Meet Jonathan Nelson | Fashion and Art Curator and Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jonathan Nelson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jonathan, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I started ETHOS DECORUM as a way to highlight all the overlooked and unrated artists, creatives and brands in the world. Years ago, I would come across numerous talented people and brands that just weren’t popular or people didn’t know them. When launched ETHOS DECORUM a little over five years ago I wanted to highlight talented creatives and have a platform that felt like a place of discovery. The goal was to talk about the people moving culture, their process and the products they created. I also wanted the viewers and content consumers to appreciate the hard work, talent and stories of these creatives. If you know how a product is made you tend to appreciate it more.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a curator of content, I am a storyteller, I highlight creatives by showing their genius. The ability to research and tell a brand’s story is a big part of the process. I have spent countless hours going through a painter’s social media page just to accurately capture their growth and evolution. I will review every season of a brand just to see the common theme in the brand. Nothing is ever easy, but I ran a few t-shirt companies years ago, so I am a creative at heart. In order to have a platform highlighting others you need to be credible and trustworthy. When I first started, it was difficult to get interviews or studio visits because nobody knew ETHOS DECORUM. I had to explain the vision for what I was building and how it would also benefit the artists. I learned that you have to show up, be professional and be consistent. Each post and video interview helped me gained the trust of other artists and brands. I want the world to know that ETHOS DECOURM is the ultimate platform in art, fashion and design and the creatives that are next in line to greatness.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I currently reside about 45 minutes outside of Washington DC, so it would be a quick trip into the city. I would visit the Hirshorn Museum, check out Homme DC Gallery and the Mehari Sequar Gallery. We would then get a bite to eat at Lauriol Plaza which offers Mexican cuisine or indulge in a formal dinner at Joes Seafood and Prime Rib on 15th Street. Shopping at stores like Somewhere DC or The Museum DC would be a must. We would most likely end the evening at the Gibson, at Speakeasy on 14th. Another option would be to take a trip to Baltimore, MD and visit the Inner Harbor. There are infinite restaurants, shops and of course the Aquarium.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would love to shoutout my wife Gillian and kids for supporting me and my crazy dream to even create a platform that covers fashion, art and design. It is important to have supportive family and friends. I would also like to shoutout my friend Darren Murray for coming on boarding and creating the highest level for video content for the Youtube channel. I would also like to highlight every single creative that has let us tell their story or highlight in some form or fashion. Special shoutout to creatives and brands like Rowing Blazers, Jameel Shabazz, Datwon Thomas (Editor in Chief Vibe Magazine), Wooden Sleepers, Gordon Parks Foundation, Homme DC Gallery, Mehari Sequar Gallery and so many more. There are so many brands and creatives that we have highlighted and worked with we can’t name them all. Abdul Sesay for filming our Ode to New Balance series. Shout out to designers like Rob McKnight, Jerrill Sankey and Kimbro Edwards.

Website: https://www.ethosdecorum.com

Instagram: https://www.instagam.com/ethosdecorum

Youtube: https://www.youtube.om/channel/UCvUUnsQ1n2qfzQ-ABiL-u9g