Fisher hoping to make it in fashion industry with help from Hulu reality series

Even if Todd Fisher makes it big in the fashion industry, he will never forget home.

"Mansfield is in my blood. My roots are there," the 2003 Mansfield Senior High School graduate said.

Fisher said he was "really artistic" in high school and maintains close contact with his former art teacher, Mindy Duncan.

He recently caught the biggest break of his career so far as part of the Hulu reality show, "Dress My Tour." According to the press notes, the show takes fans behind the unpredictable fashion and music industries.

The series follows 11 aspiring fashion designers on the raw, emotional journey of creating fashion pieces worthy of recording artists such as JoJo Siwa, Paula Abdul, Toni Braxton and Ty Dolla $ign.

The winner of the competition gets a $100,000.

Based in New York City, Fisher said a casting director reached out to him directly.

"He follows me on Instagram," Fisher said. "I got accepted after my first interview."

Fisher previously helped design dress for Katy Perry

Fisher was featured in the News Journal a few years ago when he helped design a dress worn by Katy Perry on "Saturday Night Live."

He has taken a circuitous route to where he is today.

Fisher said he was influenced by his late mother, Lisette Fisher, who was a seamstress.

"She used to sew our clothes," he said. "I didn't think much of it until college."

Fisher initially attended Barton County Community College in Kansas, where he ran track. He was a member of a 4x400 relay team that won a national title.

Fisher transferred to the University of Akron, where he studied fashion merchandising.

"They didn't have a fashion design program," he said.

While at Akron, he tore a hamstring and was going to lose his scholarship.

Without any training and with little educational background, Fisher decided to take his chances in the Big Apple in 2008.

"I faked it until I made it," he said.

Fisher quickly secured job in Manhattan

He got a job in the famed Garment District in midtown Manhattan. Fisher admitted he lied on his resume — and got caught.

"My employer found out later, but he didn't care," Fisher said. "He thought it was very ambitious of me."

Even though he had a job in his chosen field, Fisher said life was a challenge.

"I needed to survive," he said. "It was a hustle in New York. I had to work two or three different jobs to make ends meet."

Fisher left a bartending job only in January, and that was after "Dress My Tour" had already been taped.

"This time last year, I was in Los Angeles. Things have really picked up for me," he said.

Fisher tailored outfits for R&B singer Ne-Yo in Las Vegas. He also has worked with Usher, though not on his Super Bowl performance.

"I met his stylist right around that time, so I wasn't on the team yet," he said.

Fisher's favorite artist is Mary J. Blige, saying he loved working with her.

"Each time she switches, that stylist will reach out to me," Fisher said.

'Dress My Tour' could be Fisher's big break

He calls "Dress My Tour" a strategic way to get his name out there. The show began airing in late July and is available through streaming.

"Dress My Tour" features musical guest judges. The contestants vote on who gets eliminated.

"It's messy," Fisher said.

It's also pretty cutthroat. He said some vote to get rid of their main competition.

While he waits for his big break, Fisher is back in New York City.

"Everybody thinks I'm from New York," he said, adding he always wears a Yankees cap. "I'm always quick to correct them."

Fisher's father is the late Bob Fisher, a longtime sports correspondent for the News Journal. Lisette Fisher passed away in December 2014.

"I always try to think of my mother," Todd Fisher said. "She's very important to my design process. Even though she's passed on, I think about what I could do to make her proud."

He plans to keep following his passion while he waits for what comes next. He would love to design for the biggest names in music, artists like Beyonce, Rihanna and Lady Gaga.

"It's definitely got my name out there," Fisher said of the Hulu series. "It's to be determined what the show is going to bring."

mcaudill@gannett.com

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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Fisher hoping to make it in fashion industry with help from Hulu reality series