Lashanda White-Owens

Twenty dollars worth of newspapers and a vision were the only things local fashion designer Lashanda White-Owens needed to create a statement piece worthy of rivaling the most eccentric fashion icons.

Lady Gaga may have ridden into the 2013 American Music Awards on a fake white horse in a Versace dress, but even the fashion legend herself has never worn a dress made entirely of newspapers and tape.

White-Owens, a Noxubee County native, moved to Columbus in 2009. She briefly worked for a construction company before devoting herself to her husband, children and a passion for sewing.

“I have been sewing for six years now,” White-Owens said. “Two years ago, I got more serious about it and started making handmade fashion.”

As a young fashion designer with a knack for entrepreneurship, White-Owens opened her own business, Luxe Code by Shun White, in 2019.

With a new space to

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It’s a problem straight from an early-aughts fashion magazine. You’re desperate for a Juicy Couture necklace—like, everyone at your school has one!—but your parents totally won’t go for it. Do you:

A. Give up—maybe they have a point about not needing expensive jewelry.
B. Resort to begging—your reputation is worth more than your dignity.
C. Take apart your Juicy key chain and turn it into a necklace—resourcefulness is next to coutureliness.

For Dan McLean, the decision was simple. She wore that key chain necklace until the Juicy logo wore off.




Now, the Seattle fashion designer makes money selling pieces born of that formative experience: random thrifted bags adorned with emblems from big fashion houses like Yves Saint Laurent; vintage button-downs cropped and enhanced with a Dior elastic waistband. She calls it “bootleg,” but these garments are a far cry from cheaply made, back-alley

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BROCKTON — During the pandemic, Jawanda Evans spent her free time dabbling in her childhood hobby of sewing clothing, which led to the opening of Werthé by Jem.

The showroom located at 33 Dover St., Suite 303, was once a thought that was transformed into an actual clothing business.

The self-taught custom fashion designer started her journey at 11. Evans’s family taught her the basics of sewing and her talent developed over time.

In 2013, after a back injury while working in a hospital as a nurse left her on rest, Evans, 35, began traveling down memory lane and indulging in an old craft.

“I spent most of the whole pandemic sewing face masks. It was almost like a sweatshop where I had my entire family helping. We sewed thousands of masks during that time,” Evans said.

The sewing did not stop there. Evans began exploring different ways to express

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RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – A Reno fashion designer is reaching millions with her design posts on TikTok.

Sarah Hambly was introduced to sewing at a young age.

“My mom has sewn her whole life,” she said. “She grew up sewing, she sewed all her own clothes and everything, her siblings did and I had no interest in it as a kid.”

It wasn’t until her father’s death in 2016 that the 29-year-old decided to pick up a thread and needle.

“I really like the process, the catharsis that it is to create art professionally and just create art as like part of your life and just trying to express yourself,” said Hambly.

At that time she was still in school for photography and design was just a hobby.

“Mostly it came about because I really wanted to get into fashion photography, like Vogue,” said Hambly. “At the time I didn’t

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  • Tess Mann of Couture By Tess had a fashion show at L&L Market’s Ozari on July 17, 2022.
  • The collections show were the Nostalgia collection and New Discovery.
  • The line partners with New Delhi-based Tarak Nath Mishra’s factory.
Esmeralda gown from the Nostalgia collection.

Local bridal gown line Couture By Tess hosted a fashion show on July 17 at L&L Market’s event space Ozari in Nashville.

Tess Mann, the designer behind the label, presented two collections – one called Nostalgia: Travel Through Fashion Time and the other New Discovery – during the invite-only event. Models from Nashville-based Premiere Model Management strutted the upscale gowns on the runway.

Mann discussed the design process and customizable options during an Q&A session with the audience.

Wedding dress with sheer sleeves and intricate details.

The exhibition was approximately two years in the making, Mann said. The wedding dresses alone took an estimated 18 months to complete.

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