says. She currently works for Patricia Field as an assistant buyer and a product developer. Her line, based on a “Harajuku girls meet New York” concept, is called Spoiled and sold at Patricia Field stores.
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“I’ve been sewing since I was 15,” says Natasha Nagan, 25, of Pennsylvania. Her line, Pencil, is made from organic hemp. She had been selling her collection online and at local arts and crafts festivals but thought it was time to step it up. “I don’t have a TV, so I actually don’t watch the show,” she admits.
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Judy Posey, 22, of New York, painted the suitcase she carries. “I’ve been in business for only one year and am in the process of developing my infant-wear line, Judy Posey. I’m hoping to break into the business with the show.”
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Gabriela Rosales, 32, is from Denver. “I own a restaurant, but I have been designing for 10 years,” she says. “It is my dream.”
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Veritee Hill, 27, is a native of the U.K. and lives in New York. Her eponymous clothing line has been around for nine years. While waiting to audition, she realized that she didn’t have the required three complete garments. “I have to hurry home and pick up a skirt.”
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Sheldon Raymore, 28, of New York, has been in the design business for two years. His line, Urban Indian of America, celebrates Native American style and beauty.
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Katie Krause, 27, is native of Kansas who just moved from Colorado to New York. She and a partner launched a fashion-design business, icand, four years ago. “I’m just branching out on my own and thought the show would help. MySpace and Facebook used to be good marketing tools, but not so much anymore.”
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“This is my second reality TV show,” says Jesli Banks, 26, a New Jersey native who appears on MTV’s Sean John Internship by Design, scheduled to air on April 12. She’s been in business for four years and wears a T-shirt of her own design.
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