Flight Suit, $430, wntdapparel.com
Photograph by Wedig & Laxton
Atlanta-based fashion designer Hassan “Blu Boy” Secka is targeting the creative class with his brand WNTD Apparel (which stands for What Not to Do), a line of classic streetwear with Asian-inspired elements and hand-painted graphics. His battle cry, “Art is War,” is blazoned across pieces of his third and latest collection. “It’s like my Nike slogan,” he says—meant to encourage artists serious enough to follow their muse even when everyone warns them not to. And if art is war, then Blu Boy is gaining ground quickly. Featured by Vogue.com, the New York Times, and Hypebeast, the 23-year-old has also been hired by Atlantic Records to create branded merchandise. Instead of a typical lookbook with models showing off his latest collection, the boundary-pushing designer released a digitally animated 3-D graphic novel produced with artist Oseanworld featuring Blu’s ghostlike avatar. As fashion increasingly ventures into the digital space, WNTD’s witty, youthful pieces straddle the realms of virtual and reality.
Photograph courtesy of Tyler Mitchell
Catch a glimpse of the elusive Marietta-raised photographer Tyler Mitchell—who became the first-ever black photographer to shoot a cover for Vogue magazine (in its 127-year history!) when he photographed Beyoncé last September. He will be honored on March 27 at the National Black Arts Festival’s Fine Art + Fashion held at Flourish Atlanta. The event, sponsored by Neiman Marcus and the NBAF, supports arts education in underserved communities.
Dana Spinola, founder of Atlanta-based fashion boutique Fab’rik, has released her first book, Love What You Do, about how to live with purpose. The self-help manifesto tells how this mom of four launched and continues to grow a chain with dozens of stores across the U.S. Her concept focuses on high-style, quality fashion under $100 so that everyone can “afford to feel beautiful.” Asher, her in-house line named for her daughter, whom she adopted from Ethiopia, supports housing, healthcare, and education for abandoned children in Africa.
L.A. Stein, a high-end local jewelry line, seems to be showing up on stars everywhere—from Jessica Alba and Usher to Issa Rae and Marsai Martin in the much–buzzed about new film Little. The delicate, gold, diamond, and pearl pieces are conceived by sportswear designer–turned–fashion jeweler Lisa Stein, who weaves zodiac imagery, geometric shapes, and gothic lettering throughout her collections to add symbolism and meaning. (We love the Hamsa Protection Amulet, $3,920.) Available at Tassels.
Photograph by Wedig & Laxton
Chill creams: CBD Products
The newest beauty trend to hit Atlanta might be totally dope, but it won’t get you high. It’s CBD oil–infused products made to enhance everything from your dermis to your disposition in the form of creams, lotions, and bath salts. Is the buzz half-baked? CBD (cannabidiol) oil is extracted from the buds and flowers of marijuana or hemp plants. Hemp-based CBD (the only kind legal for public distribution in Georgia) contains very low levels, if any, of THC (the intoxicating chemical, tetrahydrocannabinol). Some experts disagree, but fans confidently tout high-anti-inflammatory benefits such as relief for chronic pain, sleep issues, immune problems, and mood disorders. All products from the Georgia Hemp Company, 290 Hilderbrand Drive, Sandy Springs.
This article appears in our March 2019 issue.
