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The El Duke Collection - urban fashion with heart The inspiration for fashion can come from a wide range of places - designers may draw on their personal passions, what is happening in the world around them, or reference what they are seeing in movies and music. Being from Columbia, I am very proud of the success of the Miguelo Romano label that has recently launched its range of clothing for men. They are stylish clothes, the type of street wear that would put some swagger in your step if you were walking the streets of Medellín or Brooklyn. But one of their lines of clothing is particularly special for me - it is their El Duke collection. Who was El Duke?  Elider Varela was the man known as El Duke - one of Medellín’s most influential music artists. It was on the streets of Commune 13 - one of Medellín’s most dangerous neighborhoods - that El Duke earned his reputation and earned his respect. But El Duke’s reputation wasn’t built on the violence and crime that epitomize the gangs of Commune 13, El Duke was a musician and his message was one of peace, respect, and the potential that we all have to achieve great things. El Duke was a leader in his community, encouraging young people to express their anger through art - to pick up a microphone, not a gun. El Duke lived his message through his actions. He founded the La Kamada hip-hop school and regularly volunteered his time to help improve his neighborhood and motivate others to look beyond the poverty and crime that ends in despair. The murder of El Duke In October 2012, El Duke was murdered by local gang members in the neighborhood that was his home - the neighborhood where he was trying to provide hope and leadership to others. Honoring El Duke The El Duke collection from Miguelo Romano is a tribute to the inspiration that is the life and work of Elider Varela, the man we know as El Duke. The clothes in this collection use a range of prints that have been designed by local graffiti artist Fabian Higuita. The prints are bold, eye catching and the message that they embody means that these are clothes that all guys should be proud to wear - wherever you live, wherever you come from. At a time when some hip hop artists around the world still feel that they need to prove how tough they are, how gangster they are, Miguelo Romano’s tribute to El Duke is a timely reminder that there is clearly another way. It takes a real man to stand up to be counted, to be different, to say what needs to be said. It takes a real man to walk the streets with his head held high knowing that he is making things better for his neighborhood and his community. It takes a real man to reject crime, to reject violence, and to stand for something better. El Duke, Elider Varela, is an inspiration to us all.
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urban fashion, fashion, duke, medellin, district 13, el duke, elider varela, streets, urban, hip hop,
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