Téla D’Amore’s Designs Can’t Be Put Into A Box

In Bustle’s Quick Question, we ask women leaders all about their careers — from where they started to their latest innovations. Here, Téla D’Amore, co-founder and designer of Who Decides War, shares the details of her partnership with Jordan and what it’s like to be a woman dominating the menswear space.

Téla D’Amore isn’t into labels. “At one point, we were fighting so hard to elevate our brand,” she says about the beginnings of Who Decides War, a fashion brand which she co-founded with Ev Bravado. “[You’re] working so hard to get an interview to talk about your art, and the only thing that they’re asking about is how to label you.”

As the designer behind the brand, she’s accustomed to people trying to fit her — and her designs — into a box. “Most of the time, we’re labeled as streetwear,” she says. “Then it begs the question, what is streetwear to you? Why is that?” Attention to detail is critical to the brand’s ethos, whether they’re releasing distressed denim, bondage-inspired skirts, or embroidered trucker jackets.

Challenging norms is integral to D’Amore’s career, tracing back to the origins of Who Decides War in menswear in 2018. “I’m a woman, and I’m approaching the world of menswear as something that I buy into, but I’m not of it,” she says. “I’ve always been interested in things that are slightly more challenging. I wanted to go against the grain.”

D’Amore’s bringing that perspective to her recent collaboration with Jordan. The pair teamed up for the release of the Jordan Flight Court ($115) — a low-top sneaker that integrates sportswear and high fashion, launching this upcoming holiday season.

“The first day, [Jordan] let me into their labs. Like, enough talking — let’s see what’s going on,” D’Amore says about the collaboration. “It was really cool that they opened it right up for me to step in and do what I do best. That’s so rare when it comes to a large partnership like this.”

Below, the designer talks about how she entered the menswear space, the inspiration behind her latest collection, and why her “symbiotic partnership” with Jordan worked so well.

How you would describe your personal style when you were younger?

Extravagantly resourceful.

Are there any fashion faux pas or style choices that you look back on and cringe?

I used to wear jerseys and tights a lot. I don’t know what I was thinking. I was in high school. There was a lot going on at that time of my life.

Who Decides War started as a menswear brand. What made you want to go in that direction?

When we started, there was a big hole in menswear — a lull in the embellishments and a lull within applique. It was really important to fill that void. We were intentional about the clothing we were creating, not just making more excess. We wanted to have something to say with each piece, and through that, we naturally gravitated toward techniques like applique and distressing.

Where do you pull inspiration when you’re designing pieces?

Our past, things that we’ve been going through. More generally, transitional periods in life.

For this whole collection, we were inspired by that craziness last year [at the Who Decides War fashion show in September 2023, when the crowd grew so large D’Amore and Bravado called the police on themselves]. Everybody who was at the door trying to get in... At the end of the day, those are our die-hard fans. They are the people that go out and buy this. I was really inspired by the community.

There’s a lot of fluidity within all aspects of fashion. That’s something people try to fight a lot, but it’s cooler if you lean into it.

Your brand is known for breaking out of traditional boxes, like exploring gender fluidity. In general, the fashion world seems to be following suit. What do you see is your role in that evolution?

There’s a lot of fluidity within all aspects of fashion. That’s something people try to fight a lot, but it’s cooler if you lean into it and play with it.

Fluidity has become a signature within our brand. Ev and I have never really shied away from that. I’ve always shopped in the men’s section, and Ev has always shopped in the women’s section to find pieces that we both love. With our clothes, we always say, “If it fits you, wear it.”

We’ve always been fluid in that sense without ever coining it. It wasn’t really a marketing thing; it’s just who we are.

You’ve spoken about designers of color being “pigeonholed” into the streetwear category and how you’re trying to change that narrative. Can you tell me more about what that looks like?

We get called a streetwear brand often, but we’ve only been present on the CFDA Vogue runways for the last four years now, and we were semifinalists for the LVMH Prize. So, how many accolades do you need before people remove that connotation that streetwear equals Black designers or designers of color?

That’s where the frustration started. We were always labeled as streetwear designers. It didn’t matter what we were creating. To us, streetwear is about what you decide to wear and how you decide to express yourself. The same person who’s wearing a cut-up tee one day is wearing Dior the next. It has nothing to do with the designer.

What trends are exciting to you right now?

There’s an uptick in thrifting right now — and not thrifting designer items. I love that people are talking on social media about how they got this shirt for a dollar, and it’s the sickest shirt you’ve seen. I like that there’s more individuality.

How did the partnership with Jordan take shape?

In the past, I’ve walked away from some really huge deals because it comes down to whether we vibe together. But with Jordan, there is a symbiotic partnership. Every last box was checked. It was seamless.

What specifically distinguished this project from others you’ve turned down?

Normally, there’s a large, maybe unspoken conversation about being a woman walking into these large rooms full of executives and top players. You have something to say, but it might not be appreciated. You’ve flown all these miles, you’ve shacked up at this hotel, you’re prepping for this meeting, and then it might not go the way you’ve hoped.

But with Jordan, from the moment I walked in that door, everyone has been so receptive to everything that I’ve said. It has been so empowering. They’ve given me a voice I didn’t have before. To have that amplified has been an experience unlike any other.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.