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WHO IS HAROLD CLARKE?
Harold Clarke - head designer and owner of Harold Clarke Couturier Atelier
has brought to the United States the kind of luxury, elegance, and
personal service that the world’s most privileged individuals have known
and come to expect for many years. As told by Essence Magazine, "Clarke
weds vision and skill to design the gown of your dreams, using the most
precious fabrics and innovative classical designs to create unique
concepts in Bridal and Special Occasion wear for his clientele". By doing
things according to his timetable, Harold Clarke has managed to stay in a
class by himself and does not follow a usual Seventh Avenue schedule.
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The Jamaican born native came to the United States in 1969, His objective
was clear, he would one day become a household name in the high stakes
fashion industry. He attended the Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.)
in New York. He later opened his first studio in SoHo specializing in mood
pieces and was later discovered by a specialty store on West Broadway.
There he designed special couture pieces and limited edition gowns in all
fabrications. From SoHo Clarke moved his operation into the garment
district, with a design studio at 147 West 40th street between, the
famous, Seventh Avenue and Broadway. At this time he specialized in
couture bridal and special occasion gowns. Later Harold Clarke added a
showroom in the prestigious bridal building at 1375 Broadway, where his
collections were sold to exclusive clients, specialty stores and boutiques
across the United States and beyond.
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While working on a bridal party Harold Clarke was introduced to the city
of New Orleans. There Clarke was seduced by the history, ambiance, culture
and the entire essence that is, the City of New Orleans. The city has
directly influenced his special occasion pieces. Clarke applies advanced
technique and resources to create a collection that displays the New
Orleans experience through fashion.
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"Clarke creates gowns working with everything from imported laces to suede
adorned in "cracked ice" rhinestones and range in style from Hollywood
retro looks in grand detail, to those with minimalist lines"
Chris Bynum, Fashion Editor – N.O. Times Picayune
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The City of New Orleans has accepted Harold Clarke with open arms by
making him an honorary citizen, one of New Orleans Magazine 50 most people
to watch, recipient of the Mayoral certificate of appreciation for
contribution to the city, and a recipient of a special congressional award
for outstanding contributions to the arts. Harold Clarke was also the
designer of choice for the grandest wedding in New Orleans’ history, the
wedding of Mayor Marc Morial to news reporter Michelle Miller, whose gown
is now on display at the Louisiana State Museum. His collections have also
been showcased in events at the New Orleans Museum of Art, the
Contemporary Arts Center and at Atlanta’s Woodruff Arts Center, Super Bowl
XXXVI pre game show, featuring a gown in patriotic red custom designed for
Ms. Pattie LaBelle, Ted Turner’s 2002 & 2003 Trumpet Awards shows. His
most recent projects include; red carpet débuts at the Oscar’s & Golden
Globe Awards, Historic New Orleans Opera gown designed by Clarke the 2nd
gown to be added to the Louisiana State Museum’s permanent collection,
client Michelle Morial in a Harold Clarke gown who received double
exposure by appearing on the cover of New York Times Style section and in
Town & Country magazine, Harold Clarke is also featured in The Fashion of
Celebration a Video Fashion news feature to be aired on E! Entertainment &
Style Networks in the United States & 40 other countries around the world,
and now, its official. Harold Clarke has been titled the Official Designer
of the upcoming 2004 (6th) Le Prix International Film Star Awards!
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Harold Clarke’s designs have been published in multiple publications
throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. Some recent titles in
addition to the New York Times and Town & Country are; "Southern Living
Weddings", "Wedding Pages" (New Orleans edition), "Let’s Get Married"
(cover), "Jumping the Broom" by Harriet Cole and "Delta Style" by Delta
Burke. His gowns have been sold, in limited edition, to specialty stores
from New York to Paris and start in price from $1,000.00 on up depending
on the individual needs of the client. His showroom is located at 102 St.
Charles Avenue, in historic downtown, next to the J.W.. Marriott Hotel. In
the near future, this location will premier the Harold Clarke "ready to
wear" collections. His long-term plans are to expand his scope to the
international market arena of high fashion as soon as he can expand
operation. At present, he has a very impressive clientele, nationally and
local, that visit his New Orleans studio to see his newest collection of
couture gowns.
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