/CW INTERN SKY ABNER | 21 Things I Learned at Milwaukee Fashion Week from a Fashion Perspective

A WORD FROM OUR INTERN SKY:

@mkefashionweek was such a fun experience to be apart of! I enjoyed seeing all the shows and doing interviews for @copywritemag

To all the wonderful people that I interviewed thank you so much for being apart of my short film. I wanted to add everybody but it would have been a movie.

Interviewees:
@jmacjr03
@hopemarieusa
@silversarkofficial
@shantiofficiall
@222iluvme_
@cielo.marisa
@pop_that_pooley
@_arturovelasco
@jvrvmyy.joelll
@pakou._.222
@gigiwagener
@julieannmaday

My love for fashion started when I was a kid. It was something passed down to me from both of my parents. My mom had a closet I would raid any chance I could get, which I still like to do to  this day. My dad collected ties, more than 500 of them, and he loved nothing more than putting on a sharp suit. Between the two of them, I grew up surrounded by style. 

I spent hours playing dress-up games, imagining the kind of spaces where fashion was not just  personal but celebrated. Living in Milwaukee, I always wished for a place where people like me, people who loved fashion in all its forms, had a community where that love could be shared  freely. 

Walking into Milwaukee Fashion Week, I realized that dream had found its home. For three days, I watched the city’s fashion community come alive. Designers, models, stylists,  photographers and volunteers all wove together into something bigger than a show. 

This year, the energy filled three different venues: the Milwaukee Public Museum, City Hall and  the Rivulet. Each space had its own story, from high-fashion archive pieces to the blueprint of streetwear and forms and figures. President Jeffrey McAlister called it “the reimagined, renewed and redefined Milwaukee Fashion Week,” and standing there in the middle of it all, I understood exactly what he meant. 

On the runway, the designs did more than turn heads; they told stories. Silversärk brought the  heat with daring, dramatic pieces that were impossible to forget, while Sam Graham Avant  Garde added sophistication, with looks so fly they made me double-take. Some pieces carried a retro flair that pulled me back to the 70s, a time I wasn’t born but still felt connected to through  his clothing. Then, during streetwear night came Arturo Velasco, whose work blended his culture  and love for Chihuahua, Mexico, transforming them into designs rooted in identity and storytelling. Fashion here was not just about fabric. It was about the designer’s voice, memory, and creativity. 

The models brought their own kind of magic. Some had known they wanted to walk the runway  since they were a kid, while others found their way here through friendship and community.  They reminded me that confidence matters as much as couture. The runway can be a family, a  place where people grow together and support one another. 

The backstage process was a world of its own, buzzing with urgency, laughter and the constant warmth of curling irons. Student and professional hair and makeup artists moved with precision, 

transforming models in minutes. Every detail, from beat faces to sculpted hair, mattered.  Watching it unfold felt like seeing another kind of art form, one that rarely comes alive in front  of the cameras. 

And speaking of cameras, the photographers were everywhere, capturing angles and moments that told their own story. Volunteers kept things running smoothly, helping people to their seats, making everyone feel welcome. 

Looking back at my great experience, I walked away with 21 notes from the past 3 nights: 

1. The city’s fashion scene is thriving and growing. 

2. Milwaukee Fashion Week has come a long way. 

3. Every venue told a story. 

4. The designer’s couture amazed me. 

5. Designers proved fashion can carry culture. 

6. Models reminded me that the runway is a family and that confidence matters.  7. Backstage is chaos and inspiration.  

8. Hairstylists push limits.  

9. Makeup turns faces into art.  

10. Photographers make moments last.  

11. Volunteers keep everything moving.  

12. The hosts feel the crowd and the room with energy. 

13. The community is inclusive and very kind. 

14. Everyone has a real love for fashion. 

15. Designers draw inspiration from everywhere.  

16. The runway is about storytelling.  

17. Every detail counts.  

18. Fashion in Milwaukee is about connection.  

19. Organizers want national recognition.  

20. Fashion shows are a celebration. 

21. And at the heart of it all, Milwaukee Fashion Week is about style, creativity and  community! 

As Julie Ann Maday, on the finance committee board, told me, “I want Milwaukee Fashion  Week on the map like Chicago, New York, or Paris. We have the designers, we have the talent,  we just need to keep building.” 

And after three nights of being in the middle of it all, I have the highest hopes for the future of  Milwaukee Fashion Week as well.

B.Justice - I DO

Every once and a while, a song drops that does not lean on heavy production tricks or flashy features, but instead thrives on how naturally it flows. B.Justice’s “I Do” is one of those tracks. From the first few seconds, the beat settles into a mellow rhythm, giving you the kind of warmth you would expect if Bob Marley ever stepped in the booth to spit bars. The blend of bass and subtle beatboxing gives the song a flow that feels both playful and grounded.


What really pulls the track together is B.Justice himself. His voice cuts through with precision, each word enunciated like he knows it deserves to be heard. No mumble rapping here! His delivery is steady and intentional, but not stiff, which gives the lyrics a sharpness that plays against the easygoing beat in a way that keeps your ears locked in.


In the hook, he brings in his own vocals by singing the words “I Do” with a simple and memorable cadence. The chorus is catchy without ever feeling forced and I caught myself singing it even as I was writing this. 

“I Do” strikes that rare balance between being easy to vibe with and still showcasing B.Justice’s lyrical sharpness, proving that sometimes the most powerful statement is in keeping it simple.

Ya’ll make sure y’all vibe out and give it a listen!

/Sky Abner for CW 


Hero Da Kyng - No Headaches

Y’all, I think we found a cure that can relieve all headaches! Hero Da Kyng released his new song “No Headaches,and it’s exactly what the doctor prescribed. This song has a vibey smooth feel with catchy lyrics and a flow that’s reminiscent of B.O.B and André 3000. It has a nice early 2010s/ late 2000s feel that we all wish we could go back to. 

What we enjoy most about “No Headaches is the balance that it has. The song holds depth in its lyrics with a clear message about stunting on your haters and making them your motivators, while also being catchy and giving a commercial feel that you could hear on the radio all day!

The production from Exam 325 Music House and Mob Fanalia compliments the lyrical delivery perfectly with 808 beats that give space to showcase his range. It shows that he can be hard when needed, but also knows when to pull back and let the melody breathe.

We can see that this is new music from an artist that clearly understands his craft. He is bringing some of that Southern Florida grit to Milwaukee and we messing with what he bringing! 

This a hit to clear y’all head like Tylonel! Ya’ll make sure y’all vibe out and give it a listen!

/Sky Abner for CW 


Young Whip - I AM [EP]

Young Whip knows exactly who he is and is making sure you know too in his new hip-hop EP called “I AM” released on July 17th.

This project is so clean. No, for real y’all, it’s radio friendly with no profanities. The perfect music to play in the car to make you feel like your HIM. He is giving us vibey bars and popping his stuff in a way that’s holds weight behind it. The production is nice with beats that make you want to turn it up and hear the bass.

Grinding since 2010, you can definitely hear the hustle in his delivery. When he says “I AM” he’s not just talking, he’s declaring it. Each track represents companies in his business network that paint a picture of empire-building over hit-chasing.That’s big brain energy right there!

That being said, the tracks feel like they end before you can really get into them. We’re being served hip-hop appetizers when we want a full course meal! We want time to marinate in what he’s saying and that’s not happening when the four song EP is about six minutes long.The delivery is pretty solid, but there is room to experiment more with cadence, pacing and vocal dynamics to keep listeners on their toes.

Still “I AM” is a strong step forward and proof that Young Whip is carving out his own lane. If this is just the warm-up, the next release will definitely have us anticipating and hopefully you too.

Family-friendly hip-hop that still hits? Ya’ll make sure y’all vibe out and give it a listen!

/Sky Abner for CW 


BLAX - Take A Picture

Nothing gives more 414 than a song that was made for the community and inspired by the memories of three significant figures who shaped Milwaukee’s music scene.

Milwaukee Hip-Hop artist, BLAX has released his new single ‘Take A Picture’ that mixes vibey OG hip-hop elements with lyrics full of powerful storytelling that will encourage you to call up your relatives and tell them you miss them. 

Just coming back from his tour across the West and East coast, “Take a Picture” was released on July 17th at midnight on all major digital streaming platforms by God Degree Media. The single holds a tribute to Milwaukee’s musical legends: Cecilio Negrón Jr., Twan Mack and Kid Millions showcasing a celebration of life and a meditation on loss.

This song gives reminiscent elements of “The Message” by Dr. Dre with a flow so mellow and rhythmic that made us bop our heads and lowkey want to shed a little tear. 

This is a single that really showcases the vibes that we love to see. Music as a form of expression and that gives emotion. We think y’all should vibe out and give it a listen! Y’all might need some tissue, though!

/Sky Abner for CW