☞ MEET: Dario Calmese

Harlem Bespoke will be starting a series of style features with some of the new faces of Harlem.  Below is our first interview with notable photographer Dario Calmese who will also be directing a Harlem Renaissance fashion performance piece at Symphony Space on Saturday,  May, 11th: LINK

HB: We are always looking out for uptowners with great style. How would you describe your look? 

DC: That's tough one. I'm pretty understated, but enjoy a dash of quirkiness as well. There's also usually a denim element, so maybe "downtown casual"? Is that something? I'm not flashy, I'm not too keen on being stared at.


HB: What are your current professional and creative projects? 

DC: Professionally, I just wrapped a project for the Plaza Hotel, documenting the gut renovation of The Fitzgerald Suite, designed by Baz Lurmann's wife, Catherine Martin. I also just finished shooting the campaign for Public School, and currently doing art direction for an emerging menswear brand, Kite. I'm also directing and choreographing an original "fashion musical" for Symphony Space's Wall-To-Wall festival, have two music videos in the works, and shooting ongoing projects with other clients like the CFDA and Alvin Ailey. When I get the chance, I continue working on my photo series "Amongst Friends", documenting the style of Harlem socialite Lana Turner.


HB: When will the Symphony Space show debut and how did you get involved with directing the production?

DC: The show will be presented on May 11th at approximately 8:45pm. My friend, Randal Jacobs, was commissioned by Symphony Space to create a production about the fashion of Harlem. However, as my first career was as an actor, singer, and dancer, I was brought on to refine the narrative through-line, expand the production, and produce the show. It literally interprets fashion as costume, which was the subject of my grad school entrance essay, actually.


HB: You are very active in the community but a relatively new resident. What are your thoughts on the changes happening?

DC: I'm always an advocate of change and evolution; respect and preserve the history, but neighborhoods, like their inhabitants, grow and change. So overall, I think the changes are positive. I love that my sister was in town, visiting from St. Louis, and we ate out exclusively in Harlem. I love keeping the business uptown. The the only thorn in my side are those establishments that seem to have dropped themselves in Harlem like a ton of bricks and not taken the neighborhood into consideration, aesthetically-speaking; some of this stuff looks like it belongs in a mid-income suburb in the Midwest. Manufactured. On another note, I DO love the uptick in the Asian population. Only awesomeness can come out of the meeting of two cultures with their fingers on the pulse of cool.


 HB: Harlem is so rich in cultural history. What inspires you about being Harlem?

DC:  I'm inspired by the sense of pride here. Coming from St. Louis, which is still a very racially segregated city, Black wasn't always the best thing to be; white (schools, neighborhoods, businesses) were usually considered better. So, what a joy it was to move here, experience my own personal Harlem Renaissance, and truly embrace the richness and legacy of a people unafraid to pursue greatness.


 HB: What is the most unexpected thing about living in Harlem that folks in the rest of the city might not know about?

DC: That it's affordable and convenient. I'm always surprised when I hear friends say they can't afford to live in Manhattan, as if the city stops at 96th street, and that Harlem requires an Amtrak ticket. I can get most places in Manhattan in less than 20min, and luckily can afford a decent 1br for the price they're paying to share a closet with 3 other people downtown.


For more on Dario Calmese, check out the photographer's work at DarioCalmese.com or follow him on Twitter @dariothephotog