For the second year in a row, luxury designer Edwing D’Angelo has been asked to be the featured designer at the NAACP Awards, with a presentation backstage for celebrities and super lucky VIP’s. I had the chance to speak with D’Angelo today, in the middle of his preparations for the show, to learn a bit about him and a lot about his glamorous collection.

Just coming off from New York Fashion Week, the runway collections will be worn by models backstage at the NAACP Awards, who will also act as hosts, escorting celebrities on stage. Chyna Layne, of Precious, who is the designer’s current muse, will also be one of the celebrities wearing one of the designers custom made creations.

D’Angelo is Columbian born, and the 5th in a generation of tailors, who took his unique acquired skill-set to the next level, with a lot of passion, and even more work. After graduating from law school, he worked in law firms for 12 years, but always had a passion to be doing something different. When his sister’s prom came about, he designed her dress, and instantly, her friends all wanted something created by the designer. From there, his line of one-of-a-kind, high-end pieces was created. Well, not that easily. He worked for 2 years more as a lawyer, saving every penny, working at nights, and having people put together his samples during the day while he worked. After two years, he officially left law, and became a designer extraordinaire. In August of 2002, his first boutique opened in Harlem.

Two of the first celebrities to don his gowns were Vivica Fox and Patti la Belle. With the success of the line, and its ultra luxurious vibe, the designer picked up and moved his boutique to SoHo. For Fall/Winter 2010, his 10th collection, he was inspired by 1940s and 50s New York and Barbra Streisand’s “New York State of Mind.” Back in the day when women all dressed to a peek of sophistication, fully dressed, with the arrival of second tier monarchies and princess moving to New York, D’Angelo sought to bring that vibe back with a modern twist of edge. Black was the predominant color, with pops of other colors throughout, and his signature orange lining giving an added kick. The designer is way ahead, and even let me know that for Spring 2011, he is thinking of a garden-ish theme, with Lost Eden as the inspiration.

The Edwing D’Angelo collection has a young, modern vibe that is fresh yet luxurious. He dreams of dressing Megan Fox, Reese Witherspoon, Taylor Lautner and Will Smith (yes, his line is available for men, too). His show backstage at the NAACP Awards is part of his plan of moving into the Hollywood lifestyle, garnering a larger following amongst celebrities and high-end consumers. While his pieces are one-of-a-kind, he plans to expand to create pieces that are also off the rack, but he will still continue designing unique pieces for his clientele. Regardless, he plans to stick to creating collections that are epitomized by sheer elegance.

For more information, visit Edwing D’Angelo.