A CLOSER LOOK AT NIGHT PROWLER

                                                 
                                                                                     
NIGHT
PROWLER
APPAREL

When I first saw Night Prowler at the sneak peak, I thought hmmm....is this fashion?  Where would you wear this athletic wear? HOW do you wear this athletic wear? I mean really, this guy named Henry is the bomb! 
This emerging designer has made mens athletic wear just down right sexy. I was ridiculously impressed with the craftsmanship in having the designs match the mission: Rise When No One Else Will. This brand is strong, confident, and needs to be heard.

Now let's meet the man behind the brand Night Prowler Apparel. Here's Henry Mariner...

How did you decide to jump into the fashion business? And why athletic wear?

"It wasn’t my decision really to jump into the fashion industry. Ive always respected the art of fashion because of my musical background. I feel music and fashion always go together, but I never thought I would be in the business. I am just doing my best to follow orders from the man up above in creating a tangible form of the Armor of God. I hope he will be pleased with my work. 

I chose athletic wear because I felt the message would reach a wider audience. We spend so much time shaping our physical bodies that we sometimes forget that our spiritual body also needs shaping as well for the battles we do not see in the spirit realm. This fight is God vs Satan, the Light vs the Dark, Love vs Hate. This is Spiritual Warfare. We eat healthy and work out so we can help our physical bodies fight against sickness. These are attacks on our physical bodies. We need the same mindset for our spiritual bodies. If we are not aware of the spiritual battle our spiritual body will get attacked and possibly die." 

Give me one word that best describes your brand of athletic wear. Explain please.

"Armor: God gave me a mission to create armor for tomorrows spiritual battle."

Yessss! The model does look ready for battle lol. 

There has to be a story behind the name Night Prowler. Do tell.

"The name Night Prowler came from my mother. She would call me a Night Prowler because I was always up late at night till the early morning working on music. I always kept in my mind the thought of someone at this moment is up working and getting better, so I have to work harder and stay up later." 

What matters to you most as a designer?

"Quality and the Mission.  

Quality because the product has to feel good when you put it on. We want you to feel like you are suiting up for war, for business, for a game, a hard work out when you put our apparel on. We also want to inspire the mindset of the spiritual fight while we are doing these activities during the course of our daily lives."

Do you have a favorite designer?

"I don’t think I have a favorite designer, however I do respect the work of Kanye West and his tenacity to take over the fashion industry. He is someone I admire because of his passion for the arts and for his bold and fearless approach to push a vision forward." 

Did you have fashion dreams or aspirations as a child? If so, do share.

"No I never had a dream of becoming a fashion designer. I did like to create my own looks. I never wanted to have the same style of outfit as my peers. I would mix and match everything in my closet. I still do the same thing now." 

Did you already have experience in the fashion industry?

"In the past year our brand has been on the Label Horde Fashion Show Runway at F.A.B.R.I.C, We won the first ever Phoenix Fashion Week Digital Emerging Designer Bootcamp, We walked the Green is the New Black Fashion Show at City Hall in Phoenix, and we are currently pursuing the Designer of the Year title at Phoenix Fashion Week on October 3rd 2019. 

This is our experience in the industry so far. We are always looking for ways to grow and gain knowledge from some of the industries best."

I am so impressed with you and your drive. It is mind blowing to know you did not start out as a fashioner and now your vying for Designer of the Year with Phoenix Fashion Week. That is one whirlwind of a ride!

How has being a part of Phoenix Fashion Week changed your mindset in this tough industry?

"PHFW has been a game changer. It has been a huge part of my growth process. My mindset has shifted completely to where I can see the path on how to reach our goals as a brand. Im thankful for Brian Hill, Allison Callaway, and Herman Plank. They are the real deal." 

What has been your biggest challenge so far being a part of Phoenix Fashion Week bootcamp?

"My biggest challenge was almost not having clothes for the runway. We sent our designs to our manufacturer 2 months in advance before Fashion Week so we could focus on the bootcamp. During this time we are tweaking the designs, making sure all color combinations are correct and correcting minor details. We get to the delivery date and we have no designs. We messaged and called the manufacturer and no response. 

After countless phone calls and emails I finally received an email saying they apologize for the inconvenience but they never made the designs and will not be able to send them on time for the fashion show… So, long story short I had to create 12 new looks for the runway in 15 days. We made it!"

Omg that sounds like a lot of sleepless nights. Well, we are so happy you did make it. This competition needs a collection like yours.

Who do you lean on when you need support? Any oppositions?

"I lean on God first. He always has the answer."  

What message do you want to convey with your clothing line?   

"To Rise When No One Else Will. To take a stand and RISE against adversity. Chase your dreams and don’t allow doubt or fear to stop you from pursuing. Not to be afraid of the battles ahead but to be a fearless light and run into the
darkness and destroy it. Understand that there are multiple battles we face and we have to conquer both."

I love this! You are speaking some truth.

What is the ultimate dream for Night Prowler?

"The ultimate vision is to inspire a culture of bold individuals that are willing to go against the grain and fight against spiritual warfare. Athletic apparel being the tool to unite us. There is a spiritual war coming and we need to be prepared. 

Our ultimate dream/goal is for God to be glorified and to have the entire state of Arizona armored up. We would like to be the athletic apparel provider for all of the sports organizations in the city of Phoenix. The Phoenix Suns, The AZ Cardinals, The AZ Diamond backs, The Coyotes, The Rattlers, The Sun devils, GSU, The Hotshots etc." 

   

What would be the one piece of solid advice for an aspiring designer?

"Find Brian Hill. Put yourself in the community. Find out where your local designers and fashion gurus gather and connect."

And that is our local designer Night Prowler Apparel. Get your tickets here to see him on the runway opening night on October 3rd. This is gonna be one heck of a party.

IG - @nightprowlerapparel


See you on the runway!
Toy

Presented by www.chronicbehavior.com/   @chronicbehavior

www.facebook.com/FilmFashionFutures.com

Thanks to the Chronic Behavior team for their excellent coverage of the event. They are the team helping to support and promote the brand. We appreciate you for your continued support.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE TIE DYE COMPANY

THE TIE 

DYE

COMPANY

Who ever thought we would see tie-dyed clothing on the runway? Phoenix Fashion Week has found a young and vibrant spirit in The Tie Dye Company. This brand has put a nice spin on the tie dyed look. It is fun, sexy and fabulously stylish! 

Guys and girls alike should be rockin' the tie dyed look. And that's the beauty of living in the land of the sun. You can wear this look any time, year round. The founder of The Tie Dyed Company, Dalton England graciously granted us this interview while getting ready for the big event October 3rd at the Talking Stick Resort. 

Let's get to know Dalton and his brand...

How did The Tie Dye Company come to light?

"The Tie Dye Company was an idea that I stumbled on while searching for products to sell online after stepping away from my previous job. If you’ve ever been jobless, had to search for a new job, or just needed money to pay your bills but didn’t have an income, then you probably know how I was feeling. I still feel that way now, I just decided to put all that energy into working on myself and chasing my own dream instead of somebody else’s. 

So I started by selling everything I owned on eBay, did a few online courses for e-commerce, social media and internet marketing, read a bunch of books, and eventually came across this app that tells you how much people are searching for a specific term on the internet and the amount of results that show up from sellers. 

When I searched “tie dye”, I thought maybe it was broken, because no way 350,000 people are searching for tie dye per month and only 32 results are showing up. But after some more research, I felt like I was really on to something and about to be the next plug for tie dye merch." 

I love tie dye clothing so thank you for bringing it to the head of the class. What is it about this particular style that inspires you to create tie dye clothing?

"At first, literally just the fact that it was considered a “profitable” item, since nobody else was really selling it online. I still don’t think I’m even scratching the surface of what I can do with it in terms of sales, but I really would like to be the next major distributor for tie dye. I never made or owned a single tie dye shirt before this idea, so it has been a big learning experience with trial and error, but it has taught me many things and I am enjoying the creative aspects of it as well as the opportunities and connections that have come from it." 

I love your ambition and drive! Your right... who knew that many people would be searching for tie dyed clothing. Great job on finding a winner lol. 

Tie dye clothing is fun and brings an air of happiness to it. I simply love it! One of the best aspects of your brand is that its for the entire family. All ages can relate to the style. 

How does your brand standout from other tie dye brands?

"The Tie Dye Company brand is still a newborn baby, but it’s a growing community of dream chasers, artists, and black sheep rebels. We don’t believe in being the same as everybody else, we challenge the status quo, and we believe in the power of positivity at an individual level all the way to a global level. We are unique in so many ways, but I personally think we stand out because of our “Company”. We have surrounded our brand with some amazing people."

I loved the tie-dye tank dress. What other pieces do you create beyond the stylish t-shirts?
"I’ve been messing around with so many different products. I recently made some denim jogger pants to match a shirt, and in the past I have made colorful overalls, sweats, leggings, kids dresses and shirts, hoodies, baby onesies, socks, bucket hats, bandanas, bed sheets, pillow covers, and more. If I don’t get a tie dye car sponsor from Tesla, I’ll be pretty bummed." 

Dream big, dream big!!! Gotta love your enthusiasm. I'm sure one way or another Tesla will learn about The Tie Dye Company. Now...

Tell us a little something about Dalton England? 

"I’m always doing something different and never took too many things seriously in life unless I really had to. I spent most of my life playing baseball, but always had side hobbies I’d practice for fun. 

Art has always been a passion of mine, I just haven’t figured out which type to stick with yet. So, I’m just going to keep doing whatever I enjoy at the moment as much as I can." 

Where does the inspiration come from going from a baseball player turned fashion designer?

"I think it comes from who I am as a person. I grew up only knowing baseball. All I wanted to do was play baseball, all I wanted to be was a baseball player, and all I saw myself doing in the future was baseball. Now that I am back home and that dream has come to an alarming wake up call from the real world, I’ve been searching everywhere for my new passion. 

I tried comedy, snowboarding and longboarding down dangerous hills, I learned how to play guitar in 30 days and documented the progress, I even tried going out by myself to see what that was like. I basically just tried doing anything I felt uncomfortable with or was scared of because I wanted to conquer all my fears and figure out who I really 

was. 

But what I learned was that you really can’t go looking for what you are passionate about, you just have to be passionate about everything you do, and the rest will fall into place. When I stopped pressuring myself to do things and only did the things I wanted to do because my gut told me to, that’s when I felt in tune with my goals and inspirations."

How did you enjoy your runway show at the The Moxy?

"It was awesome! The models really made that night happen for me, so all the credit to them and the people who made them look good and to Kristin and Betsy, who helped run my pop-up shop. I enjoyed it because of the people who helped make it possible." 

Hey like I always say, "team work makes the dream work". A good team is vital. That night was so busy and electrifying because it's like the prequel to the October event. Your pop-up shop was jumping too.

Any struggles you've encountered on this journey you care to share with us?

"Honestly, every day feels like a new challenge at this point. This week I made over 200 tie dye shirts, including screen printing graphics on them, so it felt like a big week for me. But first, my car broke down in the middle of an intersection on Monday, when a cop helped push it to the side of the road, the only set of keys to the car got locked inside. I was up all night trying to figure out how to get my car back, knowing I had all these shirts to make, plus the shirts I had to make and ship from the website orders. I am used to making frequent midnight trips to the post office, though. 

The hardest part, was actually keeping The Tie Dye Company brand and business running at the same time that I was trying to get my car running. My car still isn’t fixed today, but I am used to not using it anyway and have found the bright side of the situation. I haven’t driven to the post office once since I started this brand and my favorite part of the day is always the trip to the post office for some fresh air. Other than that, nothing has really been easy. 

The only thing that has gotten easier is sleeping at night. I’m grateful for all the challenges, because they make me better at the end of the day and that’s made a huge difference in my life as far as motivation and long-term goals."

Although you are knee deep in it, what is your most valuable take away from Phoenix Fashion Week’s bootcamp?

"Proactive anticipation, because you have to be prepared for anything. But most importantly, that nobody is going to do anything for you. No matter what, the only thing that matters is doing. 

Manifestation, “The Secret”, and all those things are cool, but I feel they are only fuel to the fire. If you really want something, you have to go get it yourself and the hardest part is starting. You just gotta start, execute and experience, fail fast, learn, and give more than you take in every situation." 

Do you have other passions besides a clothing designer?

"Like I mentioned before, I am passionate about too many things to put into one basket. I just want to make a positive impact on the people around me and hopefully build a community from the ground up so we can actually say we left the planet a better place than when we entered it."

What advice would you give to the next aspiring fashion designer?

"My advice to anyone is just chase your dreams. At the end of the day, that’s what you really want, and if you don’t go for it, I think you’re missing out on what life is really suppose to be about."

Where do you envision The Tie Dye Company to be in 5 years? 

"Driving a special edition one-of-kind Tie Dye Tesla Mobile Work Station Semi-Truck traveling the nation doing pop-up shops and sponsoring events for performing and visual artists."

OMG I absolutely love this dude! Dalton England, you and your larger than life personality are going to light up the runway with your tie dye collection. Get your Phoenix Fashion Week tickets here to see The Tie Dye Company show out on the runway. There are 3 great nights of fashion that you don't want to miss out on. Besides, it is fun to get dressed up and get submerged in a night of fashion. It's always a party!

IG - @tie_dye_company

See you on the runway!
Toy



Photos provided by The Tie Dye Company

Presented by www.chronicbehavior.com/   @chronicbehavior

www.facebook.com/FilmFashionFutures.com

Thanks to the Chronic Behavior team 
 for their excellent coverage of the event. They are the team helping to support and promote the brand. We appreciate you for your continued support.

A CLOSER LOOK AT KEITH ENGLISH

KEITH

ENGLISH

This Phoenix Fashion Week designer brought a fresh and unique style of men's fashion the the runway. Keith English gives us stylish fun with an old school flare. I love seeing what designers can do with a constant revolving menswear line. 

Founder Karina English took time out her busy schedule to chat with us for a bit. Here's what we learned about Keith English:

Lady CEO Karina English

How does your husband feel about his name being a fashion brand?

"It wouldn't make sense any other way because the reason why I started this venture in the first place was because of him...he represents everything the brand is."

What is the inspiration behind the Keith English brand?

"My husband is my inspiration. Despite the all the adversity he has experienced in his life, despite the trials he continuously faces, he has always stood up for what is right and never backed down from his beliefs. The high collar represents his courage and strength to stand up, the contrasting prints- his spirit full of color, love and compassion." 

The big old school collar IS a fantastic touch to your shirts. Was that an error in design or purposeful?

"The design was purposefully and everything started with just the high collar, which was the first pattern I ever created. Then I played with different prints and colors, created my own shirt pattern and then the Keith English shirt was born."

What types of fabric do you prefer to work with? "I prefer to work with fabric that has a little stretch to allow men that are muscular to not feel so constricted."  

Any material you prefer NOT to work with?

"I prefer to stay away from synthetic fibers and fabrics that wrinkle easy."

What has been most challenging for you being a part of Phoenix Fashion Week’s bootcamp?

"The most challenging thing for me are the tasks that are required of us to complete. As a mom, wife, full time grad student and building a business it gets tough finding extra time to focus on Bootcamp tasks."

What is your greatest take away thus far being a part of Phoenix Fashion Week? "Not every good opportunity is the right opportunity."

Wow, that is some straight talk right there! That is so true yet sad. We get so excited by wonderful opportunities placed before us,however we fail to realize whether it is the right opportunity or not. This is really great insight.

Give me one piece of solid advice for the next ambitious fashion designer?

"Don't let others steer you away from your vision and dreams with negative opinions about what you're designing and your ideas...God gave YOU this dream not them."

Amen to that!

How has this entire experience changed your world? "This entire experience has really build up my faith because I had this idea on the closet shelf, literally, for years. I never thought anyone would like the shirts. I have always felt this undone work inside of me, as if God was reminding me of the dream he gave me...so I took the leap of faith and here I am today, blessed beyond measure and keeping focus on what's ahead."

Is Keith English a full on family business? Any children involved? "Well, with 10 kids we hope that at least 1 of them will have a desire to take on the business one day but

currently no...they just help when we need it like being fit models, hanging tags or helping during photo shoots."

What is your vision for Keith English in 5 years?

"In 5 years I see the brand working with sports teams, corporations, licensing deals, to make custom shirts for their people. My vision is to be making a huge impact on men's fashion in the United States and be close to making $100k in revenue."

So I always like to ask designers if they have any other passions or a hobby they like to do when not creating fashion pieces. I am impressed with Karina English's and her big goals. You are definitely an inspiration to us all.

Do you have other passions besides designing fashion? "Yes, my first love has always been food. I went to culinary school after high school and even cooked in the military. Owning my own restaurant is a future goal of mine."

What do you like to do in your down time? "In my downtime I love watching movies with my husband and making memories doing things we've never done like exploring the outdoors or trying a new restaurant."

Thanks to Karina English for giving us a more in depth look at her brand. Get ticktets here for the biggest fashion event in the Southwest. Phoenix Fashion Week will keep you wanting more. See Keith English on the runway October 3-5, 2019 at Talking Stick Resort.

Follow Keith English on Instagram at @keithenglishapparel

See you on the runway!

Toy

Images provided by Keith English

Presented by www.chronicbehavior.com/   @chronicbehavior

www.facebook.com/FilmFashionFutures.com

Thanks to the Chronic Behavior team for their excellent coverage of the event. They are the team helping to support and promote the brand. We appreciate you for your continued support.

ASTRID 

UNDERGROUND

This year's emerging designer Astrid Underground was the first to debut her intoxicating and jaw-dropping brand at Phoenix Fashion Week's runway show earlier this month at The Moxy in Tempe, AZ. I was so happy to be sitting up front so I could see that first model hit that runway. It was a show popping move!  The music immediately got the audience super hyped for the night's show.

Astrid Underground's founder/CEO and all-around LadyBoss Nicole Willis graciously invited us into her world so we could get a much closer look at her mastery. I hope you will be just as instantly addicted to this unique brand as I was. Here's what I learned about this emerging designer... Astrid Underground.

Because inquiring minds want to know, what is the meaning behind ‘Astrid Underground’? 

“Astrid is an old Norse girls name that means “Divine Beauty”. So when you put them together it is finding Beauty in the “underground” or in this case the unusual.”

Is there an Astrid involved? 

“No. My name is Nicole, but everyone seems to call me Astrid. I respond to it anyway.”

What is your specialty meaning your statement piece? 

“Corsets and leggings are my specialty. But my brand is so much more than that. I design everything my ideal client would wear on a daily basis. From work, to weekend, to evenings out. Astrid underground is about celebrating your uniqueness. From your body to your personality, you are “Uniquely You”. 

What makes your corsets unique? 

Some of the styles are unique, but the fabrics are what REALLY separates me from the other guys. I use textures to create new looks, the outside of the corset is usually a darker Gothic look, but the inside of the corset is made of 100% (usually batik) cotton. Batiks are fun vibrant fabrics that are super unique. 

Your over-the-top leggings are BOSS! Is there a story behind their conception?

“I was the head seamstress for a legging company for a while, I loved their look and feel, but most of the designs were bright and colorful. That’s not me, I’m a grey, black, blue kinda girl. So I make what I would want to wear.” 

Your sneak peak on the runway at The Moxy was RI-DIC-U-LOUS! I  am in love with the steampunk vibe. I felt like that was a vision you had for awhile. Tell us about the concept. 

“So this is a mashup of gothic and steampunk. My collection will tell my clients story of her week. From going to work, out for the weekend, and a classy evening out. I design for me 10 years ago. I make what I would have worn.”

How is the designer bootcamp going for you? 

It’s super stressful. I never have time to spend with my hubby. I wake up between 7-8 AM and I usually go to bed at 11-12 o’clock. I’m always doing something for this bootcamp. 

We know it can be intense AND intimidating with all the expertise given to you all. Have you felt any struggles with your own journey?   

Absolutely! My manufacturing company told me they can’t fit me in, so I now have to design, pattern, and sew everything. This whole process feels like it’s been one catastrophe after another. 

I’m struggling every step of the way. But I’m always trying my hardest to accomplish everything that has been asked of me. I always try to go a little more than what’s been asked. 

What has been a valuable takeaway thus far being involved with Phoenix Fashion Week? 

“I have learned to let go of my high “perfect” standards. Because with the workload, you don’t have time to make everything perfect. Sometimes you just gotta make it werk. Lol. In the infamous words of RuPaul “You betta werk.”

Being a part of Phoenix Fashion Week is extremely demanding. How do you like to spend your downtime when you get it? 

I don’t have down time, and haven’t since this all started. But the minute it’s over, I am off to the lake. Then in November I’ll be going on a cruise to the Western Caribbean. 

Do you have other passions? 

“I love to sing Karaoke, but my favorite thing to do is travel! I love being by the water! It doesn’t matter if it’s a lake, river, or an ocean. I just love the water.”

Thus far, what solid piece of advice would you give the next ambitious designer? 

If you are going to do this, make sure you have taken some of the digital classes PRIOR to competing for designer of the year. If you don’t, you will find all of this very overwhelming. Or you could just show last years collection, then you won’t need to buy all new fabrics, trims, or pay to have it made. Plus you’ll save time too, because you don’t have to sew all of your looks. Make sure you have a business plan already made. Make sure you have an income to support yourself while you’re doing this because you don’t have time to work and do your homework, and build a brand too. Time,time,time! The one thing you can’t buy. Trust me, if I could I would!!

Nicole Willis

Where does your vision take you in the next 5 years? 

“Hopefully getting a paycheck. Lol. I want to sell online and in others stores. I would love to see people walking around in my clothes. I like to see how it makes them feel.”

Please check out our YouTube channel for the fun we had playing around in Nicole's studio. Yes I was touching everything. Here you will get a great visual on what it takes to become Astrid Underground. Get your tickets here to see this emerging designer show at Phoenix Fashion Week held at the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, AZ.

See you on the runway!

Toy

Photos provided by Astrid Underground

Video Interview with Astrid Underground

Presented by www.chronicbehavior.com/   @chronicbehavior

www.facebook.com/FilmFashionFutures.com

Thanks to the Chronic Behavior team

for their excellent coverage of the event. They are the team helping to support and promote the brand. We appreciate you for your continued support.