ED: How do you feel overall about the fashion/streetwear/designer scene in Chicago?
SR: I really like where it’s going in Chicago as far as fashion and streetwear. It’s not so huge in Chicago — fashion, because it’s more so conservative. The culture is there. It’s here, it’s growing. You in it when you’re here. I’m friends with all the biggest streetwear brands in Chicago. I love it, I love the brands. I love collaborating with them. I think it’s important, people all around the globe are noticing Chicago for fashion.
ED: Talk a bit about your collaborations
In Chicago, we as Fashion Designers should collaborate more with each other. I think it’s important because, we’re like small fish, cause everything is going on in NYC. But being in Chicago I definitely think we should collaborate more. I’m really happy to be doing this collaboration with DBM, which is Dope Bo.. wait Don’t Be Mad, formally known as Dope Boy Magic.. because… anyway, I really love their brand.

We’re basically going to merge our designs. I’m going to stick my aesthetic with the overalls and they’re going to bring in their graphics, keep it simple, but still a classic piece. So that’s what I’m doing with DBM – that’s Joe Freshgoods, King Rello. Fat Tiger Works, thats the shop. As well as Ends/WealthCorp with Brandon Breaux. We’re doing something as well, with some joggers, and we’re going to put that out with the t-shirts and hats, and stuff like that. Its cool, merging together to put that out.
ED: Where do you see things going?
SR: What I want to do eventually is.. I want us all, all the fashion designers in Chicago to do a fashion week, since there is no more fashion week in Chicago — because they stopped funding it, for some reason stopped funding Chicago Fashion Focus. It was important, highlighting different upcoming designers. So, I think now we should just do our own thing. Maybe all have a separate fashion show around the same time in a week, or maybe do a collaboration, where one or two designers have a fashion show. And then do that around fashion week New York, since that’s when it’s mostly drawn. That’s what I’m thinking in the future. That’s what I’m gonna do, at least for me. I’m going to do my second solo show in September around fashion week, so that’s what I’m working on trying to finish now…the collection. I want it to be super cohesive and a really great piece of art.
ED: Do you see yourself staying, growing & developing here in Chicago?
SR: Yeah. I always thought I should be in New York.. that’s where everything’s happening and going. But when I did go to New York, it was great. Being there, I networked with so many people, met so many great people. I still want to open up a shop in New York, eventually. When I moved back to Chicago, I just realized that I think it’s best to build here since, this is where I’m from and since fashion is like put on the back end — it’s not really as relevant as New York, that I should be here. I definitely want to be known as the fashion designer from Chicago. I’m definitely going to always travel, but I definitely want to be based out of Chicago.