Meet Student Designer: Tukii Tucker
Fashion design found Tukii Tucker unexpectedly, born out of the void left by the abandonment of his biological father and the relentless servitude of his maternal side. These formative experiences—shaped by abandonment, resilience, and survival—are at the heart of his aesthetic. Through fashion, Tukii channels his personal history, transforming his emotions and the weight of his past into wearable art that speaks to both struggle and strength.
Tukii’s designs are a dance between structure and fluidity, where the sharp precision of tailoring meets the organic flow of draping. Like a sculptor working with the body’s natural curves, he uses tailoring to carve out forms of strength, while draping allows the fabric to surrender, wrapping the wearer in stories of vulnerability and resilience. His garments reflect the interplay of these forces, inviting wearers to explore their own complex identities.
Currently enrolled in the MFA Fashion program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Tukii continues to refine his practice. His career highlights include teaching fashion design at Eastern Guilford High School, showcasing at New York Fashion Week, presenting his designs at the North Carolina Museum of Art for the screening of Andre Leon Talley’s film, and winning first place at the French Embassy’s sustainable fashion competition in DC. Tukii’s journey is a testament to the transformative power of fashion — where hardship meets art, and design becomes a vehicle for personal and cultural reclamation.
