Look 01 Written By Justice Sifford In a presentation which was one part concert, one part fashion show, and one part drag performance, designers Stew Frick and Nicole B. inspired a sold out crowd with “Plantasia.” Held in the courtyard at Trace Brewing, the event was abundant with joy and celebration at each interval. The plant-inspired collection featured exclusively unisex styles of jumpsuits, smock-style dresses, and gowns, all painted (in that particular style that let’s everyone know you’re wearing art by Stew Frick) with plant life. Walking barefoot on a grass runway, the models brought ..read more

What is “Thee Bag Lady”? “Thee Bag Lady” is a platform created and curated by Jess Williams who is a Pittsburgh native, creator, educator and lover of all things bags and culture. The platform was created as a way to share her collection and love of handbags and to also highlight handbag designs and designers that are both well known and up and coming. The platform aims to be a space for others to share and showcase their love for bags as well. Come sit with us!  What does it mean to be a “Bag Lady?”  The term “Bag Lady” for years has been used in a derogatory way to define a woman ..read more

Janel Young goes by her branded initials: JY Originals. She is a Pittsburgh native, worldly soul, painter, muralist, and community leader on a mission to inspire through creativity and play. Her work has been recognized locally and internationally, from New York City-where she resided for 6 years-to the coast of Sydney, Australia. Prior to pursuing art full-time, she was a student athlete, and went to study Business Marketing and International Studies at Penn State University on an academic scholarship. She relocated to NYC in 2013 to work in public relations as a Digital Content Strategist fo ..read more

Adrienne is the owner, and designer of SISTER EPIC. She has a background in fashion design and construction from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago(SAIC). After years (a few too many!) spent within the world of retail merchandising and display design, she was craving a larger creative outlet of her own. In early 2018 she made the leap and began planning for the launch of her own line. A year later, SISTER EPIC released the very first capsule collection. What sparked your interest in fashion and specifically designing? I’ve been drawn to clothing and fashion since I was a little girl ..read more

Nathan Brooks is the creator and founder of the streetwear brand known as Rebel Bred Clothing. In 2016 he decided he wanted to create something that motivates, uplifts, inspires, and educates people. The point of emphasis for the brand is African American history, unity, and spirituality. He landed on the idea of creating a clothing brand so he could reach an urban demographic of all ages. He draws inspiration from life experiences, historical moments, social injustices, spiritual awareness and of course art and music. What does Rebel Bred mean to you? How did you come up with that name? T ..read more

Elise Michaux considers herself to be an educator, creative, and speaker. Using each of those platforms, she works to encourage others as much as she possibly can. There is power in empowering others to show up for themselves; she gets to do it as a creative when she captures a photo of a person that makes them smile. She gets to do it as an educator when she watches them learn something. She gets to do it as a speaker when she says something that resonates. All of this gives her the energy and motivates her to show up, too. Where would you say your inspiration comes from? My focus right now ..read more

Vintage enthusiast, budding stylist, queer aspiring museums professional, and material culture historian is how Gabby is describing herself nowadays, although not necessarily in that order. Broadly speaking, she is one of those people dedicated to making people think more deeply about the who, what, where, when, and why of clothing and its histories. Like many creatives, particularly folks who have developed skills in styling, photography, and HMUA, a lot of her physical experience came through self-exploration as a teen, or for her specifically what she’d broadly call ‘dress-up.’ Very early o ..read more

Elysia began in the fashion industry as a model. She was living in China at the time, going to school for business and being mixed race, she was very “exotic” over there. She did print ads, runway and even had speaking lines in a soap opera! When she moved to Pittsburgh, she continued to work creatively within the community but found herself thinking more about how all the pieces of a fashion photoshoot work together to make a compelling editorial or campaign. Leveraging her foundation in modeling, she started learning about all the other skills required to produce a photoshoot such as moodboa ..read more

Chi Ilochi is an introvert at heart, and ironic as it sounds that’s where she found the right attention. Chi always found herself reading “InStyle”, “Essence”, and “Jet Magazine” in hopes of finding a never-before-seen look. Before she knew it, she began to create her own “never before seen looks”. She began  dressing in wacky clothes and prints, which ultimately resulted in people teasing her for her new found style. She soon realized as she got older that most people put down what has potential or value. From that revelation she knew it was something she wanted to pursue. She knew she n ..read more

Jameelah Platt is a native of Pittsburgh, Pa where she attended Pittsburgh CAPA, and then went on to attend the University of Art in Philadelphia. Creating art gives her an indescribable fullness! She creates paintings, collages, and sculptures illustrating narratives that nurture what’s familiar and introduce what is foreign. She has an interest in nostalgia and the intimate nature of story telling. Hearing, documenting and reading the stories of others captivates her. She sees it as a privilege when she is given the opportunity to hear an account of another person. It’s like time t ..read more