Ariana, Live From The Runway: Time-Traveling Couture & Retrograde Reverie in Chicago
Styling: Mixed Designer Showcase | Words by Barbara Bates and @raetedrcreativeco*
Ariana West, Fashion Correspondent and Chicago’s own Couture Heartbeat Columnist, spotted at the Handcrafted Chicago Reverie at Epiphany Center for the Arts
Fashion’s time machine made a dramatic landing at the Epiphany Center for the Arts in Chicago last Saturday in the city of Chicago.
The occasion? Retrograde—a name that conjures planetary mischief, starry alignments, and yes: a bold step backward while simultaneously moving defiantly forward.
As the sun dipped beneath the gothic spires of Chicago's West Loop, the city’s fashion pulse could be felt echoing within the hallowed halls of the Epiphany Center for the Arts. It was an evening where legacy met local, craft met culture, and style got spiritual.
The show took place in a space where exposed brick met soft spotlights and a low ceiling of rustic beams hugged the intimacy of the runway. This historical cathedral offered a hidden underground getaway. Epiphany arts was a sacred environment where fashion told stories with every step, personifying an urban loft between Brooklyn’s energy and Berlin’s edge,
Lit by the amber glow of historical cathedral lights and the soulful soundscape of Preme, the evening was a curated communion of couture and culture rather than a typical runway event. Then again, when Chicago decides to throw a fashion fête, it does so with grit, soul, imbued with midwestern spirit. The theme? Retrograde. The result? Redefining the order in which our expectations are typically set and what actually occurs.
As I sipped a slightly too-strong Negroni, I watched the crowd. Within this space stood a tapestry of avant-garde creatives, slow-fashion evangelists, and the kind of effortlessly cool locals you only find when you stop Googling and start wandering. I felt something electric. Chicago wasn’t just hosting a fashion event. It was claiming a fashion identity.
The evening showcased six designers, each an optimal ode to the city, stitched in individuality and worn with intent. From classic cool to stitched subversion, Chicago's next wave didn’t just show up—they showed out.
Who was accessorizing the spotlight? Tyler Morgan. Known for her handbags that blur the line between utility and poetry, Morgan’s new structured collections were an ode to the city itself—think supple simplicity colored in hues of sunset serenity, complimented the catwalk’s hardware inspired by L-train rivets and cathedral window curves. One model carried an asymmetrical sleek grey clutch that made me question every handbag I’ve ever owned. (Note to self: call my editor about a handbag intervention.)
Stan R: The Architect of Allure
The show opened with quiet authority. The first designer was Stan Rodgers known by his alias, Stan R. The designer sent models down the runway like shadowy angels in architectural silhouettes and fabrics that whispered secrets under the lights. Rogers, long known amongst insiders for his architectural approach to fashion, debuted a collection rooted in geometry and grit. Think structured trenches with sharp shoulder lines, modernized scarves draped over cool leather staples. Roger’s deconstructed tailoring nodded subtly to Mies van der Rohe, elevating streetwear for the city’s most fashionable.
Syx Stitch: Stitching the Stars
Syx Stitch showcased astrology, ancestry, and after-dark glamour with a collection that felt like your zodiac chart got a high-fashion makeover. Embellished gowns rippled like constellations across the runway. One model floated by in a hand-beaded bodysuit that looked dipped in moonlight—cue a thousand camera flashes. Syx is what happens when craftsmanship falls in love with cosmic drama. If you looked closely, you could see the soul in every seam.
Syx Stitch—known for handcrafted, one-of-a-kind garments—brought a collection that felt like a tropical island getaway and A Midsummer’s Night Dream all stitched by hand. From miniskirts to halter tops, this Y2k- inspired line offered handcrafted corsets and raw-edge minis that served as an electrifying critique of heteronormativity.
Syx Stitch’s look of rainbow fringe and matching red sandals gave a celebratory spin that felt more than runway-ready—it was revolution-ready. A crochet dress melted into the runway with a warm palette of deep fuchsia, cherry, and coral. Hugging curves and radiating summer softness, this piece whispered bohemian seduction. A plunging neckline and backless design made it flirtatious, while the handwoven texture grounded it in artisanal craft. Syx Stitch’s collection embodied the sass of summertime while celebrating feminine grace through handcrafted, one-of-a-kind custom pieces.
Star Market Chi: Streetwear as Spectacle
Next in the show was Star Market Chi. This is a designer who took streetwear, kissed it with couture, and sent it back onto the runway looking reborn. Graffiti motifs, bold logos, and layered textures turned everyday fabrics into statement pieces.
Star Market Chi proved that fashion doesn't have to whisper—it can shout, sing, and strut. Think varsity jackets cut like capes, denim reimagined as sculpture, and the kind of boots that dare you not to stare. This collection blurred the boundaries between fashion and fantasy. Models wore layers that felt like they’d been plucked from the closet of a time-traveling poet—think oversized knitwear, metallic foil textiles, and an obsessive love for layering that screamed Gen Z maximalism in the best way possible.
Emonyé Designs: Drama in Motion
Every collection needs its diva moment, and Emonye Designs delivered the drama with a capital D. Ruffles, Sheers, and Floor-length trains demanded runway attendant’s attention. Her aesthetic flirted with romantic decadence yet grounded itself in unapologetic femininity.
Picture a Victorian ghost who discovered Gucci and never looked back. Elegant and elemental, Emonyé Designs brought drama with purpose. Silhouettes were sculpted to celebrate every curve with textures ranging from velvet to liquid organza. One high-slit gown in obsidian black literally stopped conversation—and that’s saying something, because Chicagoans don’t stop talking. Emonyé doesn’t just design gowns; she scripts stories in tulle and organza.
COPE Apparel: Street Savvy, Reborn
Just when you thought you’d seen it all, COPE Apparel shattered the mold with pieces that screamed street couture with Ivy League polish. Hooded capes trimmed in brocade, genderless tailoring, and oversized silhouettes made you wonder: if our future is retro, is comfort the new rebellion?
There was a moment—an emerald green utility corset paired with cargo taffeta pants—that had the audience audibly gasping. Grit met gloss in a glorious fashion. However, things got particularly nostalgic. COPE Apparel brought the early 2000s back in a smarter, sleeker, and more self-aware fashion. Imagine neon-embellished crop tops, track suits, and hand painted motifs elevated to high art — Y2K was never this chic. If Carrie Bradshaw ever dated a boy band member, this is what she would’ve worn to brunch after the breakup.
Tindera: The Future is Femme
If cyberpunk and Afro-futurism had a sartorial love affair, Tindera officiated the wedding. Sculptural bodices, metallic textures, and silhouettes defied logic. This was wearable tech-meets-tribal royalty. One piece—a copper breastplate over a translucent silk sheath—made you rethink everything you know about “ready to wear.” Tindera isn’t just following trends, she’s decoding the fashion of tomorrow.
Tindera’s fur-trimmed aesthetic and ski-spired sunglasses brought commanding confidence that offered a cure to any in the crowd who might be cold. A redefining moment within the retrograde show featured a model clad in a black vinyl bikini top paired with a razor-sharp micro skirt. The look combined the aesthetic of a dominatrix with a modern club maven, showcasing a powerful take on sensuality. Thin, asymmetric straps and shimmering chains accentuated her torso, creating a silhouette that felt both stripped down and armor-like.
Glossed skin, sky-high heels, and structured mini handbags from Tyler Morgan Studios completed the ferocious fantasy. This wasn’t just about baring skin—it was about owning it. The result? A thrilling cultural flirtation that felt both ancient and next-century.
Raeted R: The Maximalist
Concluding out the runway was Raeted R, a former graffiti artist turned textile alchemist creative director. This collection’s patchwork denim—some spray-painted, some stitched with spoken-word lyrics—proved precedence like wearable Chicago poetry. Each model walked not just with attitude, but with authorship. Raeted R marched to the beat of maximalist glam, setting itself apart from the world of normality and quiet luxury. Flames, fringe, and unexpected cutouts marked a collection that was part 90s R&B video, part galactic prom. Think Missy Elliott meets Mugler.
There was a moment in which a model in a spraypainted tank and cascading miniskirt caught the light, causing the room to actually pause. Raeted R is not for the faint-hearted—and thank goddess for that.
Conclusion
Just when the night closed out the collections on the catwalk, a ripple moved through the crowd: Barbara Bates, Chicago’s own fashion matriarch, made a surprise guest appearance. For young designers raised on her legacy, her presence felt like a benediction—quiet, regal, and electric.
As the last heel echoed off the polished floor, one thing was clear— Chicago’s fashion talent is no longer lurking in the shadows. The casting reflected an honest slice of contemporary Chicago talent, and the designs, each unapologetic in its own voice, brought forth a reminder: boldness isn’t seasonal. It’s eternal.
What really stitched the night together wasn’t just talent, it was intention. Every designer honored their city, not just the skyline or the snowstorms, but the people, the passion, the pulse. It was a show that followed the definition of Chicago: bold, imperfect, ingenious.
As I stood under the soaring beams of the Epiphany Arts Center surrounded by laughter, denim, silk, leather, and the lingering scent of palo santo, I realized something. New York might have the gloss, Paris the pedigree, and Milan the drama. But Chicago? Chicago has the heart.
In a world racing toward the digital and disposable, we are led to question: is the true future of fashion rooted in what’s made by the heart and hand right at home? If last night was any indication, the answer is indubitably yes, and Chicago just might be the city to lead us there. Maybe, just maybe, fashion’s next great renaissance isn’t happening in a global marketplace. It is being stitched, sung, and spun right here in the Midwest, by hands that know the feel of fabric, the weight of work, and the joy of creation.
As I parted final ways with the Epiphany Center under a full moon and a haze of glamour-induced euphoria, I couldn’t help but wonder: is Retrograde a movement, or merely a memory waiting to repeat itself? In a world of fast fashion and fleeting trends, is handcrafted the new haute?
Whatever it is, Chicago competes for the new capital of high fashion rebellion—and Retrograde? That’s its runway to the stars. Reversing the rhetoric in which we raise the reverence to all ready-to-wear original designs.
Photography by Ariana West
