Designer: Jeffrey Williams

When I saw that Jeffrey Williams was a contestant on season 2 of Bravo’s show “The Fashion Show: Ultimate Collection,” I was like I know him, but I could not place where.

I really didn’t watch the show all that much because it was super cheesy & some of the designers were just so… Plus Iman & Isaac were too much at times.

When I did tune in, I did like the work that Jeffrey put forward & was happy to see him win.

Fast forward to Mercedes Benz Fashion Week S/S 2011 and I spot Jeffrey at Lincoln Center with a small camera crew. At that point, I remembered seeing him last fall at Lincoln Center. He was one of those androgynous guys that seemed to haunt the place at night for the big shows.

At that point, I approached him, introduced myself & congratulated him on his win. While we talked, I asked him what was next. He informed me that he is working on some designs and preparing for a trip to India.

Upon hearing that, I asked if he was going to hire slaves to make his clothes, to buy hair or do a spiritual thing. The answer was a little of all three but not so much the slaves. We both laughed at the thought of cutting off ponytails, bringing the hair back to the US and getting rich.

Later, I saw him in the Lincoln Center plaza & asked to photograph him. He was like, you cannot shoot me smoking, I tell my nieces & nephews not to smoke all the time. I said fuck that, just give it to me.

The rest is history.

Check here to view more of my NYC Analog Street Portrait series.