Sartaj Singh
Created by Holly Davis Carter, ‘Dress My Tour’ pits an eclectic group of designers against each other in an elimination-style competition. The debut season featured 10 challenges and 11 challengers outdoing each other in a rollercoaster ride of wins, eliminations, and emotions. The majority of rounds had the participants designing an outfit for artists to wear on stage. Following some drama, judgments, critique and eliminations, a winner is ultimately picked based on innovativeness, compatibility, and mobility. With the season having concluded and the talented fashionistas heading home, questions arise regarding their activities since then.
Keiandrea Daniels Made Elegant Strides in Stage Design
Called K on the show, Keiandrea Daniels was undoubtedly the journey of an underdog snatching victory from the hands of louder and more confident personalities. The season winner from Dallas, Texas, showed what she was capable of by winning the second challenge for Jojo Siwa and the fourth one for Toni Braxton. Despite being up for elimination multiple times, she made it to the finale and won on her own merits. Daniels revealed that she had gotten evicted from her house as the competition reached the eighth round. With a well-deserved $100,000 in her pocket, she can say goodbye to any such woes.
Daniels’ experiences on the show garnered in her a new love for designing stage wear, and she wasted little time in getting back to her passion. She designed dresses for artists Erica Campbell and K. Michelle, which they wore on tour. The 28-year-old even ventured into less explored territory and made striking outfits for pregnant women, dismissing the limitations of maternity. One of these included a stunning, floor-length black gown with a dramatic, flowing white ruffle accent, paired with long black gloves and an oversized black hat, evoking a timeless, high-fashion elegance. The ‘Dress My Tour’ winner was overjoyed at the opportunity to work alongside her best fashion designer-friend, Dymond Warren, for the City Girls’ performance in April 2024.
The rising star threw her 29th birthday party in a grand fashion, putting her prize money to good use and celebrating with friends, family, and colleagues. She rolled out the red carpet at 2211 North Houston Street, Dallas, with music, drinks, and dance. Owning her expanding fashion brand KDaniels Designs, the fashionista is working for stars, having grown exponentially with her experiences and not looking back.
Veejay Floresco Continues to Champion Philippine Fashion
Having faced innumerable hardships from her early days in fashion, Veejay Floresco made the most of her journey on ‘Dress my Tour,’ finishing as the runner-up and having a positive outlook on the judges’ decision. Growing up in Manila, Philippines, Floresco eventually transitioned into a woman and moved to California, where she felt safe to be herself. After her time on the show, the 36-year-old went back to her own design business and continued doing what she loves.
In February 2024, she made a matte black, red carpet performance wear dress for Jocelyn Enriquez and felt honored to work for the music icon. She took part in the FILIPINXT Press Conference in New York City, representing and propelling Philippine fashion. She stepped into LA Fashion Week wearing her own design, renewing her inspiration as she appreciated the unique designs all around her. At the end of May, the Veejay Floresca Collection 5.5.24 was shown off at the FILIPINXT fashion show.
Despite her many successes in the fashion industry, Floresco regularly finds time to work over sewing machines, frequently making bridal dresses and garnering heartfelt appreciation from newlyweds. The ‘Dress My Tour’ runner-up had initially begun her fashion career in Manila, Philippines, by doing majorly bridal design work or for suits and dresses worn at cocktail parties. Regardless of her long list of achievements and triumphs against all odds, the designer is very gracious and humble and shares messages of kindness and compassion through her platform. She has a close and heartwarming relationship with her mother, and she tailored a beautiful red dress, especially for her.
Michael Shead Seeks to Inspire Youth Toward Fashion
Boasting a larger-than-life personality, Michael Shead exudes confidence and cockiness in equal measure, with his quick wit having scathed more than one of his fellow contestants. The Chado Ralph Rucci-inspired designer returned to his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, to a joyous celebration of his colleague and friend, Shevare Perry’s marriage. The two worked on her wedding dress together, using their experience to tell a story through the process. Shead is no stranger to cameras or public speaking and spoke at Washington University for the IDEACon Fireside Chat on inclusion and equity for young people. ‘Dress My Tour’ wasn’t his first time on TV either, as he has also been the semi-finalist on Prime Video’s ‘Making the Cut.’
Shead ventured to Paris, France, in April 2024, awed at the mesmerizing sight of the gleaming Eiffel Tower. Having found his happy place in the fashion capital, he treated himself and hoped that his hard work was enough to bring him to the City of Love again. Inspired by the emceeing talents of his late father-like fashion icon, Andre Leon Talley, Michael co-hosted the red carpet event for Saint Louis Fashion Fund. Freshly invigorated by his journey on ‘Dress My Tour,’ Shead’s ambitions outline creating a global fashion brand, including opening a fashion academy to give opportunities to others like they were given to him.
Traviance Dunn Makes a Variety of Custom Clothing
Soon after his return, Dunn proudly participated in the New York Fashion Week, which took place on February 18, 2024. He declared a new era of clothes besides overgowns being featured prominently under his brand, Haus of Traviance. The following months kept Dunn busy as he worked on and advertised his creations like prom gowns, denim sets, a custom overcoat, and lace gowns. The Atlanta resident often talks about his dearly departed partner, Micah Lonell Dickey, who he unfortunately lost in July 2022. “Two years, man, since you gained those wings,” wrote Dunn on Instagram. “I know you’re so happy right now, so I won’t be in my feels. And I don’t have to give a paragraph. They know what’s up, Micah Da Mac.“
The designer frequently shares “behind the seams” videos on his social media, giving a sneak peek into his dressmaking process. Dunn has also faced controversy in the past, with grave allegations made against him by those claiming to be his clients. In 2021, he was covered by The Shade Room host Justin Carter, whose witnesses alleged that he used his fame to charge a premium from customers and, upon receiving payment, did not deliver on his orders. This came at the time of his popularity surging when he uploaded a video about making a dress for Cardi B. He explained that he was swamped with orders and could not deliver or respond on time, which led to the misunderstanding.
Todd Fisher Has Immersed Himself in a Stream of Orders
The vegan fashion designer has made a name for himself with bold faux furs, designing the outfits of Lil Nas X, Ariana Grande, and Mary J. Blige. Having been inadvertently involved in a lot of the drama during the competition, Fisher looked forward to getting absorbed back into his work. “Thankfully, I came home from filming and immediately got back to work,” explained the fourth runner-up in an interview. “The universe must have seen my passion for this because as soon as I got back, I got job after job. It’s just been non-stop since I got back from the show. It was never like before I went out there. So, the universe is definitely conspiring to keep me busy. I was grateful for that.”
Fisher got another opportunity to work for Mary J. Blige, teaming up with Jeremy Haynes to design a custom snakeskin outfit and continue his long-running business relationship with the artist. The Brooklyn-based designer did take some friendships home with him from the show and was thankful for the ambitious and nice people he met. “I made some lasting friendships with people that were on the show,” he revealed in the aforementioned interview. “There’s one contestant, Fi, she’s the nicest person. She and I are really close now, so I’m grateful for that.”
Afaf Fi Seyam Continues to Develop Boy Vienna
A resident of Brooklyn, Afaf Fi Seyam went back to developing a new line of products for her fashion brand, Boy Vienna. Under its banner, she sells apparel, jewelry, and unique lifestyle products. In February 2024, she went for a brand retreat at The Maker Hotel, sampling drinks paired with fragrance for a multi-sensory experience. The event was followed by her dropping more products in her incense line, including Japanese-style ashtrays to keep her incense sticks, which look like cigarettes. For Fi, there is usually room for pleasure between business, and she took the time to design and show off new outfit ideas with a work-from-home theme. The designer likes to share fashion tips with her followers, usually advocating for style along with comfort.
Jess West Designs For a Spooky Establishment and Opened a New Cafe
Considering that her forte is in designing monster and Halloween costumes, Jess West’s performance in the competition far exceeded expectations. The Indianapolis resident has made her haven at the Monsterz Inc. performance and event venue, where her costumes are displayed for sale. The location also hosts events, including stand-up comedy, drag shows, magic, horror trivia, movie nights, and burlesque. West opened another horror-themed venue at the beginning of 2024, the Black House Coffee Shop. The establishment blends a cafe and Airbnb experience, and its opening saw her friends accentuating the theme by dressing in her spooky costumes.
West’s esoteric interests extend into her home, and she shared the progress of interior work, which included a handmade jellyfish canopy that glows, jellyfish lanterns, and jellyfish in aquariums. Her interests seem to run in the family, as West talked about how Iris, her young niece, may be a costume design prodigy. She made a mask of Sarah from the movie ‘Cobwebb’ after learning about her aunt’s craft over the years in her costume shop. With Halloween still too far away, the designer excitedly looked forward to the premiere of ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,’ which she planned to see in full costume.
Mccauley Star Took a Step Back and Rewarded Herself
The youngest contestant and a definite upset in the competition, Mccauley Star swept away any doubts regarding her abilities and perhaps even exceeded her own expectations when she won the third challenge in a team. Originally from Chicago and living in Los Angeles, the 22-year-old has garnered her fair share of experience, having designed the outfits featured on the covers of NOW Magazine, VOUS Magazine, and Style Cruze Magazine. Star seemed to take it easy after her time on the show, enjoying the company of friends, her puppy’s birthday, and going out to Castaic Lake to sunbathe and kick back. The young designer is definitely surrounded by supportive friends and family, who praised and congratulated her for her achievements on the show.
Rey Ortiz’s Custom Dress Was Worn at the Oscars
The center of significant drama early on, Rey Ortiz was on his fellow contestants’ radar, given that he had done work for Kylie Jenner, Megan Thee Stallion, and Meghan Trainor. From Puerto Rico and living in Los Angeles, Ortiz showed plenty of love to his poodle after his time on the show. A custom outfit designed in his signature vibrant style was worn by Iggy Azalea on stage, marking 14 years of Ortiz’s design journey in January 2024. When the Oscars came around in March, the Puerto Rican was overjoyed to see Megan Thee Stallion wearing the gown he had designed for her as she became the female rapper to grace the Oscars performance stage.
Ortiz’s high moments continued when Alyssa Edwards wore his custom dress during a red carpet event, and Halle Bailey appeared for a Variety interview wearing his two-piece couture set the following month. On May 8, the seasoned designer celebrated his 43rd birthday and a decade of being in Los Angeles. Rey Ortiz continues designing show-stopping and innovative dresses that will likely find themselves featured on stage and on TV for years to come.
Julissa Juju Peralta Continues to Model Her Designs
From Kearny, New Jersey, Julissa Juju Peralta is the owner of her own fashion brand, Junik Apparel. She also has experience as a dancer, host, and creative director. Juju soon got back into her groove after returning from the show and put on spectacular salsa performances at The Boombox Room and Picante Social. She then continued to design as well as model her brand’s clothing, including blue cheetah print business wear, a denim jacket, a summer dress, and a beading-encrusted dress she worked on with Faraj Beading. The “DominiRican” celebrated her 32nd birthday on June 21, looking forward to a year of doing what she loves: designing, dancing, and modeling.
CI Zacchaeus Has Worked Hard on Expanding Her Product Line
CI Zacchaeus took her designs out for a spin around a park in New York City in February 2024. She talked to groups of people, and both parties seemed to have a good time. Soon after, the designer went through the process of making and repurposing a custom corset for JT, the City Cinderella. “So my first repurposed piece actually went to someone I’ve been admiring,” she wrote on Instagram. “Funny, the television show I filmed, I was so sad because I had a feeling she’d be a judge.”
Zacchaeus continued marketing and coming up with new designs for her brand, Cithevision, including jewelry. She celebrated her 29th birthday on April 8, 2024, which was shadowed by the total solar eclipse taking place that day. With new crop tops, accessories, and unique apparel being added under her brand, Zacchaeus plans to take her business to the next level.
