Sharp Dressed
You could buy a quick and cheap festival outfit from Amazon or a big box store, but why not shop with New Orleans designers making one-of-one clothing and accessories in the Crescent City?
Instead of wearing what everyone else has, wear something original and authentically you this festival season. These local designers make everything from high-end athletic wear to luxurious capsule wardrobe staples. Shop these local designers online or in stores for your next festival outfit.
Chimera
chimeraclothing.co
Don't sleep on athletic wear. This local brand sells hand-sewn designer track jackets, track-inspired tops, biker jean skirts and tops, and jerseys. New Orleans designer Jihad Doucette makes high-end garments that draw inspiration from elements of punk, Afrofuturism, and vintage styles. The experimental limited edition clothing features men's and women's wear, including streetwear, athleisure, and classic and preppy garments. Limited collections are released a few times a year. The brand incorporates special materials like laundered and bull denim and lamb leather. The designer's Delta handbags are made from soft leather with colorful vinyl inserts, made in various colors.
Cosmic Collective
shopcosmiccollective.com
Getting dressed should be fun. Cosmic Collective, formerly known as Blingdana, makes clothing and accessories that promote color, confidence, standing out, and being boldly feminine. This Covington-based brand, with a large New Orleans following, is most known for its crystal fringe bandanas, fringe scarves, and neckties. The brand, designed by Kate Fusilier, also sells rhinestone gloves, blinged-out beanies, blazer capes, statement midi dresses, and metallic fringe chaps. These are the types of designs you keep in your Mardi Gras and festival box to whip out for New Orleans' many parades and events. These designs are life savers for the less creative folks wanting to spruce up their festival looks but don't have the time or skills to make something themselves.
Denisio Truitt
denisiotruitt.com
Want a custom festival-worthy outfit that was designed just for you? Denisio Truitt, a local artist and designer, sells made-to-order, bespoke capsule collections made mostly from recycled and dead-stock fabrics. Truitt's designs are inspired by her multicultural upbringing and the stylish women in her family who were resourceful with their wardrobes. Obsessed with how a garment fits—most of Truitt's collections are made based on the customer's measurements—Truitt says a lot of the brand's designs are made from silk and cotton, and Truitt hand-stamps the prints on her mud-cloth designs. These carefully crafted Afrocentric creations featuring natural elements are closet must-haves for creatives and artists.
H.I.M. Studios
instagram.com/himstudios.live
Some of the most stylish garments have a quiet luxury about them. They may not always have the boldest prints or the loudest colors, but they command attention in their own way. H.I.M. Studios outerwear and accessories hold that power. Bywater-based designer Frank Robertson makes apparel including sweaters, insulated coats, and vests. He also makes backpacks, belts, wallets, and travel bags. With a focus on sustainability, many of the designs are made from materials gathered from nonprofits and bike shops. Robertson sells jackets made from selvedge denim and belts made from repurposed bicycle tires. H.I.M. Studios' gender-neutral statement bags, sustainable belts, and wallets would be the cherry on top of any street-style festival outfit.
Lasalle & Jackson
lasalleandjackson.com
Stand out in any crowd with Lasalle & Jackson's vibrant and tropical prints, African fabrics, and versatile designs. Adriane "Missy" Butler, owner and designer behind Lasalle & Jackson, named her business after the New Orleans streets she grew up on. Inspired by fond memories of Mardi Gras mornings with family and big pots of red beans and rice, Butler embeds every design with New Orleans' playfulness, West African and Caribbean influences, in-your-face color, and soul. Handmade with Dutch and West African cotton wax print fabrics, the brand primarily sells gender-neutral tops, caftans, and jackets. Some designs also incorporate vintage fabrics and trims for a time-bending look. During festival season, Lasalle & Jackson will also sell limited-edition bandanas. The breezy and one-of-a-kind garments can be worn in hot temperatures and layered for colder weather.
odAOMO
odaomo.com
Embody elegance with a global essence when wearing this NOLA brand designed in Kenya, Ghana, and New Orleans. Designed by Kenya native Dr. Sophia Aomo Omoro and directed by New Orleans native Quentin Alexander, the brand makes storytelling pieces at the intersection of functionality and artistry. The handcrafted garments, jewelry, bags, and belts are made from eco-friendly materials and luxury fabrics. The structured cut and silhouette of these fashion-forward designs are futuristic and imaginative. The textiles are designed, produced, and printed in-house in Nairobi. The fabric is sourced from global outlets including Kenya, Ghana, and Italy. Themes of insects can be spotted throughout the designs, including "ant camo" prints and various styles of ant earrings.
Zim + Teemo
zimteemo.world
Dress like the ultimate "it girl" in these artfully crafted accessories and apparel. This local brand by New Orleans artist Gurleen Rai sells handmade handbags made from repurposed bicycle tires and garments made with natural fibers such as wool, silk, and cotton. The earth-toned clothing is naturally dyed, hand-drawn, and eco-printed. Made in small batches, the apparel is naturally dyed using cochineal, tea, and locally sourced pomegranate. The 90s-leaning clothing feels light, breathable, and high-quality, ideal for those long sunny days dancing on the festival grounds. The repurposed bicycle tire handbags, called Maouse bags, carry all the essentials and are wearable works of art. Skillfully designed, the found bicycle tires are woven with paracord and manipulated into conversation-starting purses.
