Donte’ Cotton, is a Long Island-born and Baltimore-raised designer. In 2012, he brought his streetwear brand, Debonair Material to the masses. During its run Debonair Material became a featured brand for storenvy.com, a stocked brand on amazon.com as well being stocked in several brick-and-mortar boutiques all while making international sales. It was also 1 of 300 brands around the world to participate in the online program, Streetwear Mastered, which was curated by Virgil Abloh.
He gained his Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art with an Emphasis in Graphic Design from Morgan State University in 2014. To further his knowledge of design, Donte’ attended Pensole Academy in Portland and participated in its Masterclass for New Balance in 2019, which was held at New Balance’s HQ in Massachusetts. In 2022, he joined the newly opened Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design after being a two-time program alum during its Pensole Academy days.
In the footwear space, Donte’ has participated in various events and programs for entities such as, Nike, Puma, Fashion Institute of Technology and more. Some highlights have been participating in Nike’s 2018 OnAir NYC challenge, and 2019’s Pensole x Puma World Sneaker Championships, where he made the top 32 for Color and Material Design.
He now oversees PLC’s Merchandise and art exhibitions as the school’s Product and Collections manager, while also being a support to students in its design programs.
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