“I was not the typical average boy growing up. I didn’t play sports, nor did I look forward to playing outside. Creativity was my thing, and I owe that to my mother.”

Altorrin McIntyre is best described as a quiet disturbance of creativity. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, this visionary knew very early on that art was his calling, and he was determined to make it happen for himself. Even if “it” wasn’t designing clothes, he knew New York City was “IT” for him. Arriving in the Big Apple of fashion dreams with a suitcase full of southern charm and mannerisms, he came and conquered quietly, staring many sizable challenges in the eye with an unwavering determination to succeed. McIntyre has an eye for fantasy. His editorial work speaks, loudly so, to the best fantasy adventure film, featuring the coolest actors you know, and directed by the expressionist himself Tim Burton. In other words, a total escape from reality – and old school fashion slay! But isn’t that how fashion and self-expression truly prevail? Opinion and thoughts aside, Altorrin McIntyre is simply expressing himself as a figment of his own imagination!

You are a stylist and art director respectively. What led you down this artistic journey of creativity?

I grew up in Norfolk, Virginia and was not your typical average boy who was fond of playing sports or hanging outside. I looked forward to those Saturdays when I would go thrifting with my mom, or visiting consignment shops and embraced any- and everything creative. It began to train my eye for fashion, fabrics, and textiles. She was a seamstress herself so in that I saw the joy that came from her own designs and how well they were received by her clients. They would “light up” with validation and I would think to myself: ”Wow! This is what I want to do!” Frankly, becoming a stylist came later, I just knew I wanted to be creative somehow. Slowly but surely as I began to evolve as an artist, unbeknownst to myself, the universe began to direct my path. I remember reading an article many years ago in Vibe magazine about celebrity stylist June Ambrose and The Mod Squad. My heart stopped. That is when I knew for sure that this is what I want to do!

As a stylist, whose work do you admire the most?

Patti Wilson and Lori Goldstein have both had a huge influence on my work. Patti is someone I admire – as a woman of color who had an amazing career in fashion. I undoubtedly gravitate towards her. I feel she is the mother of us all!

What creative tools do you rely on in your day-to-day endeavors?

I use everything from music and media to people watching. I am heavily influenced by it all! I mean, I live in New York City. It is a tad depleted now so I have to search for it. Since the pandemic, I have restrained my going out, because I do take this all seriously. I now must intentionally seek out influences and stimuli to keep myself creatively charged. I joined The Met to aid in keeping my focus innovational.

What are some of the brands you have extended your expertise to?

I have had a few lives under this umbrella of fashion. My first life started in retail and I then moved on to fashion production. I have had the pleasure to work on Oscar de la Renta, Phillip Lim, Tracy Reese, Wes Gordon, Cushnie, Hermes, and Louis Vuitton, among many others. All were intimate relations, and all were executed differently. The beginning of my trajectory in the fashion world was fashion production and inaugurating myself on the team that created the shows. That was my first foot in. After that, I began to connect and network with photographers and models, creating a Rolodex en route to the styling career I have today.

As a Black creative in spaces that are predominantly employed by white colleagues and counterparts, how do you stay motivated and handle the nuances that go along with the unforeseen challenges that present themselves?

The first thing that you are aware of is that you are a representative. I have moved up this career ladder being “the only Black guy.” It is a heavy, heavy, burden, to say the least. But it makes you perform, and it drives your excellence factor! I always think about…with me moving forward, I can always reach back and help someone else. That has always been the wind beneath my wings. I am finally getting to that place where I can call in a favor to someone and get an assistant put on a job. These things are happening in my life now and it is so amazing… to give these opportunities to young, Black kids who otherwise would not know there are things to do besides being a designer or a rapper. Not that anything is wrong with that. There are options and other ways you can creatively provide for yourself and your family –remove yourself from your less than stellar environment and then in turn assist someone else to do the same. You must have drive and determination. Although we are experiencing a shift, there are only a few spaces for us to actually occupy. And I am absolutely aware of it. I understand exactly who I am in this fashion realm so significantly that I have almost foolishly bet it all and put my existence on the line to be successful. I put my love of this business before my own wellbeing. I felt like I had to do it. As a Black man, with that much opportunity, I did not want to lose it so I stood on –by any means necessary.

Regarding your journey, what are your thoughts today on making it this far?

The blessings I have received today are because of the undeniable sacrifices I have made. We should not have to be extraordinary when some of our white counterparts’ efforts are mediocre yet offered the same opportunities. I am within myself trying to figure this out. Maybe it is our upbringing and what we are taught? Also, maybe it is something we need to unlearn. But why do we as Black people have to work so hard and surmount everyone else?

If you could describe yourself in one word, what comes to the forefront of your mind?

Determined.

Web: www.altorrin.com

IG:@altorrin