Keanan Duffty is a multifaceted fashion designer and musician.
Fashion Designer
He has a rich history of collaborations with some of the world’s most iconic brands and artists. His impressive portfolio includes partnerships with Aveda, Dr. Martens, Reebok, Ben Sherman, Gwen Stefani, and John Varvatos.
Notably, he worked with David Bowie in 2007 to create a collection for Target, and he also dressed the Sex Pistols for their 2003 American tour.
Duffty is a graduate of Central Saint Martins in London and is a proud member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).
He played a key role as stylist for the 2016 CFDA Board of Directors Tribute Award to David Bowie, a star-studded event that featured Tilda Swinton and Michael C. Hall, with costumes by Kansai Yamamoto and Donatella Versace.
In response to the invasion of Ukraine, Duffty brought designers from Kyiv to showcase their collections at Mastercard’s Tech Hub during New York Fashion Week in September 2022.
Musician
Duffty’s talents extend beyond fashion into the music world.
He co-founded the rock band Slinky Vagabond with Rock & Roll Hall of Fame members Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols), Clem Burke (Blondie), and Earl Slick (David Bowie/John Lennon).
The band made their debut in May 2007 at the Joey Ramone Birthday Bash, which raised funds for the Lymphoma Research Foundation. Slinky Vagabond’s song “Boys Keep Swinging” was featured on Hero: The Main Man – A Tribute to David Bowie, and in 2008, their track “Glitterbug” was included in the video game Pop Star Guitar for Wii and PlayStation 2.
Duffty performed at the 30th Anniversary Marc Bolan tribute show in Central Park in 2007, sharing the stage with artists such as Patti Smith, Scissor Sisters, New York Dolls, and Moby.
He also joined Dave Navarro (Jane’s Addiction) and Matt Sorum (Guns N’ Roses) as part of the supergroup Camp Freddy for the Tommy Hilfiger Sessions concert series at Webster Hall in 2008.
Slinky Vagabond’s 2021 album King Boy Vandals is a collaboration between Duffty and guitarist, producer, and songwriter Fabio Fabbri, featuring a stellar lineup of musicians, including Midge Ure (Visage/Ultravox), Dave Formula (Magazine), Richard Fortus (Guns N’ Roses), David Torn (Bowie/David Sylvian), Tony Bowers (Durutti Column/Simply Red), and Martin Turner (Wishbone Ash).
The album’s first single, “The Beauty in You,” was mixed by Grammy Award-winning engineer Mario McNulty (Bowie, Prince, Nine Inch Nails).
King Boy Vandals was named one of Forbes’ notable albums of 2021, alongside releases by Duran Duran, Gary Kemp, and David Bowie.
Slinky Vagabond’s latest album, The Eternal Return (2025), features Duffty and Fabbri alongside David Bowie’s legendary pianist Mike Garson, guest vocals by Ava Cherry, fretless bass virtuoso Percy Jones (Brian Eno/Brand X), and keyboardist Dom Beken (Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets/The Orb). The album includes tracks such as “Perfect World,” co-written with Glen Matlock, and “End of the Show,” co- written with Earl Slick.
Education
In addition to his work in fashion and music, Duffty has made significant contributions to education. He created and served as the founding director of the Master’s in Fashion Management program at Parsons School of Design, and he later served as Dean of Fashion at Istituto Marangoni Miami. In 2024, he joined the faculty of the University of Southern California’s Jimmy Iovine and Andre ‘Dr Dre’ Young Academy. Duffty is also a published author, having co-authored Rebel Rebel Anti-Style (Universe, 2009) and written The Fashion Entrepreneur: The Definitive Guide to Building Your Brand (Hachette, 2024). His work has been featured in books such as Sweet Dreams: The Story of the New Romantics and David Bowie: A Life.