When Demitric “D.” Simmons walks into a room, he does so in a suit. Long before he became the founder of DCASSO Custom Designs, the Channelview-raised entrepreneur understood the power of presentation.
“Dress how you want to be addressed.”
Demitric “D
“Dress how you want to be addressed,” he says and he’s lived by that motto, whether standing behind a barber’s chair or preparing to debut his first collection at New York Fashion Week this September.
Simmons’ relationship with style began early. One of his first childhood photos is with his father, dressed in a tiny suit at just five years old. But it wasn’t until high school that fashion truly clicked. “Something about the way clothes make you feel, it just stuck,” he says. By 11th grade, dressing sharp wasn’t an option; it was part of who he was.
That identity carried him into his first career. Simmons picked up clippers as a teenager after moving in with his father and realizing he needed to cut his own hair. Using a three-way mirror, he became his first client. Soon, neighbors were knocking on his door for cuts. By 1998, he was enrolled at Acres Homes Barber College and what he thought might be a temporary hustle became a 26-year career.
“The barbershop has always been a place for fashion,” he told the Defender. “People came to see the latest trends and the barber always dressed sharp.”
Simmons took that to heart. Even while cutting hair, he wore suits, turning heads and sparking curiosity. Clients constantly asked where he bought them.
One of those clients was Jarrod Wilkins, who was first referred to Simmons about a decade ago. He’s stayed with him ever since.
“What stands out most is that he’s personable,” Wilkins says. “He can talk to you about politics, religion and sports. And then he’s precise. Whether it’s an edge-up or the threading on a jacket, he pays attention to every detail. That combination is rare.”
In 2020, DCASSO Custom Designs was born. With no formal training, Simmons dove in. He sourced fabric, took his own measurements and designed his first suit. It was, in his words, “horrible.” But each mistake was a lesson.
“I practiced on myself until I figured out allowances, fit, everything,” he says. Slowly, he began building a line.
The road wasn’t smooth. As a barber-turned-designer, Simmons struggled for credibility. “You start at the bottom and you’re no one,” he says. To prove himself, he gave away suits, lowered prices and even modeled his own designs in photo shoots to show what DCASSO could do. Sometimes influencers never tagged him, sometimes clients doubted he could deliver.
“Consistency builds trust,” he says. “I had to keep showing up until people believed.”
Five years later, that persistence is paying off.
This fall, Simmons will showcase The Bespoke Collection at New York Fashion Week. The line features everything from exotic fabrics and tailored overcoats to sleek tuxedos and even four women’s suits.
“Fit is everything,” he says, describing his tweaks to bring back bell-bottoms, elbow patches and a mix of bold and classic looks. “I want my brand to feel luxury but still be accessible.”
The opportunity came earlier this year, when Simmons tagged along to Fashion Week as a designer’s assistant. As always, dressed in one of his suits, he caught the eye of the show organizers.
“They loved my style and my friend bragged on me,” he says. “They asked if I wanted to showcase in September. I told them, ‘Put me in the game.’”
Rooted in Houston’s cultural melting pot, he sees his success as a reflection of community.
“To see your name in lights, to come from a small town to New York City, it’s like saying, ‘Mama, I made it,’” Simmons says.
His influences range from Steve Harvey to Tom Ford and veteran tailor Terry Corbett. But Simmons’s ultimate vision is owning a Houston-based luxury space combining grooming, fashion and lifestyle.
“One building where you can get your haircut, get fitted for a suit and relax in a lounge,” he says. “That’s what I’m working toward.”
