Dog-loving fashionista John Conte lives his life out — and in style
MARK STOKES | Illustrator
mark@markdrawsfunny.com
Name and age: John Conte, 34
Occupation: V.P. of Education at Wade College
Spotted at: Holland Avenue and Reagan Street, walking his pugs, Albert and Victoria
Fashion sense: Born and raised in the Big Apple, this exquisitely handsome Italian American now makes the Big D his home. John migrated to Dallas when work for a bridal manufacturer brought him here five years ago. A fashionable child, John made fashion his major, and he has worked for Bloomingdale’s, Vanity Fair, Ralph Lauren and the Banana Republic catalog.
“I love retail,” he says. “The theater that stores create, the mannequins, the lighting, the way a store smells, the way they use props.”
An extraordinarily stable person, financially, emotionally and personally, John is a good role model for his gay students.
“Life is an opportunity to showcase the best of who you can be.”
Charity — for gays, kids and pets: Aside from his educational duties, John is busy managing a design and merchandising academy program with 30 faculty and staff members. For the past two years, he has co-chaired the Four-Legged Fashion Show benefiting local animal rescues. He is involved with DIFFA, the Fashion Lifestyle Awards and Accessible Luxury, which benefits the Texas Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital.
He shares his life with his partner of 12 years, Luke, a private equity consultant. They met at a gay bar in NYC called Barracuda when they each on a date with another guy.
“NYC is not very gay couple friendly. Gay men are more stable here, there are more LTRs, couples do more entertaining. New York is so transitional, there’s no settling down, no congregating, it’s not a place a gay couple can throw their anchor down.”
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition July 26, 2013.