#SoaringToSuccess: From Preppy Style to High-Tech Trends, David Lee ’26 Steps Up

David Lee '26 is wearing a specific style of Afrofuturism clothing called Advanced Dandyism.

Elmira College student David Lee '26 spent his summer internship learning about Afrofuturism, a fashion trend that blends traditional African styles with futuristic designs.

His unique internship came about thanks to the branding and promotion skills he’s practiced while studying fashion business in the EC Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Business School program. Lee has been leveraging social media channels, such as his own YouTube channel, for years.

So when Lee’s family friend, Maceo Thomas, Building and Outreach Manager at the Washington Ethical Society under the group ‘Afro Fashion Today’ in Washington, D.C., was looking for marketing and event coordination support, Lee jumped in, eager to offer support.

Lee joined the WES as the Social Media Manager, Advisor, and Event Planning Aide, assisting the African Fashion Today program in celebrating Africa Day, which recognizes the founding of the Organization of African Unity in 1963, now the African Union.

The WES held a three-day celebration on May 30-June 1, and Lee was hands-on from the start.

“I helped set up a fashion show,” Lee explained. “I made a video, put together social media posts, made the posters, and helped with the technology behind the event.”

As part of the event planning and his role with WES, Lee became familiar with Afrofuturism. The exposure gave him a new perspective.

“I had seen it, but it hadn’t caught my eye,” he shared. “I didn’t see the potential. For me, fashion was just about clothes, but I learned that it’s actually about the music, art, and technology, and how they come together.”

To be clear, Lee’s appreciation doesn’t extend to a whole wardrobe change on his part. What he appreciates is how the design style is growing in importance and “subconsciously affecting other people’s styles in ways they don’t pick up on.”

“Preppy is my look, but now I’m into Afrofuturism.”

Part of the design’s complexity is in leveraging the rich details, colors, and fabric prints of the African diaspora. For example, Lee explained how a Yoruba cap tilted a certain way can indicate if a man is single or married. Colors can be highly symbolic, with red indicating vitality and gold indicating wealth.

But what excited Lee the most about this distinctive look is how it’s integrating technology, particularly artificial intelligence. This can include incorporating “smart clothing” that can track health data into the design, but also is integral to how the clothing is retailed.

That’s why, while Lee made many connections throughout the summer, one he particularly valued was a woman heavily involved in cybersecurity and data protection.

“You can’t be into technology without knowing how to protect data,” he explained.

As the fashion industry quickly adopts AI, finding new ways to infuse it into both the design and business side of the industry, Lee is eager to keep up and get ahead.

“Technology and AI elements are growing, and now I’m trying to get immersed,” he shared.

Yet, for Lee, the internship and exposure to Afrofuturism taught him to look beyond the mainstream and to see the industry as more than clothing, accessories, and even technology.

“Fashion is art, it’s not just the apparel, it’s the physical art,” he said.

What’s more, he enjoyed the experiences he had in his role, from planning to attending events to meeting many new people. And for him, the lesson was clear.

“There’s nothing better in your internship than being fully immersed in the experience and having fun.”