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Sewing Success: Runway Revolution celebrates 4 years of growing Baltimore’s fashion community
PrevNextTaylor Epps
Students and mentors with Runway Revolution
By:Taylor Epps
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BALTIMORE MD. — For aspiring fashion designers who may not have the rementorship program is helping turn creative dreams into reality
Runway Revolution celebrates 4 years of growing Baltimore’s fashion community
Runway Revolution celebrates 4 years of growing Baltimore’s fashion community
Now in its fourth year, the Runway Revolution program provides fashion education, mentorship and community for emerging designers looking to develop their skills and launch their careers
Inside a bustling workspace, members of this year’s cohort spend hours sewing, designing and preparing collections for an upcoming showcase later this month. For participant Shaunise McKelvy, the opportunity represents a dream years in the making
“When I was a teenager, I just knew I was going to fashion school, and it just didn’t happen that way,” McKelvy said. “I applied, and here I am.”
Her collection is deeply personal
Taylor Epps
“My collection is really inspired by myself, being a plus-sized person and not being able to find fashion-forward clothes,” McKelvy said. “I just want people to feel good in their bodies and feel good about what they’re wearing.”
Another designer, Jazmine Giovanni, is drawing inspiration from her work as a therapist. Her collection, titled ALL, stands for accessibility, love and liberation
“At least 75% of it is going to be made out of clothes that I got from the thrift store, so I’m deconstructing and reconstructing clothes,” Giovanni said
She wants to shift people away from fast fashion as she works to build what she describes as her own personal uniform
Travis Jacks, the first male member of the Runway Revolution cohort, is creating a workwear-inspired collection
“When you think of workwear, it’s kinda real boss, regal, but I just want to take that and shed it in a whole different narrative,” Jacks said
For Jacks, the program has provided something he says was missing from his fashion journey
“I’ve always had an interest in sewing and building my own kind of fashion,” he said. “Over the years, a lot self-taught but never really finding real community.”
That community is exactly what founder Abisola Oladeinde hoped to create when she launched Runway Revolution
Taylor Epps
“The program is a huge dream for me,” Oladeinde said. “I saw a gap in mentorship, especially in the fashion industry, and I decided to fill the gap.”
Oladeinde said the program has grown significantly since its launch, helping aspiring designers gain access to education and industry mentorship that might otherwise be out of reach
Despite the growth, she says the program could use some community support
“We need help. For this program to keep going, we need sponsorship, we need donations, we need partners to help it continue to grow every single year. It’s helping people, helping real people,” Oladeinde said
The Runway Revolution fashion showcase will take place on Saturday, Aug. 29 from 5-7 pm. The winner will receive a $1,000 prize. To buy tickets, click here
You can reach out to her at Info@yelestitches.com or on Instagram
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