Clothing Designer and Photographer

Julius LaCour Jr. was born in New Orleans, LA in 1985. From a young age, Julius dared to be different. He fell in love with fashion and wanted to dress like the models and icons he saw in the magazines. Since he couldn't afford the designer clothes he wanted, Julius decided to create his own designs. At age 13 he taught himself to sew, reworking the clothes he already owned and turning them into unique and daring creations.
Julius knew that he wanted to turn his passion into a career and enrolled in the Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago to further his technical skills. Julius created his first fashion label, JuJu Blase,' while still a student.
In 2007, Julius was asked by Vassar Magazine.com to be featured as a designer. Impressed with what they saw, Vassar Magazine asked Julius to intern as a fashion head. He took on a second internship in 2008 with Chicago designer Agga B. Raya to deepen his practical knowledge of the fashion industry.
"I created Maison De LaCour with one mission- to use fashion to break the rules set by society."
After he graduated, Julius shaved off his hair, deciding it was time for a drastic change. He also thought it was time for his label to reflect this new, edgier aesthetic. Julius changed the name of his label to Maison De LaCour in 2009. Maison De LaCour was founded with the purpose of expressing individualism. Each piece was unique, created by hand. Julius felt that with each garment he was giving the customer a part of himself.
Julius's talent has been recognized by the Chicago fashion community. In 2010, only a year after starting his line, he showed his collection in Latino Fashion Week and won the CS Magazine Italian Expo Competition. In 2011, Julius did a solo fashion show to a packed house at the Drake Hotel in Chicago. Following his 2011 debut, Julius showed again in 2012 at the historical Murphy Auditorium, then again in 2013 where he made history by becoming the first designer ever to do a solo show in the tents at Chicago Fashion Focus.
In January of 2014, JuJu announced a change for the house. He did an entire rebranding for it, by not only changing the name to his own, but by also moving the brand to New York City by late May of 2014. "My own name haunted me for a year", Julius said. "I liked Maison De LaCour, but it didn't roll off of the tongue better than my own name. I also felt it gave the brand a sense of maturity while still evoking youth."
Today, Julius continues to develop his line pushing the boundaries of fashion and challenging the people's perceptions. As he says. "What's wrong with a man in a skirt? Why is a women in baggy clothes not considered sexy?" Julius also combines couture finishing techniques with explorations of themes many believe are taboo, bringing to light such as minority subcultures and nudity. This juxtaposition creates a unique, dynamic line unlike other labels on the market. For Julius, this is a dream come true.
"If you think couture is a dream, then grab a piece of it. Dreams are meant to be followed."

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