Not to brag, but I have been known to do some epic finger painting … but that’s nothing in comparison to what the folks over at LOUD Week are crafting up. It includes an epic fashion show in Coral Gables next week.
It’s time to get loud, SoFlo style.
LOUD Week returns to the 305 on saturday, as part of Art of Black Miami, and it’s shaping up to be bigger, better and more vibrant than ever before.
Dr. Karine Melissa: “LOUD stands for ‘love of urban design.’ We celebrate the creatives of our culture, the Black and brown community.”
There’s fun events happening all week long, but the biggest highlight is the annual fashion show happening on Dec. 6 in Coral Gables.
Dr. Karine Melissa: “The fashion show will be right here at Bay 13 Brewery. We are going to transform this space into live artists. They’re going to be painting and doing their work live. The runway show will take place right here in the middle. The models will be walking.”
One of the featured artists is Kimlayn Jeffrey.
Kimlayn Jeffrey: “I’m really excited to be a part of LOUD, and I’m happy there’s a space for creative people to express themselves, their show, and just meet each other.”
Deco got a sneak peek of her portraits at LEVEL THREE in Aventura.
Kimlayn Jeffrey: “The art that I do, it’s always focused on people, and I use bold colors, I use lines. I use model paste, oil and acrylic paint.”
Most of Kimlayn’s pieces feature a 3D background that really makes the people she’s painting pop.
And speaking of the subjects…
Kimlayn Jeffrey: “I don’t just sketch, I obsessively sketch. I sketch so much, by the time I’m finished it looks like a finished piece. It does help the final piece because then I know where my lights, my darks, my midtones go, so it’s like a guide when I start doing my oil paint, because I’m self taught.”
When it comes to fashion, Fitness + Financial gains is changing the athleisure-wear game.
Jessyka Castillo: “Fitness + Financial Gains is a community where we’re centered around being in the best physical and financial shape of our lives.”
Founder and designer Jessyka Castillo tells Deco she started the brand out of necessity.
Jessyka Castillo: “Being a curvy girl, I couldn’t find any fitness clothes to do some of my workouts besides the color black, so I was really, really inspired to make sure that I could create a brand that’s inclusive to all skin tones. We’re gonna see some corals, some vibrant colors. We’re gonna see some blues, some neutrals.”
Fitness + Financial Gains collections are all about body positivity and function, and the goal is to have that message come across at the fashion show.
Jessyka Castillo: “A petite, extra small representation to a 3XL. There’s also inclusiveness in ageism. We want everyone to feel like they’re included.”
FOR MORE INFO:
LOUD Week
Dec.2-9
loveofurbandesign.com/loudweek
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