It has been more than 30 years since Kadeem Hardison first brought to life the beloved character Dwayne Wayne who inspired audiences with his iconic flip-up glasses as a standout student at the fictional HBCU Hillman College in “A Different World.”
Hardison and his comical classmates found a new audience in a streaming world that consumes content like a Black Hole. Nostalgic TV buffs can binge-watch episodes of the “Cosby” spinoff on Amazon Prime and Netflix.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Netflix has acquired “A Different World.” It is developing a potential sequel based on a new student – the youngest daughter of Dwayne and Whitley (Jasmine Guy), now a student at Hillman.
Fortunately, Hardison’s Dwayne Wayne character is the gift that keeps on giving. The acclaimed actor recently launched the West Coast edition of the DEEMED Eyewear Collection, featuring his signature flip-up glasses inspired by his character. The event took place at Unknown Union, an art and culture fashion store in the Beverly Center, and celebrated Hardison’s unique style and collaboration with Vontélle, a Black-owned company committed to creating eyewear for people of color (www.vontelle.com).
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The Black Business Association (BBA), Unknown Union, J. Baron Creative House, and Suite Life SoCal also partnered in the event, amplifying the spirit of Black entrepreneurship and creativity that both Hardison and Vontélle embody.
“I am the co-founder and CFO of DEEMED,” said Jayce Baron. I” came up with the idea in a conversation with my partner Hailey Sahar who’s also an actress. We took the idea to Kadeem who loved it. I was intentional about finding a Black eyewear to collaborate with,” Baron added.
The luxury fashion and streetwear brand Unknown Union is celebrated for its innovative designs that blend culture, music, and global storytelling. Owner Jenifer Storey expressed pride in introducing the iconic eyeglasses to fashionable Angelenos. “It was an amazing opportunity,” said Storey.
“For us, it’s about storytelling, bottom line, more than the garments almost. We loved DEEMED and the story behind it,” she said.
Hardison’s mother, Bethann Hardison, became one of the first high-profile Black models in the early 1970s. Hardison said stepping into the fashion business was a natural progression.
“I’ve always been around style and high fashion,” said Hardison. “After being around fashion for so long you take what you like and create something that is truly you.”
“(Jayce) asked me if I would be interested in doing a collab with a glasses line and creating my own line,” said Hardison. “I said yes immediately, and we found the perfect partner with Vontélle.”
For $189 customers can pick up a pair of customized DEEMED. From Summer to Winter, they offer an array of colors in the classic aviator style. They are also created to be prescription glasses.
