Dedrick Thomas stitches together style, business and purpose!
Raised in Pickens, Mississippi, population 994, Dedrick Hideoki Hagiwara Thomas credits the five women who shaped his childhood—his mother, grandmothers and great-grandmothers— for instilling the values that continue to define his life and business. “We raised livestock and planted a garden. They taught me that when you fertilize your foundation and build it, it grows,” he says. “They worked so hard to give me the opportunity to go out and fulfill my dreams.” He hasn’t let them down.
Although custom-made fashion would ultimately become his calling, Thomas’ path began in engineering. After graduating magna cum laude from Mississippi State University in 1998 with a degree in industrial engineering, he built a successful career in software technology, specializing in warehouse management, supply chain management and logistics.
In 2007, he launched Hideoki Bespoke from his apartment while continuing to run his software-tech business until 2015. Without any formal training and simply a love of fashion, he started designing clothing for himself and friends, carrying out a vision to create pieces that fit with precision and matched each client’s unique personality and tastes.
“My grandmother never let me leave the house with my pants hanging down and always made sure my clothes looked proper. I watched my family attend church in their fur coats and fedora hats,” he says of his early fashion influences.
Thomas soon grew his business, eventually expanding from a small Bennett Street studio to an 8,000-square-foot Buckhead showroom. Last year, he reached another milestone by purchasing Hideoki’s permanent home on Peachtree Road in a historic 1931 building that was once a bindery shop.
“Coming from a small town in Mississippi and being able to own property on Peachtree in the middle of Buckhead is a blessing,” he says. “Ownership is key because it creates access to future growth.”
Hideoki Bespoke outfits discerning clients in everything from custom suiting and luxury sportswear to footwear and leather goods, with manufacturing partners and artisans spanning Atlanta and the U.S., Portugal, Italy, Spain, Indonesia and more. The brand’s attention to detail has attracted an impressive roster of high-profile clients, including Jeezy, Samuel L. Jackson, Magic Johnson, T.I., Ketanji Brown Jackson, Candace Parker and Terri J. Vaughn, among many others.
For Thomas, however, the lifestyle experience he produces extends beyond clothing. His Buckhead studio is designed as a gathering place where entrepreneurs, executives, athletes and creatives connect over shared experiences, often forming friendships and business relationships along the way. He also brings clients together at annual customer appreciation events.
That spirit of connection similarly fuels his philanthropic work and passion for helping the Black community thrive. He is committed to aiding the next generation in several ways, including service on the board of the nsoro Foundation that helps youth aging out of foster care pursue higher education. In partnership with golf equipment company PING, with whom he created the PING x Hideoki collection, Thomas is helping expand opportunities at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The initiative launched with a $1 million collaboration benefiting Texas Southern University and includes plans to support an additional four HBCUs through $1 million each toward scholarships, internships and athletic programs.
Whether designing a custom outfit, investing in youth or traveling the world, Thomas lives by a motto he learned from one of his first clients, Steve Harvey: “There’s no monopoly on knowledge. The only difference between knowing and not knowing is exposure.”
HIDEOKI BESPOKE
maisonhideoki.com
@hideokibespoke
PHOTO: Alexandra Zak
