The Apprentice Steps Out Front

Upon walking into Neville Wisdom Design Studio on Broadway, patrons are greeted by flowing dresses, sewing machines — and, on the front table, a creation that looks like a jacket and a handbag fused into one. Wisdom didn’t make the bag; he made the opportunity for an apprentice-turned-partner, Dwayne Moore, to find his spot in the limelight. 

Moore first displayed his emerging brand, Duss Wayne, at the studio in 2019. It has since occupied more of a presence in the store.

Moore, who is 26 and grew up in New Haven, joined forces with Wisdom on July 3, 2016. He woke up and walked straight to Wisdom’s Orange Street studio and waited for someone to come. He wanted to see if he could help out around the studio. Four hours after he parked himself beside the door, someone came. Two days later, he met Wisdom, who spoke to him while sewing.

“I never left,” he said.

Wisdom, one of the region’s leading designers, has given Moore the space to explore the idea of running his own business without having to worry about the financial burden. He said he is grateful that Moore came into his life when he did.

“It was never about what he could do for me, but what he could do for himself,” Wisdom said. ​“As a young Black male with a single mother, I wanted him to have the opportunity that many people of color in the fashion industry don’t get.”

“I’m extremely proud of him in terms of what he’s been able to accomplish and his dedication in going after his passion,” Wisdom said. ​“He can take over now, my legacy, and wherever he takes it I’ll be proud of him.” 

When Moore was young, he wanted to draw, create video games, play basketball, and paint sneakers like his father. When he was 14, he spent the summer with family in Georgia and had two goals in mind: playing basketball and drawing. He missed basketball tryouts by 10 minutes.

“I went home and thought of the things I wanted to wear to school but didn’t have, and thought, ​‘I should design clothes,’” he said. ​“That was my spark.” 

Moore attended high school at New Haven Academy. One day, he received a package in the mail from his aunt with a basic sewing machine inside. Moore laughed when describing how small the machine was – just around two by three feet – and lovingly recalled how ​“slow and janky” it was. That was followed by a pattern making book at Christmas. 

He is self-taught through books, YouTube, trial-and-error, and then experimentation with the studio machines. Some of the sewing books he read at home are sprinkled throughout the storefront. 

Moore’s first official home project was a blazer for his prom. It took him 30 days, and 12-hour days at that. An hour before prom, it was wearable. He walked into the dance and was greeted by students and teachers alike asking where he got the garment. 

“That’s the biggest compliment. When you make clothes, you don’t want it to look like you made them.”

On making daring pieces in New Haven, Moore said, ​“we live in a place where people don’t take much risk in how they dress. But pushing boundaries is what keeps me creative.” He said that sometimes people ask him if the clothes he makes are truly for people to wear. ​“I didn’t make them to sit on a wall,” he retorts.

Moore’s most popular products are bags, sweatshirts, and jackets.

The revered jacket bag creation demands more than 12 hours to make. Moore got the idea when looking at one of his own jackets: What would this look like as a bag? He plans to create a full matching set consisting of a jacket, bag, and pants. 

Since 2017, Moore has made over 115 different pieces, excluding copies. ​“That’s how you find your design language,” he said. 

Moore gathered up the materials for a T‑shirt to show the steps in creating an item of clothing. First, he typically makes a pattern on the computer system in the studio. Then he cuts out the fabric according to the pattern. After that, he sews it up. T‑shirts have only around 12 seams, while jackets can have up to 100. Lastly, Moore presses the shirt out with an iron and fixes up the hems. 

Prices for Moore’s creations range from $95 to $1,200. Moore acknowledged that his clothes are more expensive than many people can afford. He noted that clothing brands require a lot of capital for all the necessary materials. The time and space that each piece needs also eats at the cost more so than fast-fashion brands, which Moore avoids at all costs. 

Moore’s father painted sneakers when he was a kid. The walls of his house were covered with blank sneakers, waiting to be marked with the Hulk, Iron Man, flowers, or any other designs. ​“That’s what made me a creative individual.” 

The name ​“Duss Wayne” stemmed from a nickname given to Moore before his 22nd birthday. It also rhymes with Bruce Wayne, and Moore is a big fan of the Batman aesthetic. 

“When I got here, there was that instant recognition – this is what I’d imagined for myself. Everything that I need is here.”

Moore’s goal is to continue creating. When he began to work with Wisdom, he didn’t imagine having a store. He was satisfied with having a studio to create in. Now Moore sees himself having his own storefront one day. He would like a larger version of the studio, with more floor space and a team with more people on it. (Only he and Wisdom create at the studio currently.)

“This experience is more intimate than other retail stores. You get to build a relationship with the people, not just the product.” 

However, he has no intention of moving to a fashion capital, like New York City. ​“I don’t believe that I have to be in a space like that to be inspired. I’ve always been inspired by the world I want to create.”