Catou Fashion/Midwest Fashion Week & Fashion Community Foundation

BERNY Martin

For as long as I can remember, I had a passion for fashion. Intrigued by fabric and colors, I began sketching women’s and men’s designs and eventually sewed my first original piece, a pair of jeans, all by the age of eight years old.
It was not until I moved to Brooklyn, NY that my love for fashion really started to take shape. While in college I designed my first collection and executed my first fashion show. That was the moment I knew I wanted to be a fashion designer and the beginning of Catou Fashion.
The success of the fashion show gave me the drive and inspiration I needed to make my lifelong dream of creating a fashion label come true.
I name the clothing label after my grandmother, an important person in my life, she planted the seeds early on, to always give back and support charitable causes. In my heart, I always knew that one day I would establish my own foundation.
My inspiration and fashion role model have always been Ives St. Laurent. I loved his designs, color combinations and how he had his creativity presented on the runway. I saved money over the next few years to establish my own fashion label and eventually I saved enough to start my new career as a fashion designer.
As the founder of Catou, I named the label, after my grandmother, Marie Elizabeth Cathrine Loiseau (her nickname was Catou). She was my sole caregiver for most of my childhood, and during that time, she encouraged my creative and artistic talents which now guides the inspirations for the innovative Catou Designs.
Catou vision is to provide innovation, creativity and artistic elegant fashion. With tremendous success, I wanted not only to produce my own fashion shows nationwide but also work with charities and corporations to bring glamour and extravaganza to the events and established Midwest Fashion Week, LLC.
My success has given me the opportunity to travel around the world and present my designs at the most prestigious fashion shows in Paris, New York, Hong Kong, Dubai, Kuwait, and Munich.
My dream to have my own charity was fulfilled in May 2019 by establishing “Fashion Community Foundation” to assist young and underprivileged youth, guiding them into the fashion industry.
In my personal time, I speak to youth at schools, colleges, and shelters to encourage them to stay focused on education and the importance of how to dress for success.
I design with creativity that extends beyond conventional fashion to offer a unique look. I create pieces with the consumer in mind, paying attention to details to guarantee well-made clothing that compliments its wearer.
Edgy and elegant, flirty and sophisticated, Catou fashion makes a statement. Drawing from my travel experiences as well as my studies in college and at the FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology in New York), Catou designs exude confidence and do not contradict with one’s lifestyle. Catou provides ageless fashion with personal flair. A Catou design is original and distinct, created with the wearer in mind.
Catou designs are made to provide the modern fashionista/ with sophisticated and ageless fashion.