Local brand brings Cincinnati’s art community together through fashion, music and dance
2017 - Reporting and Writing (Jour 2010)
Local model Mazi Phelps walking for the Freewheeler fashion show. Photo by Grant Lawler.
Cincinnati clothing brand ‘Freewheeler’ brought more than just style to their first annual ‘Fashion Night’ last Saturday. Held at The Mockbee, an underground event center, the evening was filled with fashion, music, and dance; mingling local art communities to introduce what the brand owner calls, “The Freewheeler Lifestyle.”
The main event of the night consisted of a fashion show showcasing Freewheeler’s (stylized FWHLR) upcoming collection. Additional entertainment came from the city's up-and-coming talent, such as musical performances by CRUNR and Mello, and dance performances by (CA)2 Dance Crew. The Mockbee’s dark, underground spaces -- once lagering tunnels from the building's brewery days -- created the perfect atmosphere to compliment Freewheeler’s urban, streetwear style.
With over one hundred people in attendance, the brand considers the first annual event a success. The place felt the city’s hottest and most exclusive club, with the chic crowd and live performances fueling the party all night long.
“I was so proud to be a part of such an organized, sexy, and successful event,” Freewheeler model Hannah Henriques says. “Cincinnati has a great music and art community, and I love when we all come together to support each other.”
Freewheeler was founded by co-owners James Boyd and Ryan Repasky. About a year old, the Cincinnati based clothing brand was created to mix designer and athletic wear. Boyd has an extensive athletic background including basketball and football, and Repasky has a background in art, design, and fashion. Together they knew “Merging high fashion with athletics was going to be a bold and daring move,” Repasky says. “We found the word ‘Freewheeler’ in the dictionary, found that it means a person who lives in an independent and daring way, and mutually agreed that it had the exact definition that we were looking for.”
For the creative duo, ‘local’ is a pillar of Freewheeler and an aspect they wanted to emphasize during their debut event. “We wanted our friends and whoever to come out and see who’s doing some creative things in our community, and just have a good time in the name of
Freewheeler,” Repasky says. “We are striving to be not only a brand, but a lifestyle that stretches far beyond the realm of fashion.”
And according to Repasky, that ‘Freewheeler lifestyle’ is to “Stand for all. Kneel for none.” More specifically, surrounding yourself with creative people that will challenge and help you push your limits, never staying stagnant, and following your dreams no matter what they are.
As it turns out, the duo’s ‘Fashion Night’ was successful at inspiring others with the Freewheeler lifestyle. “This was not your normal fashion show,” attendee Maddie Solomini says. “I feel like my city is so much more talented than I give it credit for, this makes me want to get more into this type of scene and meet more of the people involved.”
Freewheeler’s fashion show was just one example of how the duo incorporates community into their work. The brand’s “DON’T STAY SILENT'' collection is a collaboration with local artist Hannah Henriques, bringing attention to the country's current political climate. “I made the Don’t Stay Silent tank[top] in response to our current political climate,” Henriques wrote in a blog post on the Freewheeler website. “The police brutality toward the black community, the ever-deteriorating rights of immigrants, and the violence against the LGBTQ+ community.”
As for what is next for Freewheeler? “We hope to make the fashion event a yearly thing,” Repasky says. “We want to continue to grow and collaborate, lifting others along the way.” With so much hype already surrounding such a young brand, this successful event has helped put them and other local artists on the map.