Diversity Rules Magazine

20 Diversity Rules Magazine November 2017 On Saturday, October 21st, 2017, queer-owned and androgynous clothing brand "Killer Summer" launched its debut F/W 2018 streetwear capsule collection at e Silos at Sawyer Yards in Houston, Texas with nationwide ambition. e collection consists of hand- made pieces showcasing original works of art and lines of poetry from artist JanieWhateva and poet and artist Traci Lavois iebaud in addition to designs created by in- house designer and Killer Summer co-founder, Matthew Tilley. e br and celebrated their launch in the intimate gallery setting with one hundred and fifty of its supporters, where iebaud created original poetry on the spot as keepsakes for guests. e brand exclusively designs androgynous and unisex clothing that can be worn by anyone of any gender or identity expression. Each season, Killer Summer works with one to three artists on collaborations for their apparel. Collaborating artists selected to work with Killer Summer are members of the female, queer, or person-of-color communities whose work reflects themes of the lived experience of marginalization. e collaboration for the Queen Portrait Tee Series in the F/W 2018 capsule collec- tion was inspired by the power, strength, and brilliance of some of the great- est women of the modern era: poetess and civil rights ac- tivist Audre Lorde, jazz musician and High Priestess of Soul Nina Simone, and revolutionary feminist icon Frida Kahlo. Each of these women embodies qualities that Killer Sum- mer aims to emulate: advocacy, integrity and loy- alty to truth in the face of societal opposition to it. Killer Summer commissioned artist JanieWhateva of Houston, Texas to create original watercolor paint- ings for the tee designs. e Poem Pocket Tee Series consists of lines of poetry by iebaud. e poems represent an intimate moment, captured between the paralysis of fear and the burgeoning of a new begin ning and the painfully raw process of transforming from an 'other' to wholeness in one's own skin. It is Killer Summer's hope that these slices of intimacy serve as a subtle badge of honor in the marginalized commu- nities it was created for. When Killer Summer collabo- rates with an artist on apparel, they represent the artists' original works of art in their online gallery space and host openings in a physical gallery space in Houston, Texas- underscoring the brand's inextricable link be- tween the art and the apparel. e brand is also creating a digital 'zine in-house whose content will be centered on artistic expression in marginalized communities. In the next twelve to eighteen months, Killer Summer will be evolving to designing a complete capsule wardrobe for each season and aims to domestically produce their ap- parel. e brand is planning pop-ups in the Austin, New York, and Oakland markets as well as pursuing wholesaling opportunities nationwide. In the future, the brand is highly interested in partnering on thought-leadership initiatives with other prominent members of the LGBTQIA community. Co-founder Traci Do- natto said of their plans for activism, "It is impossible to be a member of the LGBTQIA community or per- son of color community and not be an activist; our very existence is an act of resistance against the existing patriarchal power structures. Killer Summer will al- ways use its platform for the advancement of the com- munities we represent and serve." Long-term, Killer Summer will occupy a physical multi-modal space where the brand will house its designers, host curated "Killer Summer" Launches Androgynous Clothing Brand Marries Art and Apparel www.shopkillersummer.com "It is impossible to be a member of the LGBTQIA community or person of color community and not be an activist; our very existence is an act of resistance against the existing patriarchal power structures. Killer Summer will always use its platform for the advancement of the communities we represent and serve."

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