Coming in Hot

Menswear luxury high fashion has a redhot newcomer whose fresh take on edgy has caught everyone’s eye.

BY CHRISTIAN ILES

With the changing of seasons, there is a plethora of new designers emerging from all over the world. One such shining star is that of Daniel Mofor. Just recently being recognized in Forbes Magazine as a Forbes 1000 which celebrates and showcases the most ambitious sole proprietors and entrepreneurial heroes in the United States, Daniel is proving to be a creative force in the men’s luxury fashion industry. His line has been featured in GQ, Esquire, Vogue, People, and the New York Times.

Daniel was born and raised in beautiful Cameroon, Central Africa. As a young boy, he loved to dress up and always look his very best. Of course, being raised by his mother who was a fashion designer; the fruit did not fall very far from the tree. Though, Mofor attended school in Africa through high school; he would travel to the United States where he would attend and graduate from Texas Southern University with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. He would later move to Arkansas but quickly found himself returning to Texas and landing in Dallas.

In 2016, Mofor took a leap of faith and made the decision to quit his job as a security analyst at Walmart committing his undivided attention and efforts to his clothing company Don Morphy, He states, “my very first break into the fashion community was the first fashion show I ever did – Fashion X Dallas. It was a huge milestone for the brand as it was basically my introduction to the Dallas fashion sphere and the rest of the world. As you can see today, it was well received.” The creation and inspiration for his brand was drawn from him traveling and observing the finest and most futuristic fashion shows in the country.

By 2019, Mofor received one of the most prestigious honors in the industry when Fashion Group International New York City recognized him as the “Rising Star” winner for Menswear, which was a first for a Dallas designer. Why even Women’s Wear Daily, Tommy Hilfiger, Daily Front Row and many others congratulated this new “master of fashion.” Quickly following, the Fashion Group International of Dallas presented Daniel with the 2019 “Award of Excellence.”

When I got to sit down and interview Mofor, I asked him which fashion designers he most admired in his growing years; as well as what kind of effect those designers had on his past and current brand creations. He replied, “I first admired my Mum so much because she was the first fashion designer I was exposed to. Her sense of style, creativity, and ability to figure out her customer’s needs. Then later, I got to know and love other designers like Tommy Hilfiger, Tom Ford, P. Diddy, and many others. These designers helped reinforce the fact that my passion in fashion can be cultivated beyond myself, as far as designing, and selling clothes to everyone. Most of them built their brands from the ground up and I am hoping to make Don Morphy a household name.”

There are several celebrities that now have Mofor design their finer apparel; namely Bishop T.D. Jakes, Emmitt Smith, Tyson Chandler, and Dwight Howard. Even Tyra Banks and R & B crooner Kenny Lattimore have called on Daniel and his team for customized suits. When asked what the future holds for this most luxurious brand, Mofor replied, “our immediate goal is to expand out of Dallas. We want everyone to experience luxury and be ‘morphed into a Don’. That said, we are putting a lot of resources towards virtual fittings. Lack of in person fittings at the beginning of the pandemic was initially challenging for our business. As a result, we had to lean into perfecting our virtual fitting model. It not only served our customers during that time, but also helped expand our market due to its precision and popularity for our out-of-town customers who want to wear our brand but are unable to travel.”

The future looks bright for Mofor and his team as his label continues to grow and develop into one of America’s premier brands renowned for its “tailored craftsmanship, unique customer experience, and bold sophistication.”

CHRISTIAN ILES Hairstylist and makeup artist to the stars, is known as “The Beauty Architect '' among many notable celebrities, politicians, business people, and athletes. Iles has been in the beauty industry for over three decades. His passion for beauty and his deep appreciation of his clients throughout the years went into the creation of a luxury hair care line – Christian Iles Hair Care. Iles' and his work have been featured on every major network and many cable networks; as well as many national magazines throughout the United States