D-R-G-N appoints new creative director

U.S. fashion brand D-R-G-N has appointed French designer Ben Taverniti to the role of creative director.

A graduate of the ESMOD fashion school in Paris, Taverniti began his career as the head designer at Taverniti Couture, before serving as the head designing assistant to Jeremy Scott.

In 2004, the Frenchman relocated to Los Angeles to become the creative director at Hudson Jeans, followed by his launching of Unravel Project, a luxury streetwear brand, in 2015.

Known for its deconstructed and reconstructed designs, the co-ed brand’s designs feature inside-out jeans, reverse-zipped bombers and lace-up leather pants, which have been spotted on mega celebrities such as Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Rihanna, and Justin Bieber. 

Earlier this year, the designer debuted another luxury women’s brand, Nvl-Garde, from Milan, where he is based today.

“Ben and I have always shared the common belief that fashion is about self expression, and great fashion authentically reflects the soul,” said Peter Kim, CEO and co-founder of D-R-G-N, who worked alongside Taverniti at Hudson Jeans, as CEO and co-founder of the denim brand. 

“We’re excited to bring that shared vision to life through a brand as symbolic as D-R-G-N. His ability to merge technical design with emotional depth is unmatched.”

D-R-G-N is an emerging luxury men’s streetwear brand created by Kim’s Golden Circle Group, a brand accelerator focused on nurturing new brands, and Bruce Lee Enterprises. The brand aims to continue Bruce Lee’s legacy through an meaningful apparel collection – Tees, fleeces, and jogger pants – rooted in the actor’s principles and values of individual expression, according to a press release.

“D-R-G-N is more than a brand—it’s a philosophy,” said Taverniti. “It challenges me to go deeper as a designer, to create pieces that don’t just make a statement about Bruce Lee, or for Bruce Lee fans, but that carry deeper meaning men are seeking in functional, high-quality pieces.”