Dalton Primeaux
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For the Love of Fashion
Native New Orleanian Dalton Primeaux is 28 years old and has already started a burgeoning fashion brand. The blogger and owner of the online boutique primeaux.shop, recently added a collection of Louisiana and New Orleans-themed fashion items and gifts that showcase artwork by his mother, Donna Primeaux.
Dalton, who graduated from Nicholls State with a bachelor’s degree in public relations, moved to Manhattan after college to launch his career in fashion PR. “I actually started college studying film,” he says. “Working on a few movie sets in New Orleans during college, and seeing the behind-the-scenes costume and styling process, was one of the first instances I remember being intrigued by fashion. After that, I started interning with different companies in the city outside of film to decorate my resume a bit more. During one internship, I helped with event planning and the production of a local fashion show. My supervisor pulled me aside after and told me, ‘You should be a publicist!’ After looking into it a bit more, I realized he was right. I then switched my major to public relations and my career path to fashion PR.”
After the event production internship, Dalton took on another internship at a local magazine working in the fashion department. At the time, he was writing about fashion trends, interviewing local designers and covering New Orleans Fashion Week. “When the job wrapped, I missed talking about fashion,” he says. “That’s when I started the blog. It was my outlet to be creative and talk about fashion trends and my fashion style.”
Dalton started his online boutique this year as a way to be creative and dive into the fashion world a little bit deeper. While the initiative is still pretty new, he looks at the opportunity as a way for him to diversify his resume — and to learn and grow. “I’d also love for the store to eventually be a launchpad for young brands, especially for those in New Orleans and throughout the South that may not have as many platforms as designers in larger cities,” he says. On top of all of this, Dalton also started a creative agency that focuses on social media and digital PR.
Finding inspiration comes easy for Dalton, who credits his parents — who are both hardworking entrepreneurs and business owners — for giving him his business acumen. “My dad is loyal and savvy; my mom is creative, and adventurous,” he says. “They exude all the qualities and values I want to portray in business and my personal life.”
The first shirt he offered through his online boutique was of a sno-ball piece of artwork that his mother created; it went live this September. “I remember her showing the painting to me awhile back and her mentioning pretty casually that it would make a fun t-shirt,” Dalton says. “[I didn’t think] much about it then. Later after opening my shop, I asked my mom if she would want to start a collection together to showcase her work.”
The creative duo is still testing different sources of t-shirts and printing processes, but most of the t-shirts and items in the NOLA collection are printed DTG, with a few screen-printed and embroidered. And all items are made in the United States.
When it comes to Donna’s artwork, Dalton says she finds inspiration in Louisiana and New Orleans culture. “You can see the love and pride for her home in her pieces,” he says. “I want others to share this art and love like I have my whole life, watching my mom paint these fun and gorgeous pieces. And I want my mom to know that she has an incredible talent — one that deserves praise.”
When it comes to fashion, Dalton says he is fascinated by up-and-coming brand Linder and Brett Johnson. “I’ve [also] always really loved designer Jeremy Scott,” he says. “His work has always been fun and bold. I actually had the pleasure of working with his team and helping to produce his fall/winter 2014 runway show during Fashion Week.”
His dream collaboration, however, would be with local artist Ashley Longshore. “She’s absolutely brilliant,” Dalton says. “And as a fashion/pop culture fan, it’s absolutely impossible for me not to love her. I’d also love to work with the late Alexander McQueen. He was a true innovator in the fashion industry. I loved his art and style; they still inspire me today.”
When it comes to the future, Dalton is looking to grow his online boutique, hosting more exclusive designs and becoming the launchpad of his dreams. He also hopes that his blog continues to inspire people. “I want it to continue to advocate for self-expression,” he says. “All my business ventures and creative initiatives have given me so many incredible experiences, and I’ve met so many amazing people because of them. I’m excited to continue to do so. And to keep learning and growing.” primeaux.shop