By Ameera Steward | For The Birmingham Times
“I am a visionary in progress,” said 24-year-old Lawrence Fencher. “I do a lot of things as of right now.”
For the past three months, The Birmingham Times interviewed some of the area’s leading fashion designers and tastemakers about the cultural and historical examination of Black style.
Fencher is originally from Birmingham’s Ensley community but grew up in the Smithfield community. As a child, he didn’t take his creativity seriously because he didn’t believe it would lead to a reliable career path—but, he said, “I’ve always been creating.”
Fashion was the first thing he had access to as a child to fully express himself.
“I always used to be very skeptical when I [saw] everybody doing the same thing,” he said. “The first [example] I remember is being in elementary school, [at Glen Iris] and in middle school [at Phillips Academy] and having to wear uniforms. … I absolutely hated the fact that we all had to look the same.”
Also, he enjoyed watching anime (a style of animation originating from Japan), which solidified his love for and interest in fashion.
Fencher graduated from the Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School in 2019 and went on to attend the University of Alabama, where he earned a degree in business administration.
After graduating in 2022, he decided he needed a change of scenery and wanted to incorporate more creativity into his daily life. So, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he was introduced to the ballroom community. A Black and Latino underground LGBTQ+ subculture that embraces fashion and originality, “Ballroom consists of two primary features: anchoring family-like structures, called Houses, and … flamboyant competitive Balls,” according to a 2009 article in the Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services.
“I was only there for a year and a half, … but [the ballroom scene is what] has been driving my creativity recently,” Fencher said. “[I’m] currently pursuing different outlets—working with the fashion industry, working as a creative director, things like that.”
In addition to pursuing more of his creative dreams, Fencher is pursuing a master’s degree in healthcare analytics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), as well as working as a service representative for Medicaid.
You can follow Lawrence Fencher on Instagram: @opticsonata.
Q&A
The Birmingham Times (BT): Why is dressing well important?
Lawrence Fencher (LF): “It’s part of my self expression. … I want to feel my best wherever I go. People always say you feel your best when you look your best. … You understand that when you actually have a day where you have to do something important [and] you’re in your throwaway clothing you feel the anxiety that comes with that—versus when you’re in your best outfit. … [Dressing well] plays into how you are and how you carry yourself throughout the day.
“People judge a lot based on looks, [too]. … I don’t really dress well because I care about what people [say], but I want to show people that you can be in any space and dress how you want to dress, how you want to express yourself. So that’s why, whatever I do, … I try to look the very best I can.”
BT: Why is dressing well important as a Black man?
LF: “Other people really judge you based on how you dress, … [so] it’s always important to show up as your best self so that that’s not even a factor. … And then I studied dandyism after seeing the Met Gala. … The story is that when slaves first became free, they wanted to dress their best because they finally had the right, [whereas before] they were [denied the right] to dress themselves—and I understand that exhilaration. You’ve never been able to have these clothes, never been able to have access to this stuff. … [Then], when you finally do, of course you want to make it look your 100 percent best. That’s something I keep in mind, and I want to carry that proudness and exhilaration.”
BT: What is your process when getting dressed?
LF: “It really depends [on the activity]. I always have color on my mind. I’m obsessed with color. That’s something I can’t even turn off. … So even if I’m doing jogging pants and a shirt, I’ll do a light-color shirt with dark-color pants to contrast. … It just depends on what the activity is and how I’m feeling that day.”
BT: Any advice for young Black men who want to dress well?
LF: “Don’t look at the price tag. That’s a very big thing because—even if you dress nice, if you’re just going based on what’s popular, what’s most expensive, or trying to meet a trend—you’re going to be defeating yourself, … you’re not going to be expressing your truest self.
“Another thing: You can have absolutely amazing, beautiful clothes that come from the thrift store. … That’s [where a lot of] my best outfits come from. [I like] taking old, worn-out [clothes] from the thrift store, doing slight things to them, and making them something new. [For instance, I combined] an old dress shirt with a T-shirt.”
