Witneigh and Giovanni (Creators)
Witneigh Davis was born in South Carolina and moved all over the South. From a very young age, fashion was at the forefront of her mind and while most of the young girls around here were drawing pictures of houses and animals – Witneigh was making sketches of dresses and shoes. Voted “best dressed” in High School, her obsession with fashion would continue into her college years too, as this is when she received her first personal stylist gig. But while at NC State University, Witneigh’s ambitions of enrolling in their design program were cut short when her best friend, Emily May, died suddenly in a drunk-driving car accident. Crushed, Witneigh tried to take a little time off from life and moved back home to be among family. Here, she continued her studies and graduated with honors with a BA in Communication and Public Relations from the University of North Carolina at Fayetteville. Soon after, she moved to Greensboro to help start Emily’s Plea - a charity devoted to her best friend that helps educate others about the dangers of drunk and distracted driving. (A portion of all GSOFW proceeds benefit this cause.) A personal stylist, Witneigh specializes in personal shopping and styling. Her fashion sense compliments Giovanni’s and her business sense helps with the behind the scenes necessities of Greesnboro Fashion Week as she is the marketing maven.
Giovanni Ramadani was born in the Southeastern European country of Kosovo and when he was just 12, his family fled the country during the Kosovo war. Because of the large amount of refugees trying to leave, they were forced to stay in a refugee camp for three months until a country was willing to accept them. In August of 1999 he was welcomed into the Greensboro community and it quickly became his second home.
Giovanni grew to appreciate the smaller things in life; Once settled in Greensboro, he was finally able to express himself through fashion. That same year he had his first modeling photo-shoot and that was all it took to begin a whirlwind romance with the industry. He did several small, local runway shows before landing a spot in New York’s Fashion Week in 2012.
Giovanni was so overwhelmed by the experience that he began wondering why North Carolina – and Greensboro – didn’t have something similar. He wanted to bring NYC’s energy home and experience it with those closest to him. He recognized the fashion living in the Triad but wondered why no one was showing it off? When he verbalized this to Witneigh, her response was a simple one: Why don’t you do something about it?
That is the conversation which formed Greensboro Fashion Week, and the two haven’t looked back since. Giovanni and Witneigh’s passion for this project is contagious and they make one thing very clear – this show is here to stay!
Kyle Britt (Lead Hair Stylist)
Kyle James Britt is celebrating his 14th year in the beauty industry and his 5th year as GSOFW's lead hair stylist . He owns Instinct Salon in GSO. He styles the hair for the grammy award winning multi instrumentalist Rhiannon Giddens which his custom haircolors & hairstyles have been pictured on National TV, The Grammy Awards, The CMA’s & The White House.
Dj Hargrave (Lead Influencer)
Hey! I’m Dj Hargrave - menswear influencer, entrepreneur, and college kid with BIG ambitions. You’ll know me as the blogger of Greensboro Fashion Week where I’ll be talking style, the behind the scenes action of GSOFW, and giving you one-on-one interviews with fashion week sponsors and designers (hint: check the GSOFW blog every Saturday).
In the future, my goal is to be a full-time menswear blogger and run a company that marries menswear and media. My overall mission is to empower people through helping them improve their appearance. I’m a southern boy, so having a fashion week in the Triad is surreal to me. I still can’t believe I’m a part of Greensboro Fashion Week.
Brian Clarey (Emcee)
Brian Clarey is an award-winning journalist, author and editor. He is currently the publisher of Triad City Beat weekly newspaper and website, covering politics, news and culture in Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point. He has been host of Greensboro Fashion Week for five years.
Camille Nesi (Admin Assistant)
Camille was born and raised in Greensboro, NC. She is an alumni of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, with a B.A. in Communication Studies. This is her second year with Greensboro Fashion Week and you can find her smiling face greeting you at the shows!
Corie Gream (Lead Hair Stylist)
1.) Owner/Stylist of Folica Salon
2.) Over 20 years of experience
3.) I studied cosmetology at Vernon Regional Junior College in Wichita Falls, TX and psychology and art at University of North Texas
4.) I specialize in precision cutting and customizable color.
5.) Why I love Folica Salon: The nurturing, welcoming, and creative environment that my coworkers and guests create is rewarding on a daily basis.
David Lezcano (Account Manager)
David Lezcano is a creative in many ways. He is the head of “Keys to Style” a men’s fashion & lifestyle blog as well as 50% of the musical group Citizen Shade. He has been noted for his work with brands from across the world such as Coach, Barbour, J.Crew, Adidas and more. David has been involved with GSOFW since 2014 and has helped lead campaigns through social media, marketing and account management. He currently works directly with our sponsors and fosters relationships between accounts. Find him at @_theDL and across the web at www.keystostyle.com
Darrius Johnson (Front of the House Manager)
Darrius Lemar Johnson, a native of Caswell County, was born on September 15, 1984. He began his education in the Caswell County School System and is a graduate of New Horizons Christian Academy. Darrius will be furthering his education at The A&T state University majoring in Fashion marketing & Merchandising . Darrius is the proud owner of the men’s styling company styled By Joseph . Outgoing, charismatic and charming are only a few traits that best describes Darrius. He is most fulfilled helping others to reach their fullest potential. His drive and ability to form new and lasting relationships , will lead to long term success .
Amber Kapas (Designer/Model Manager)
Donut enthusiast. Small business owner, flourishing through life living by the words “Don’t be the same. Be better.”
Crystal Scholl (Lead Makeup Artist)
Cosmetology license, worked in cosmetics 5 years senior artist for 3 of those years. Training in San Francisco and Vegas with pro artist.
Darien Payne (Back of the House Manager)
Darien is a native of Greensboro. An alumni of East Carolina University, Darien received his Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing. While in college he discovered his passion for fashion, thus sparking his aspirations of becoming a fashion stylist. Darien currently lives in Charlotte, NC where he plans to begin his career within the fashion industry.