Daven Gray
Published on 09 Jul 2020
Daven was very much a North Carolinian growing up. Whilst attending Winston-Salem State University he studied exercise science, as well as captaining his college football team to a national championship final. Despite being an aspiring football player Daven always had an urge to express his creative side and when moving to New York in 2015 the magic of the big apple inspired him to bring out his "truest self" and provided the opportunity to express himself through photography, fashion design and art.
When arriving early to the photoshoot we were lucky enough to get a tour of the 3 story Brooklyn house by Davens high school sweetheart Kelsea. Showing us the recent garden transformation which has become the hub of the house due to the current climate, Kelsea took us into the living room where amongst a variation of vintage furniture sat the Florence sofa and Livia Ottoman, complimented by a selection of art and photography created by Daven. As a long time friend of Orior we caught up with Daven and Kelsea as we picked his brain on the places he gathers inspiration to create across such a wide range of mediums.
Q: How would you describe your style and what has inspired it?
A: Our travel inspire everything in our home and on our body, We take inspirations from Paris, Tulum and Miami aswell as all the other lovely places we’ve traveled to. Our culture is rooted but our inspirations continue to evolve.
Q: You have the Florence sofa in your living room. How has it integrated into your home?
A: The Florence sofa was a seamless fit in our home. That beautiful matte green color in contrast with our wood floors brings a sense of nature to the feel of the home.
Q: I noticed that you like to express your creativity through art and photography. Is this something you have always done? And what inspires these things?
A: I’m an artist and creator, whether it’s expressing through fashion design or photography the vision doesn't change just the medium in which I express it. To answer your question, yes, it’s always something I've done.
Q: I noticed you had a lot of vintage pieces in your home. Is this something you look for when searching for new furniture or is it just something you're attracted to?
A: “One man's trash is another man's treasure” We don't always seek vintage pieces but it's always nice to find old inspirations that fit the character of our home.
Q: Describe your perfect Saturday in New York:
A: Ha, right now a perfect Saturday is a stocked fridge of our favorite foods, a clean bedroom, a nice wine or bourbon to sip on throughout the day, watering our plants and listening to a DJ set by D-Nice on instagram live, a simple day.
