At age 15, Otis Damo'n had contemplated suicide the summer before entering his 10th grade school year. He had hid his thoughts of ending this lonely state of depression through his laughter & caring for others. After entering into 10th grade at Hempstead High School he met an educator through classmates by the name of Mrs. Doris Gleora Sibley. While changing classes Otis Damo'n caught the attention of the late Mrs. Doris Gleora Sibley and just began to have a quick conversation that turned into an intense dialogue of sharing. Immediately the guards were down & trust was established between the two. After confiding in Mrs. Sibley about his suicidal thoughts of the demons that taunted him, Otis was instructed to come to Mrs. Sibley's class everyday on his lunch break. It was there that she would teach him sewing & entreprenuership techniques. Otis Damo'n then began creating his own wears for himself & others. Brainstorming and finding his niche in this whole creative & fashion world Otis Damo'n began creating a collection of hats. His mom Jacqueline L. Fields-Holley would become his first muse & patron of pride. Little did he know that his talents would fester a career literally involving head transformations. Otis Damo'n had garned a significant following for his hats from community residence. Infact, half of the woman in his congregation wore his designs on Sunday and pledge their allegiance to his creativity. He was successful in crowning many clergy and minister's wives throughout the Tri-State area. Former Hempstead's Mayor James A. Garner presented Otis Damo'n a Citation for his Entreprenuership at the age of 16. While attending Nassau Community College his artistic gift for color combination and fabrication assortment caught the eye of hat guru Lola Ehrlich of Lola Millinery, where he was hired as an intern and later an assistant. In addition, he worked under the tutlage of the late Horace Weeks of Peter & Irving. It was at Peter & Irving where Otis Damo'n mastered the art of millinery hat blocking, spending numerous hours a week watching every move that Mr. Horace made. While spending much time with the late Mr. Horace of Peter & Irving it was there where Otis Damo'n met some of his faves in the millinery world such as the late Emily Miles, Rowena Mays, Mr. Lynn, Jack McConnell, Frank Olive, Mr. Willie, and many more. Mainly self taught, Otis Damo'n completed a course or two with NYC (F.I.T.) Fashion Institute of Technology's millinery department, but earned his Associates Degree in Fashion Buying & Merchandising from Nassau Community College in Garden City, N.Y. Presently, Otis Damo'n is finishing up his Bachelor Degree in Community & Human Services at Empire State College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The eldest child of six children out of his parents union, he is commited to setting a standard of excellence for his siblings to follow. His eyes are presently set on such upscale retailers as Bergdorf Goodman & Neiman Marcus. His breath taking couture designs have been showcased on 5th Avenue in the windows of Fortunoff with Mr. Fortunoff's fine jewelry & sold at Henri Bendel. His hat drama has caused head tornados in off Broadway productions such as "Look What The Cat Dragged In" written by Cheryl Lane Lewis. His hats continue to top off New York's Fashion Week & Queen's Fashion Week as he collaborates with designers such as Wilbur Pack Jr. of SK Wilbur. His creations has also been featured in the movie "The Skinny" created by Patrik-Ian Polk. Otis Damo'n has created hats & head pieces for such starlets as Alicia Keys, Patti Labelle, Victoria Rowell, Khandi Alexander, Spinderella (Deidre Roper of Salt & Pepper), gospel legend Mattie Moss Clark, club sensation Robin S, & Tichina Arnold of "Martin" & "Everybody Hates Chris" to name a few. Sir. Holley says that he is crowning the World one head at a time. Although the designer's demeanor is polite & shy his creations cloaked in linen, para sisal, velour, beaver felt, fur, alligator, austrian crystal, ribbons, & flowers peak volume. Otis Damo'n offers many collections to his patrons which can stem from out of the box to sexy subtleness. Otis Damo'n provokes fantasies and humor in his designs to make women & men smile with confidence, ultimately allowing them to express themselves. In spite of your choice of collection his creations narrates the character of the women & men wearing them without restrictions. "Hats On!!!"


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Carla Pivonski-Photographer
Phil Marino-Photographer
Justin Lopez-Photographer
Eliezer Infante-Photographer/Model
TAR Photography
JoLance-Photographer
Major Modeling Agency Models
JR West

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