The World According to Jeigh Singleton - STLtoday.com
No one knows exactly when James Dennis Singleton Jr. became Jeigh Singleton, not even his sister. She suspects that it occurred with his first job in fashion. He was one-of-a-kind so the name just fit with his They-Call-Me-Mr. He led the fashion design program for 25 years and taught at the university for 40 years. His career oeuvre included designing traditional sportswear, holiday attire under the design name of “Rajah,” costumes for St. Louis Black Repertory Theatre and a line of stylish problem-solving career wear for people in wheelchairs. We queried friends, family, associates and old news clippings to find stories of Jeigh Singleton, especially his eccentricities and his famous “Jeigh-isms. When I called to interview him about a story or chat about world affairs, we typically began with the same greeting, “Hello, Jeigh, how are you. “ Quit using your fashion as a weapon ,” was the sarcastic advice he gave to long-time friend, former fashion designer and current art dealer Susan Barrett. ” Barrett likes her fashion loud, so she is prone to mixing wild plaids with dots, stripes or feathers and spikes. Singleton always made her do a twirl for him, but he’d quip that she was “assaulting” the public. Source: www.stltoday.com
