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A Sharp-Dressed Man

There is, Will Sharp insists, a method to his madness. In an article in Washingtonian Magazine, the 2003 graduate of Washington and Lee admitted that his clothing company, DURKL (it was his first word as a baby), has come a long way since he was designing shirts in his mother’s basement.

From those modest beginnings, Will’s clothing line is now sold in more than 100 boutiques internationally in addition to the company’s flagship retail location at 4th and Eye Streets, NW, Washington, D.C.

As described in the Washingtonian piece, DURKL’s style is “urban preppy with an emphasis on color and casual comfort: logo T-shirts and hats; hoodies and jackets; dress shirts in solids, plaids, and stripes; and denim.”

Will is a self-taught designer. He majored in European history at W&L, but he now cuts all his own patterns. He’s got two partners in the business, including his brother. As he told the magazine about starting his own business, “Ignorance is bliss sometimes. I was too stupid not to try hard, and it was a good thing. I believed in myself.”

Have a look at the magazine story. It’s a good read. And the YouTube video below is an interview with Will from back in 2009.

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