This week CP2 sat down with an amazing man to discuss his fashion style. He has been in the media industry for 20 years.

This week CP2 sat down with an amazing man to discuss his fashion style. He has been in the media industry for 20 years. This person has interviewed many designers and has hosted more than 30 fashion shows, won two Emmy awards, and has been honored by New York’s Congressman, Charles Rangel. I am sure you all would like to know who I am talking about. Well, I’m talking about our own Kenny Crumpton of “Kickin’ it with Kenny” on FOX 8’s Morning Show.

Kenny was an army brat, so at a young age, he developed a love for traveling. After living in different parts of the world, he saw the various styles worn by people. When Kenny was in the sixth grade, his class went on a field trip to visit a television station. It was then that he found his passion in life -- broadcasting. At that time, Kenny’s parents, who were both teachers, realized a special talent that Kenny had. He developed a keen eye for current events and happenings in his city. So to enhance his gifts, they decided to put him in summer programs related to communications. They also gave him different magazines and newspapers to read so that he could be on top of current events. He stuck with his passion and was accepted into Howard University’s John H. Johnson School of Communication (aka School of C).

Kenny’s first fashion role model was his father. “My father was sharp as a tack in his army uniforms but when he wasn’t in uniform, he was clean as a whistle. From custom designed suits made overseas, to pocket squares, to matching shoes and belts, down to his watches, I mean my dad was clean,” Kenny shared.

In 1986 when Kenny moved to Washington, D.C. to attend Howard, it was a mind blowing experience. Kenny saw Howard students wearing cardigans and puffing on pipes, students wearing up top Gummy haircuts to students wearing Jordan’s and styles representing the hip hop political movement -- all at the same time. For a guy coming from Dallas, Texas, you can see what effect this had on him. This is when Kenny found another passion -- fashion.

Kenny likes pressed jeans with a sporty suit jacket and a tee shirt. This is what he calls his “casual clean look.” All in all, Kenny’s style is vintage chic. And of course, he favors the styles of YBM. In discussing Cleveland designers, Kenny shared, “There are so many different designers in Cleveland. They need to come together to collaborate on things.”

After graduating from Howard, Kenny got his first job as a news reporter in Wichita Falls, Texas. He not only had to report the news but also write the story, edit it and shoot it. So this is where he truly had to use the skills he learned as a youth and at Howard! His next stop was Fresno, California where he really became the man. He was the top reporter for the station. “The person who did the morning show was fired and the station needed someone to fill in for a week so they asked me but I said no. I finally agreed to do it. Acting like my natural self [and wearing my casual clean look], the ratings went through the roof. In 12 months, the show went from having no rating to being rated the #1 show during that time slot,” asserted Kenny. Kenny’s agent went to work and within two days he had eight offers on the table. This is how Kenny came to Cleveland.