Written by: Alondra Nicole

In fashion history, the name ‘PERRY ELLIS’ is held on the high beams of menswear brands that cultivated universal style categories. The legacy sportswear house is famous for its choice cuts of imported cotton denim and lifestyle shoe collections; PERRY ELLIS has long been regarded as a frontiersman in American fashion – so much so that in modern day, ‘PERRY ELLIS’ is at times referenced in lyrics made by artists of the global music industry. Future’s hit single, ‘I WON’, featuring Kanye West, remained on Billboard’s ‘HOT R&B/HIP HOP’ chart for 18 weeks – at the 1:11 mark on the track, Future sings, “Gotta put you in that vintage, then you rockin’ Perry Ellis.” Since the opening of its first 1978 showroom on Seventh Avenue in Manhattan, Perry Ellis has abided by its own code of creative configuration. As the brand continues to douse its impact into the waves of modern menswear fashion, photographer Jorge Duva has a key role in conveying the Perry Ellis vision.

Duva – a Colombian creative with a background in rock and a degree in graphic design, is Perry Ellis’s exclusive fashion photographer. As an international media figure, Jorge stands prominently amongst the household names that knit together the authentic aristocracy of fashion photography. Prior to joining the Perry Ellis empire, Duva’s career as a creative involved curating magazine layouts for a variety of global publications. During early adolescence, Jorge discovered his ability to devise prototype illustrations – a memory of self that foreshadowed his destiny. At PERRY ELLIS, the conceptual photographer captures the verge of a moment traveling at rocket speed, immortalizing the messages of beauty being transmitted to destinations of grandiose. 

Duva’s connection to his native Colombian heritage is the driving force that underpins his pursuits as an aesthete, both at the professional and personal level. In Medellín, Jorge was raised by “the most wonderful family, who are as loving as they are supportive in every way that builds character and morale.” Drawing inward, the acclaimed Perry Ellis photographer gathers muse from viewing life through artistic perspectives, his spirit moved by details of ornate layerings, emerging technologies, and the subjects of the world that bewitch our hearts in charm. His sage advice for upcoming photographers is to ,“release any urge of making a comparison between distinct, meaningful works”.

With an extensive portfolio of masterfully shot print-covers for GRAZIA, HARPER’S BAZAAR, and VOGUE – Jorge Duva experiments with a regal recipe, creating editorial portraits that circulate around the world, contributing to the engravings of fashion on the physical world. His path to perfecting a personal fluency for photography has been paved by passionate endeavors rooted in various formats of self expression, and yes – that does include a once-upon-a-time, rockstar era. “Guitar playing is a love I have,” revealed Jorge, “I once had rock groups in Medellín. As time guided me to other callings, that same instrumental love transformed into a fountain of eternal dreams that I share with my wife, my children, and Colombia.”