Credit:
Walmart
Growing up in Longview, Texas, designer Brandon Maxwell says Walmart was his one-stop-shop for everything from basic household supplies to clothes until he moved to New York City at age 18 to pursue a career in fashion.
Twenty years later, Maxwell is the founder of his eponymous ready-to-wear line, Lady Gaga's go-to collaborator and consulting fashion force behind Haus of Gaga (yes, he loved her
House of Gucci teaser just as much as the rest of us), the winner of a coveted CFDA Fashion Award and a judge on Bravo's revamped
Project Runway. Even after finding mainstream success and receiving critical acclaim, the designer never forgot where he came, remaining close with his family and childhood friends and often paying homage to his small-town roots.