2025 designers

Elie Aganze Bishikwabo, BAC Fashion

Elie Aganze Bishikwabo, a Congolese fashion designer, entrepreneur, and the founder of Bantu Kingdom Foundation, resides in Palmer, Alaska, with his wife. He was born in 1996 during a time of civil war and grew up in Bukavu, South Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of Congo as the son of a Christian pastor father and a seamstress mother. His introduction to fashion came from the training he received from his mother in the sewing shop attached to their home. Elie Aganze made his debut into fashion design in 2009.

Charity Lovelace, Frippery Studio

Charity Lovelace has been designing and creating with textiles for more than 50 years. Taught by her grandmother, she went on to follow in her footsteps to teach many young people to sew — including clients at a nonprofit for homeless youth. Charity loves incorporating vintage textiles and finds much joy in scouring antique and thrift stores for unusual materials to be incorporated into her designs. Her design style is creative while also classic. It incorporates unique techniques and embellishments. Each piece is one of a kind. 

Joel Loosli, Alaska Clothing Co.

Joel Loosli is an Alaska-born designer living in Anchorage. His Alaska-themed apparel company, Alaska Clothing Company (formerly known as Claimjumper AK) has a store front called The Cove in the Peterson Tower in downtown Anchorage. He creates visually appealing designs that immediately grab your attention with use of color and composition while subtly hiding clever placement of Alaska shapes or Alaskan themed elements. Joel says, “When I am feeling the need for inspiration I can easily take a look out my window or go for a walk/drive. Alaska is my muse!” 

Cynthia Gibson, Lateral Line Design, “The Berry Pickers” Wearable Art

Cynthia has always had a fascination with nature.  Being outside, immersed in the elements, is where she feels most inspired. Over the years, she has found working with fish bones and fish skins a fun and inspiring medium and has loved overcoming the difficulties of working with these materials in her wearable art pieces. The name of her cottage business takes inspiration from the lateral line of the fish and its deeper purpose to help fish navigate its way home.  

Shea Wilcox, Opal Heart

Opal Heart is an independent label dedicated to the slow fashion movement, designed and hand-sewn by Shea Zahedi. Opal Heart offers luxe, sophisticated and feminine womenswear, handcrafted in small batches and made-to-measure garments. Using couture techniques forgotten by the fast fashion industry, Opal Heart places an emphasis on creating clothes that are made to last using deadstock, vintage and repurposed materials.

Sara DeVolld, Vintage Train Case

Through her Vintage Train Case designs, Sara DeVolld brings light and joy to a world that can seem dark and overwhelming. She is a 17-year-old, fourth-generation Alaskan, and she was inspired to create this LED-infused collection from her passion for futuristic elements and retro glamour. She strives to introduce her generation to the beauty and elegance of the past, while encouraging conversations about STEM, and how the two can complement each other!

Reine Pavlik, Alaska Soles

Alaska Soles, founded and designed by Reine Pavlik, a proud Tlingit artist from Yakutat, Alaska, merges heritage with sustainability. Reine was first taught the craft from her mother and was later introduced to the traditional practice of skin sewing under the guidance of her aunt and renowned master artist, Jennie Wheeler. By incorporating biodegradable and reclaimed materials, Reine not only pays homage to her Indigenous roots but also champions environmental responsibility.

Gayle Hazen, ArtBug Studio

Gayle Hazen of ArtBug Studio is a fiber artist living in Fairbanks. By combining quilt piecing techniques and embellishment with ethnic fabrics, natural fibers, and re-purposed textiles, she strives to produce wearable art that is fashionable and fun to wear. Her work has been featured in exhibits and fashion shows across Alaska, California, New York, and Virginia. Gayle is a founding member of RAGS (the Radical Alaskan Garment Society, est. 1993). She loves to teach and would like to inspire young creatives.

Virginia Lynn Peterson, SWOOP. 

For Virginia Lynn Peterson, the phrase The Show Must Go On isn’t just a theme — it’s a way of life. As an emergency department nurse turned designer, she knows what it means to keep going, to push through long shifts, and to adapt when the unexpected happens. That same resilience and determination led her to create SWOOP. Inspired by the wild landscapes of Alaska and the unstoppable women who wear SWOOP, Virginia designs each piece with comfort and confidence in mind.

Bobbie Meszaros, GarnetAnn Designs

GarnetAnn, Bobbie A. Meszaros is Coast Salish (Old Man House)/Tahltan (Crow)/Tlingit from Shtax' Heen Kwaan the community of Wrangell, Alaska. She was raised under the aurora borealis and midnight sun in the ancestral lands of the Dena'ina in the towns of Fairbanks and Anchorage. Her work is heavily influenced by the cultural artwork of her traditional Pacific Northwest homelands. GarnetAnn currently resides in Juneau, Alaska.

Shelly Wright, Shelly Wright Designs

Shelly started at a very early age creating things for people to wear. From baby clothes to the stage she has always been sewing and designing costumes and clothing. She is a versatile designer whose portfolio includes evening gowns, theater, dance, and opera. She believes that, as a successful designer, she uses a story, characters, and historical facts, and translates them through an emotional and artistic lens.

Juliah Barnett, gutterflowers co.

Juliah Barnett debuts her first collection for gutterflowers co. with a limited edition line of silk scarves and ties inspired by the Phantom of the Opera and the architecture & interior design of the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. The collection highlights floral motifs from the bathrooms and carpet, and plaid & houndstooth inspired by the exterior of the building. With gutterflowers co., Barnett reimagines the PAC in a world where beauty blooms in black and white.

Anna Bauman, The Lacy Lounge

Anna believes that every body deserves to feel comfortable and confident, and is thrilled to be able to bring her clients’ beautiful outfit dreams to life. With The Lacy Lounge, Anna aims to transform the act of dressing into a journey of self-love and artistic expression and is dedicated to curating an exceptional collection of bespoke apparel. She helps you celebrate your individuality through luxurious comfort, while prioritizing durability over disposability, and she can’t wait to sew for you!

Terisa Brenna, Star Seed

Terisa is a dynamic, award-winning brand designer, mindfulness integration coach, and passionate wellness enthusiast. Founder and designer of Star Seed, Terisa channels cosmic inspiration and spiritual empowerment into every piece. Born in 2017, when fast fashion dominated and spiritual-wear was scarce, Star Seed was created to fill this void with apparel that uplifts and empowers. Crafted with sustainability in mind, each design celebrates indivdual style while inviting unity and inspiring souls to shine their inner light boldly.

Sandra McMillian, “Unleash the Ocean Within” Wearable Art

With a passion for entertaining and a flair for the extraordinary, Sandra McMillian’s designs on the runway reflects the vibrant personalities of free floating KOI or Beta Fish with their many layers of fins. When strutting down the runway, this designer knows how to make a statement —because life is too short for boring clothes! Dive into their world and discover a collection that’s as bold and beautiful as the Alaska wilderness itself!

Cori Giacomazzi, Lillith Moon

Cori has been fascinated with all things textile since she was 6 years old. With a love of color and texture, travel and adventure, an interest in multicultural and historical textiles, and a passion for unique fashions, she started creating her own lines of wearable art and accessories. Now, she has become known for the exclusive and custom corsets that she creates and one of a kind, handmade fashions and accessories. 

Tracy Anna Bader, Tracy Anna Bader Design Studio & Denali Wear

Tracy Anna Bader was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, where she left several times…yet always returned. She studied fashion design at Parsons School of Design in NYC and painting at UAA, and after, she went on to live in San Francisco painting and creating avant garde looks as well as jewelry that was displayed in hundreds of galleries before moving back. Now, her designs celebrate northern living in the great outdoors.

Jay Her, Saffrulean

Jay is the designer behind Saffrulean, a custom dressmaking brand specializing in formal wear for weddings, proms, and special occasions. Jay was introduced to sewing by their mother and grandmother at a young age, but it wasn’t until later in life that they truly immersed themselves in the craft. Since then, their passion for fashion design has only deepened. Blending tradition with modern artistry, Jay is redefining bespoke fashion—one stitch at a time.

Taline Markossian, Sireli Floral, “La Vie en Fleurs” Wearable Art

Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, Taline Markossian was introduced to the floral industry at a young age. Growing up in her family’s business, Cedars Imports, she was surrounded by the floral community; this molded and inspired her to master the art of flowers. With a degree in Marketing from the University of Alaska Anchorage, she fell in love with tracking trends, both in the fashion and floral world.