Everyone knows the biggest names in fashion. Every brand from Louis Vuitton to Shein has its loyal followers, watching to see which trends are due to emerge and what new items are the “must-haves” of the year.
In a world of influencers, social media and constant trend circulation, however, this gets stale fast. Sometimes, the best names in fashion are right under your nose.
Hyde Ebright, born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, has been interested in the world of fashion since he was young. After graduating from high school, he decided to apply to Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD) to study fashion design, effectively launching his career.
“It wasn’t until…the last couple months of my senior year; I was like, you know what? I’m just going to apply to art school, go to fashion and just pursue starting a brand,” Ebright said.
Already familiar with different mediums of clothing design like sewing, crocheting and knitting, Ebright said that his niche was decided from a young age: “I always was a kid who was very stylish in class. When you go to a small school, it’s like, oh, I’m the fashion kid.”
Now, though, Ebright is much more than a teenager wearing cool outfits to class. With his very own fashion brand, DARA Studio, he takes sustainability and creativity to new heights, carving out a more mindful approach to the world of fashion.
“I do a lot with natural dyes,” he said. “So even just rubbing it in or creating patterns; drawing stuff, it really depends on the project.”
“I hate using the word sustainable, like, when it comes to being a designer…that’s kind of just the baseline for me. I don’t buy anything new. It’s always like, what do I have here? What can I use? How can I design with a boundary?”
Ebright said that growing up in his Columbus community gave him a special appreciation for accessibility within fashion. Rather than mass-producing the same items, he takes advantage of custom designs, crafting the garment for the consumer specifically.
“If someone has something personally made for them, they’re going to cherish that,” he said, adding that it’s almost a piece of “artwork.”
But buying clothes with this mindset isn’t always viable. The main obstacle to purchasing sustainably-sourced clothing is the price point, and Ebright has a solution to that, too.
“Not everyone can buy something very expensive. But I figure, offering this to people for 20 or 30 bucks for a shirt or a pair of pants…I think people will be more focused on buying sustainably.”
When a company is built with intention and inclusion, the customer can feel it. Ebright created DARA to not only reflect his morals and values, but to share a piece of himself with the world around him.
“My life circle is already very diverse. But, you know, I allowed myself to live a life where I can have different friends from different backgrounds,” he said. “That’s how I built [DARA], because at the end of the day, that’s what represents most of what a community is.”
Altogether, Ebright remains proud of himself and what he has created. He said that DARA means “star” in the Cambodian language, Khmer, adding a layer of intimacy to the way he relates his Cambodian-American identity to his company and to the rest of the world.
“My whole brand name — my whole entire meaning — is all about unity, right? [Cambodia and the United States] are on completely different sides of the Earth, but I’m reaching out to them…Even if it’s far away, a similar message is enough to connect people.”
This is clearly only the start for Ebright and for DARA. These days, he’s happy where he’s at: “It’s about guiding it right now, instead of forcing it. I think that’s the best way.”
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Instagram: @dara5tudio @firehyderant
Website: https://firehyderant.xyz/contact/
