Designer and owner of Being Dapper and The House of Donaldson, JC Donaldson has always had impeccable taste in fashion. From the time he was a baby, he was stepping out in style. In addition to dressing Ari and Jonah Levin for the September cover of Gilbert Lifestyle, he also dresses gentlemen globally.
“I have always been in a dress shirt and tie since I was months old!” says Donaldson. He points to Tom Ford as his personal style icon because of his timeless designs made with bit of extravagance. Like Ford, Donaldson’s designs reflect sophistication, refinement and occasionally a touch of vintage class.
In 2011, Donaldson started as a fashion blogger while attending college in Texas. After moving to Arizona, he started making men’s accessories for clothiers in 2016. He followed that experience by designing graphic tees with dapper inspirational typography and designs that could be worn with or without a jacket. He dubbed them “gentlemen t-shirts.” “I then joined the Phoenix Fashion Week fashion bootcamp program where I went from a streetwear brand to a contemporary brand launching my first collection in 2018.”
He continues, “Actually Being Dapper was my mother's idea. And when I launched my collection, my entire family came out to support me. I’m very grateful for them.” Being Dapper is now as much a clothing company as it is a lifestyle.
Donaldson now designs gentlemen’s suits for the Polo Party and Kentucky Derby, and for players in the NFL and MLB. Being Dapper ready-to-wear items are available through his site at https://beingdapper.com/ and Donaldson will soon be adding tuxedos and suit rental options at Being Dapper, too.
“We do offer custom suiting on the site as well,” says the designer. “Just click the custom suiting icon, and follow the steps, to get measured. Then reach out to us through e-mail and we can set up a one-to-one style session to get a custom piece made. You can always check out our new pieces on Instagram at @being_dapper and at @houseofdonaldson for custom clothing.”