‘Stories through color’: NCA&T alum Jordan Page is a fashion industry force

from TCB July 13, 2023 — Past, Present, Future?

NC Senate clinging to dream of medical marijuana

by Michaela Ratliff

Dripping in Versace from head to toe, rapper 2 Chainz dons a dark pinstripe athleisure suit as he poses on the edge of a black chair. His neck, fingers and wrists drip with ice so cold it sends a chill through the room. His feet wear a pair of gray Versace “Chain Reaction” sneakers, adorned with dual zippers, a crocodile-inspired collar and chunky heel. He’s fresh, he’s fashionable for his 2019 Versace collaboration. And he has Jordan Page to thank.

Page, a designer, stylist and creative director from High Point landed the gig through Salehe Bembury, lead footwear designer of Versace at the time. The two used to work together at a small shoe company in New York, and Bembury believed Page’s expertise would be an asset to the shoot.

“He was looking for a stylist and I was like, Hell yeah,” he said during a 2019 episode of “Points On the Board,” a podcast hosted by Kyle Harvey of “The Shadow League.”

Page graduated from NC A&T State University in 2008 with an economics degree; however, his artsy nature urged him to pursue more expressive endeavors.

“As a natural creative, I just really wanted to find a more authentic path,” he says.

Unable to ignore his heart’s desires, he headed to Brooklyn in 2010 to pursue a career in music and has lived there ever since. He secured a marketing position at The Fader, a music magazine, and deejayed on the side, providing the local dance scene with upbeat house and techno mixes.

“Music was the initial passion,” he explains.

In and out of the doors of The Fader included notable fashion brands: Nike, Converse and Levi’s. While Page always had an interest in fashion, it wasn’t until he assisted high-profile clients that he considered a fashion career.

“I realized I liked working with fashion brands more than I liked working with music and music artists,” he says.

In 2017, he parlayed that interest into an Instagram account, @veryadvanced, described by Page as a “contextual, historical fashion account.”

Boasting more than 79,000 followers, the page is full of images, reels and memes that pay homage to pivotal moments in fashion and reference pop culture. As Page shared his style icons and exclusive, vintage finds, art-directing and styling opportunities began pouring into his DMs. While Page was good at highlighting pieces online, he had yet to try it in reality.

“Of course I said yes even though I never styled anything before in my life,” he says.

He succeeded, his keen eye leading him to scout old magazines and early versions of websites for lesser-known trends and images that could be used for inspiration.

“I worked with brands like Supreme and Stüssy helping them find obscure references,” he says.

After proving himself with these brands, Page’s inner circle pushed him to design his own line. In 2020, just a week before lockdown, Page launched Colour Plus Companie, a relaxed clothing brand that “blurs the lines between casual and streetwear.”

Through T-shirts featuring bold hues, embroidered handbags and other items, Page expresses his love of color theory and explores how hues complement each other.

“For me it’s all about my love of fashion and how color relates to that and how I can tell stories through color,” he emphasizes.

This is evident in the “Analysis” tee, a cream cotton T-shirt featuring a 3-by3 grid of boxes that create a gradient, red color palette. It reads “Colour + Co.” in cream font, each letter and symbol taking up its own box.

Rapper Yo Gotti didn’t lie when he said “It goes down in the DM,” because that’s exactly how Colour Plus landed a collaboration with footwear and apparel company Saucony not long after the launch of Colour Plus.

The companies reimagined the Saucony Jazz 81 sneaker and titled it “Find Your Colour,” complete with a colorway of beige tones and textures inspired by vintage wooden and ceramic plate palettes.

This year, Saucony aimed for a bigger presence amongst footwear brands at Men’s Paris Fashion Week, held in June. Page jetsetted to the City of Light and on June 20, at Saucony’s House of Originals showroom, Colour Plus and Saucony revealed their second collaboration, the Grid Shadow 2. With these shoes, Page implemented earth tones, durable materials and textured surfaces reminiscent of various hiking terrains.

Page acknowledges that getting the collaboration wasn’t as easy as it seems.

“It sounds like it was really simple and quick, but it was a culmination of decades-long networking and grinding in New York that led to a moment like this,” he says.

Page has also worked with Vogue magazine, Caterpillar and Nordstrom, but says he wouldn’t mind taking a walk on the preppy side with Polo Ralph Lauren.

“That’s the first brand I really fell in love with; I’ve always included prep in my personal style,” he says about his dream collaboration.

Whether it’s denim caps, carpenter pants or hoodies, each piece Page creates is an extension of his own aesthetic and style.

Page wants consumers to feel comfortable when they wear his items. He values the chill vibe of streetwear and despite the big names to which he’s lent a helping hand, he remains down-to-earth and hopes that transfers to Colour Plus’ customers.

“I don’t want anyone to feel like they have to try too hard or be too clouty or self-important or self-indulgent to wear the things that I make,” he says. “I want to make things for people that enjoy fashion but don’t take it too seriously.”

JUNE

Greensboro, North Carolina

Page’s collaboration with Saucony yielded Grid Shadow, a collection in which the designer implemented earth tones, durable materials and textured surfaces reminiscent of hiking terrains.