Dorian Jihad Built an Empire Out of Red Carpets and Reinvention

Dorian Jihad didn't break into fashion through internships or agencies — he did it through DMs. Back in 2015, he started reaching out directly to reality TV personalities like Shay Johnson and Ashley Nicole, along with much of the "Love & Hip Hop Atlanta" cast, hoping someone would give him a shot. Someone eventually did, and he used that first styling gig to build a portfolio, then leveraged it into his next opportunity, and the next after that. The path wasn't fast. Jihad describes it as a slow climb until Clubhouse and the pandemic reshaped the entertainment industry's relationship to digital platforms. When in-person styling work dried up during COVID, he pivoted, rebranding himself as what he calls the "billboard king" and laying the groundwork for what would become Billboard King LLC and his production company, EHUG Productions. Today, Jihad works as a celebrity stylist, fashion publicist, and event producer, and serves as Fashion Editor at Disrupshion Magazine. His work spans red carpet styling, editorial campaigns, magazine covers, and Fashion Week productions, connecting clients across music, television, and digital media with photographers, designers, and brand partnerships. He also mentors emerging creatives and produces cultural events aimed at amplifying diverse voices in the industry. Fresh off New York Fashion Week, Jihad is now turning attention toward his hometown roots, with hopes of partnering with Newark, NJ's city government to launch an inclusive Newark Fashion Week. The vision includes collaborating with nonprofits Fostering Futures USA and Blessed Ministries to raise money and create opportunities for the community. He's also preparing his eighth NYFW production, the Dorian Jihad Collective. For Jihad, the throughline in all of it is gratitude. He credits his family and friends as his biggest motivators and describes his career as something bigger than himself — a reminder, he says, that he didn't get here alone.