Fashion is more than a choice in the morning. It’s an expression of individuality, freedom, and at times, political resistance.
Wright House Fashion’s newest event, Beyond Fashion Fest, welcomes people from all walks of life to explore the intersection of fashion and its impact on the community.
The two-day festival debuts Friday, May 2, and Saturday, May 3, across downtown Iowa City. Iowa’s first fashion festival aims to showcase the interdisciplinary nature of fashion through art, music, comedy, poetry, and education.
“Our goal is to inspire and engage and to unlock the talents of many diverse creatives,” said executive director of Wright House, Andre Wright. “We support a lot of people who (think they can’t break) into the arts industry, and we give them an opportunity to be as expressive as they can be.”
What is the Wright House of Fashion?
Launched in 2022, Wright House teaches Iowa City youth about fashion through courses like sewing and financial literacy. Wright is an adjunct instructor at the University of Iowa and a co-founder of Humanize My Hoodie, a brand that connects fashion with social justice.
A fashion-focused festival in Iowa City
Wright, fashion coordinator Lexi Wells, and project coordinator Barry Adoobe have collaborated with local Iowa City partners to bring Beyond Fashion Fest to life, highlighting the work at the Wright House, which sits at 910 S Gilbert St.
The goal of the festival is to showcase how art and fashion can unite a community.
“No one should be practicing fashion (and art) in isolation,” Wright said. “We’re hoping that we can inspire others to join our ecosystem and be a part of something larger…building a community that goes beyond individually creating but creates something that everybody can enjoy.”
Fashion-forward events at the Beyond Fashion Fest
Beyond Fashion Fest will feature iterations of Wright House’s annual events, like the Alleyway Fashion Show, which transforms fashion into public art. The event will be held from 8 to 9:30 p.m. in the alleyway in front of Studio 13 at 13 S. Linn St.
Four fashion shows are scattered throughout the day on Saturday, May 3. Two of the fashion shows highlight LGBTQIA+ and indigenous communities. “Garbich” by designer Jade Auichi will take the stage from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Dandylion. “JS Wear” by designer Jamie Saunsoci goes live at 3:30 p.m. in the Graduate Hotel Ballroom.
“Fashion is political, and fashion makes a statement…these shows are evoking the movement that is happening with trans legislation,” Wells said. “Great Plains Action Society sponsors Jamie’s show (JS Wear), and it is a celebration of Indigenous culture.”
Other festival highlights include keynote speakers discussing various fashion topics and how they touch other industries. “Beyond Diversity” with Dr. Eddie Moore Jr. will discuss diversity and DEI from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, May 3, at the Graduate Hotel.
University of Iowa alum and founder of Natural Fiber Welding (NFW), Luke Haverhals will host Beyond Fashion from 1-2 p.m. at the Iowa Iowa City Public Library on Saturday, May 3. Natural Fiber Welding pioneers the use of plant-based materials as an alternative to plastic materials.
Comedy, music and fashion unite in Iowa City
Iowa City is a melting pot of culture, mixing together comedy, music and art.
Beyond Fashion Fest will also feature events that offer unique perspectives beyond the fashion realm, including a comedy show from 6 to 7 p.m. at Poindexter on Friday, May 2, and a yoga class from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday, May 3 in the Pedestrian Mall.
The yoga class and festival kickoff at Tequila Cowgirl from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, May 2, are personal highlights for project coordinator Adoobe, who, in addition to his work with Wright House, is a third-year chemical engineering and premed student at the University of Iowa.
“I’ve always been surrounded by fashion, but (my work with Wright House Fashion) makes everything else in my life easier,” Adoobe said. “My courses in engineering are all about creativity, creating things out of nothing; this work gives me another way to think about certain things, in not so much of a technical or stressful way.”
The three-year-old non-profit has made headway in encouraging people to unlock their innate creative tendencies. A lifeline for many, the Wright House feels “revolutionary.”
“Our organization and people that are involved are trailblazers and resilient; despite political or economic downturns, because we’re creatives, we’ve been able to use our creative gifts to fight through,” Wright said. “ We’ve been chosen to do the work, and we’ve shown up every time.”
Tickets for Beyond Fashion Fest are available online and cost $25 for access to the more than 15 events hosted throughout the two-day festival.
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at [email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_