A patchwork denim dress sewn entirely by hand, a corset made from thrifted jeans and a jacket embroidered with childhood video game characters.
The looks that walked the runway at Wheeling Fashion Week this year weren’t created in fashion hubs or luxury studios. They were threaded together in bedrooms and small workspaces across the region.
Now in its second year, Wheeling Fashion Week is growing. This year’s event featured 10 designers, roughly 40 models and an even larger audience than last year’s sold-out show, with 200+ seats filled. Founder Emily Rouse said the growth reflects the need for more creative spaces that celebrate fashion.
“This is not something that’s just for New York or Los Angeles,” Emily said. “So many other cities are getting their own fashion week, and we have a different flavor within our fashion community.”
The flavor was evident throughout the night, with collections moving from polished, ready-to-wear looks to experimental DIY creations. Denim appeared again and again, alongside vintage pieces, hats and handcrafted accessories. Patches with unusual sayings were sewn in unexpected places. The runway showcased emerging designers alongside returning participants, many of whom are building their clothing lines outside of what most people would call traditional fashion hubs.
Among these designers was 13-year-old Kylyn Wood, who presented a collection centered around upcycled denim.
Kylyn sourced materials from old family jeans and denim from thrift stores, transforming discarded garments into new pieces. The standout look, a patchwork denim dress, was assembled square by square and sewn entirely by hand.
“It was a lot because I hand-sewed everything,” Kylyn said. “Machines terrify me.”
Despite the labor-intensive process, Kylyn said that creating the collection was all about experimenting and having fun with the material, noting that it was meant to be accessible and wearable.
“That dress, I would personally wear that to school,” she said. “To be able to say that I made that and I’m wearing it, that’s something important to me.”
While runway fashion often feels distant from everyday fashion, many of the designers at the Wheeling fashion show are creating from a place of familiarity. Their materials come from friends’ closets and local thrift stores, while their inspiration comes from their own experiences.
Designer Kay Andrada (featured in YNST Issue 03 & 08) approached the runway with his own story in mind. Originally from the Philippines and now based in St. Albans, WV, Kay titled the collection “Maria: The Life of a Small-Town Pop Star.”
The collection blended his performance-inspired looks with upcycled denim, revisiting techniques that encapsulated Kay’s earliest work while refining the practices into something more polished.
“The collection is kind of about me pursuing fashion coming from a small town here in West Virginia,” he said. “Kind of like trailblazing…”
Kay, who taught himself to sew through online tutorials, said creating fashion in Appalachia often requires resourcefulness, noting that access to specialized materials and resources can be limited, pushing designers to innovate and create with what is available.
“Pursuing fashion in Appalachia isn’t unheard of, but it definitely lacks representation,” he said.
While Kay looked to his own experiences from his early collections, designer Vincent McConville looked backward as well.
Vincent, a Pittsburgh-based designer and owner of 150 West Street, presented a collection titled “The Eras,” bringing pieces from past collections alongside previews of future work. Like many designers featured at Wheeling Fashion Week, upcycling remained central to his creative process.
“My inspiration behind this collection was the eras of all my old collections and newer collections,” Vincent said. “It’s just playful; I upcycle everything and try to keep clothes out of landfills.”
The collection featured unique embroidery on vintage clothing pieces like bomber jackets, satin skirts, denim and sweatshirts. One standout look included references to Nintendo’s “Super Smash Bros.,” a theme that will continue in an upcoming collection.
The goal, Vincent said, was not to simply showcase clothing, but to encourage people to reconnect with a sense of playfulness when styling their clothes.
“Connect to your younger child,” he said. “Stay childlike, keep your whimsy about you and don’t let the world turn you dark.”
Vincent noted that his designs are meant to be worn in everyday life, not just on the runway, and often function as conversation starters between strangers.
“I make the pieces I make so it’s easier to break some ice,” he said. “Like, ‘Oh, I like your jacket,’ or ‘I played Smash Brothers when I was a kid.’ It starts up a conversation, brings people together and creates community.”
Even with more than a decade of experience designing clothing, creating the collection came with challenges. Embroidering finished denim garments pushed his equipment to the limit.
“I broke at least 50 needles during the whole two weeks,” he said.
Like many designers participating in Wheeling Fashion Week, Vincent was still finishing pieces in the days leading up to the show. Some garments were completed only days before they appeared on the runway.
While each designer brought a unique perspective to the runway, many shared a similar goal: creating an expressive collection with the resources available to them.
And for founder Emily Rouse, that’s what makes events like Wheeling Fashion Week important.
“A big goal of ours is to get people shopping local,” Emily said. “We have many emerging designers, and we’re hoping a runway show can bring attention to them and show people that clothing is being made right here.”
Following the runway show, attendees had the opportunity to meet designers and even shop their collections at a pop-up market, creating a direct connection between local creators and community support.
As Wheeling Fashion Week continues to grow, Emily hopes the event encourages even more aspiring designers to see fashion as something they can pursue close to home.
“I hope more people see this and realize that you don’t have to leave Wheeling to pursue a career in fashion,” Emily said. “There’s a community here to support you.”
Photos courtesy of Ali Bonomo @ali.bonomo
