Shawna Marino – Shawna M Designs Bio: Shawna is a bridal and couture designer born and raised in Indiana. She graduated from Ball State University in July 2018 with a Bachelor in Apparel design, a Bachelor in Fashion Merchandising, and minor in Marketing. She has specialized in bridal design and has spent time in New York City doing a design and production internship with JLM Couture. She worked alongside designer Allison Webb with the design of the Allison Webb and Ti Adora collections. Shawna excels in areas of embellishment and embroidery design, luxury gown pattern making, illustration, draping, apparel construction, and production. Shawna also has experience in bridal alterations and working with custom designs and gowns for brides while in NYC. About her collection: The S/S 2021 collection is focused...

Fashion has always been a way of life for me. As a child growing up in Haiti, my grandmother encouraged my interest and helped me sew my first design: a pair of jeans. While later acclimating to life in the Midwest, I pursued a “safer” career option in the tech industry, but I quickly learned that “safe” wasn’t for me. At the advice of a friend, I took a leap of faith and attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and slowly began the process of starting my own label, Catou, named after my grandmother who inspired me so long ago....

Nicole Ncube Bio: Nicole Ncube, a 22year old Self-taught designer who is born and bred in Soweto is the founder and head designer of Ascend Label, a Luxury streetwear based in South Africa founded in 2021, the inspiration behind the brand is the upliftment of people from all walks of life, uniting them through fashionand giving them a voice. After finishing school,Nicole felt like she needed to do something that aligned with her love for fashion hence she focused on getting into modelling. Dissatisfied and coupled with disappointments along the journey she took a break and along came the idea of Ascend, a label she could design and model for. The name Ascend came about at a time she was trying to...

Carol Bouwer Bio: Carol Bouwer is a successful South African businesswoman and television presenter. Carol Bouwer bags are made in Cape Town and we adhere to exacting standards, using the very best materials South Africa has to offer. Our local team has trained over many years and this artisanal mastery will continue to grow as the brand grows. Job creation is at the core of what we do and we insist on keeping all our production local. We believe that it is important to instill pride in South African brands and that premium brands don’t necessarily always have to come from foreign lands. This is a prime example of beneficiation in action. We pride ourselves on the fact that every signature Carol Bouwer...

Odysseus Shirindza Bio: With over 15 years in the creative industry - Odysseus Shirindza’s background in fashion design has equipped him with the necessary skills to freely and confidently explore various sectors of the creative industry. He’s a dynamic creative thinker with a solutions-based approach to problems and situations. He’s passionate about change and creating efficient work environments through creative solutions while meeting company objectives and bottom lines. His experience is wide, from working as a fashion designer for multiple local brands, a designer at a leading South African retailer, to working in an award-winning advertising agency as a designer and as customer service for a global online retailer servicing the US market. He has also had the opportunity to challenge himself in...

Inga Gubeka Bio: Inga Atelier is in a class and concept all its own. Launched in Johannesburg by Creative Director Inga Gubeka, the brand is the next level of cultivating and celebrating the diversity that resides within the continent of Africa. Now with an international following that continues to expand with each collection, Inga Atelier is dedicated to creativity and innovation for the upscale and fashionably forward....

Heather Marie Designs Bio: Heather Marie… a 1999 chemistry graduate of Butler University, who earned a Masters of Organizational Management of University of Phoenix Dallas Campus in 2005, resigned from corporate America in 2019 to pursue her dreams with Heather Marie Designs. Although Heather Marie Designs was established in 2013 to create custom apparel for numerous brands, individuals and several private labels, Heather Marie… reinvented the brand in 2019 with designing luxurious custom fedoras to have rock star, eclectic and classic characteristics that expand wardrobe essentials. Haus of S.E.L.F. (Stylish Eclectic Luxurious Fedoras) have a drawstring inside sweatband for size adjustments which is excellent for those who wear wigs, hair extensions, braids and/or locs. About her collection: Heather Marie Designs presents: COVERED Bespoke Collection. My inspiration...