A Fashion City
Milwaukee is locally called the city of festivals, but it’s also a place full of fashion. The city has big hitters like the nationally known apparel brand Unfinished Legacy, which is Milwaukee-based. The city also has fashion designers like Alyssa Neff, who started Matte Black, a fashion movement rooted in sustainability, reinvention, and liberation; the company uses 90% donated and thrifted fabrics.
Matte Black has partnered with Casita Prado, a sustainable kids’ streetwear brand based in Milwaukee, to curate Life is the Runway. The free fashion show is happening today, June 27, 2025, and is part of the 43rd & Vliet Street Project’s community celebration on 43rd and Vliet Street in Milwaukee.
Life is the Runway runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. CST and is an experience that will be held at four Milwaukee venues: Denizen, Washington Park Media Center, Jazzy Rae’, and Artists Working in Education.
There are over 20 vendors, including food trucks, art, and clothes, and there will be a screening of Wicked at Washington Park Media Center. Artists Working in Education will host two workshops: one on creative painting and another on mending, where participants can learn to sew a button and lengthen clothes.
The fashion show starts at 7 p.m. at Denizen, after which models will hit the streets, walking from venue to venue and literally bringing fashion to Milwaukee’s streets.
“We’re coming together as a community and celebrating life,” said Neff.
Milwaukee County Transit System is the media sponsor, and it recently released a promo video featuring local Milwaukee clothing brands, designers, and community members.
Life is a Runway is free for the community to attend.
The Future of Matte Black
Neff was 17 years old when she designed her own fashion piece: her prom dress. She then went on to earn a degree in fashion.
“That was really the first time I understood the power of having an idea and transforming it into a 3D design,” said Neff.
Neff started Matte Black to combat fast fashion and be more eco-friendly. According to Business Insider, it takes about 2,000 gallons of water to produce a pair of denim jeans. Since starting in 2023, Matte Black has primarily focused on denim fabric, but it plans to incorporate more textiles.
She knew from a young age that clothing affects how people treat you, so she’s always experimented with style.
“The reason I got into fashion is because I feel like it’s the armor you choose,” said Neff.
Neff is just one of many people pushing forward fashion in Milwaukee. We also have others like Milwaukee-based fashion designer Carlos Martin Vergara Jr., who received his own day in the city on June 17, 2025.
Milwaukee’s fashion scene is growing every day, Neff said you just have to be willing to look.
