After returning to the Midwest, a place with little to no opportunity for fashion in the early 2000s, I began building everything. I began recruiting and partnering with people who also had a desire to see fashion in Middle America, hosting fashion shows and taking every opportunity to get my brand out there.

I have spent nearly two decades pursuing my dream of building my brand, while also dedicating my time to give others a much-needed platform to pursue their own dreams of making it in the fashion industry.

Berny Martin is a Haitian-American fashion designer and founder of Catou, an internationally-recognized line of men’s and women’s professional wear, started in 2005 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

After earning a tech degree from Purdue University in 2002, Martin realized that his true passion had always been fashion, and made the move to New York where he attended the Fashion Institute of Technology.

In 2005, his lifelong dream came to fruition with the launch of Catou, LLC. Seeing a need for fashion expansion and exposure in the Midwest, Martin also established Midwest Fashion Week in 2006, which was recognized as the leading fashion week in the Midwest by TIME Magazine in 2012. This platform not only allowed him to showcase his designs, but the works of countless other up-and-coming designers, stylists, models and photographers who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity. 

Over the years, Martin has shown his collection on runways all over the world – including Paris, New York, Hong Kong, Dubai, Kuwait, and Munich – has been worn by countless international celebrities, and featured on a variety of acclaimed media outlets. He was awarded the United Nations Association Young Professionals Award in 2009, the Best Menswear Designer in the Midwest by the Fashion Group International (FGI), as well as The Couture Man Excellence Award. Today, he lives in Evansville, Indiana where he continues to design and play a vital role in the growing fashion industry worldwide.