Photography by Audryana Cruz

Emerging Designer: Don Kaka
for MERDE Magazine
The first thing to know about Los Angeles-based luxury clothing brand Don Kaka is what’s in the name. Don is the first name of the founder and designer. He explained to MERDE Magazine that “Kaka” is a respectful way to address an elder male relative in Kurdish. The English equivalent could be likened to a friendly “sir” or “brother,” though Don noted that some people feel uncomfortable saying the word Kaka. However, that discomfort is simply misinformed. In Kurdish dialects, it’s a respectful address. In other dialects, the word has been used negatively in racist slurs against the Kurds, most often by Iraqi extremists. Don Kaka reclaims the word as an empowering cultural namesake to lead the rich energy of his brand.
Don’s Master Plan is as follows:
1. Create the most exquisite pieces of clothing humanity has ever known 
2. Use money from that to fund the Research & Develop of new fabrics for the future
3. Sustainably mass-produce clothing of the future at an affordable price
(Sourced from donkaka.com)
Thus far, Don is crushing step one of his plan. His designs feature some of the rarest, most sumptuous materials on earth. Centuries-old fabric sourced from France and pure silk velvet are two examples; both featured here on models Chrystal and Chrystian. Don isn’t about paying thousands of dollars to score a runway show at LA Fashion Week. Instead, he lets his designs speak for themselves on social media. Through networking and word-of-mouth, Don Kaka is slowly gaining notoriety for showcasing some of the industry's most luxurious materials.
Production Manager
Chloe Zofia
Remote Director
Victoria Nergaard
Designer + Styling
Don Kaka
Photographer
Audryana Cruz
Assistant Photographer
Nevyn Matthews
 Makeup
Chloe Gingold
Copies of MERDE Magazine Issue V are available at merdemagazine.com

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