Day: August 20, 2025

Fashionistas, mark your calendars. Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and Arts Ambassador Colm Dillane today announced the date for Brooklyn’s very own fashion show as part of the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s  2025 New York Fashion Week.

“The People’s Runway” will take place at 8 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 14, turning Brooklyn Borough Hall Plaza into a catwalk where five Brooklyn fashion designers will showcase their creations. The designers answered the beep’s open call for emerging designers earlier this year and made the cut after Reynoso and Dillane reviewed hundreds of applications.

The Brooklyn-based designers include:

• Ahmrii Johnson, a Bahamian-American fashion designer and multidisciplinary artist, fuses Caribbean craft, botanical science, and indigenous wisdom into ethereal, narrative-driven designs. Johnson draws inspiration from her heritage, lived experiences, and biblical text, transforming textiles and garments into stories that bridge art, fashion, and spiritual reflection.
• Daveed Baptiste, an interdisciplinary designer and artist who incorporates fashion design, textile design, and photography, drawing inspiration from his migration from Port au-Prince, Haiti to Miami, Florida. He explores themes of migration and cultural preservation within the Haitian community and the larger Caribbean diaspora, reclaiming African diasporic futures and narratives.
• Kent Anthony is an African American designer with a background in fine art and industrial design, who uses fashion design as a medium for storytelling, and elevating Black creativity within a luxury, intellectual framework.
• Rojin Jung’s designs are rooted in a journey of self-discovery, resilience, and generational healing as a child of immigrants. Through his work, he encourages the audience to break out of patterns of living that trap them both physically and mentally.
• Shriya Myeni is a self-taught multidisciplinary artist who enjoys experimenting across mediums. Raised in India, having lived in Indonesia and Canada, and now living in Brooklyn, Shriya Myeni’s diverse upbringing has shaped a unique perspective that comes through in her work. Her silhouettes often emerge from deconstructed shapes and reconstructed forms such as garments that morph, unravel, and rebuild to reflect how people carry themselves and their pasts.

Reynoso said he was thrilled to provide the five creatives with the opportunity to spotlight their creations at the “People’s House.”

“‘The People’s Runway’ is about celebrating the artistry and identity that is embedded in every corner of our borough,” he said. “Across Brooklyn, emerging fashion designers are designing as a way of storytelling, creating garments that encapsulate the experiences of their families and their neighborhoods.”

Dillane, who will mentor the five designers, is the inaugural Brooklyn Arts Ambassador. He loves the role, he said, as it allows him to create something “real and tangible” like the fashion show.

“As someone who has created his brand from Brooklyn, received mentorship from other organizations, and worked with many different brands along the way, I think I have a great perspective on what can really help a young creative in NYC,” Dillane said. “I believe this runway experience is more powerful than the participants even realize. I am looking forward to seeing what they make and what comes from this!”

The People’s Runway is made possible with the support of partners Brooklyn Arts Council, Fashion Week Brooklyn, Chemistry Creative, City Point, AOFM, Unite, Brooklyn Brewery, and Voss.

The Sept. 14 event is open to the public, standing-room only and first-come, first-served. Doors open at 7:15 p.m at Brooklyn Borough Hall Plaza at 209 Joralemon St., and ADA accommodations will be available. 

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso unveiled The 2025 Comprehensive Plan for Brooklyn, a roadmap for long-term, equitable growth. 

The post Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso unveils 2025 Comprehensive Plan for Brooklyn appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.

“I know you are, but what am I?” takes on a new meaning this weekend at the first-ever Pee-wee Herman look-alike contest in Coney Island.

The competition marks the early birthday of the late Paul Reubens, who brought Pee-wee to life on the silver screen, and celebrates the 40th anniversary of the cult classic “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.”

Fans need not despair if they don’t quite qualify as a Pee-wee doppelganger. The contest will have several categories involving the whole Pee-wee pantheon.

There’s “Best Pee-wee,” of course; then “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” where entrants can dress up as any of the iconic characters from the beloved TV series — like Miss Yvonne, Cowboy Curtis, or the King of Cartoons; and “Pee-wee Movie Character,” for any character from the Pee-wee cinematic universe. 

“Pee-wee Herman’s body of work has left an indelible mark on American popular culture,” said Adam Rinn, artistic director of Coney Island USA. “And part of our mission is to preserve this type of popular culture through performances and events such as this.”

Pee-wee’s legacy hits even closer to home, too. The contest was inspired in large part by local burlesque performer Little Brooklyn, who attended this year’s Mermaid Parade with a group called “The Pee-wee Mermen.” The group dressed as naughty, nautical versions of Pee-wee and his gang of buddies, like Captain Carl and Large Marge.

 

 

 

 

 

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“Coney Island is all about fun and spectacle,” Little Brooklyn said. “We can’t wait to see how creative the people of New York City and beyond are going to get.”

Rinn and Little Brooklyn will judge the contest and dole out Coney-themed prizes for the first, second, and third place winners in each category.

The Pee-wee contest will kick off on West 12th Street near the corner of Surf Avenue at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 24. Registration is free and open to everyone, and will open at 12 p.m. the day of the competition at the Freak Bar inside Coney Island USA at 1208 Surf Ave.