On Thursday, October 8th, Kingmakers of Oakland brought our undeniable genius to the runway. As part of Oakland Style 2026, our young Black designers officially debuted their original, upcycled looks at the beautifully produced "Inspired on the Runway" fashion show.
Under the visionary leadership of Fashion Innovation Lab Program Director King Senay Alkebu-lan, our scholars absolutely showed out. We are incredibly proud of Kings Xavier (Xplicit), Elijah-Amir (Life Before Death), and Ronald (Ronald Archive) for taking their crowns out of their pockets, stepping into their power as creators, and sharing their creative brilliance with the Town.
This extraordinary convening was a true reflection of collective care and community partnership. Huge thanks to Juan Camero and the entire team at Visit Oakland for their collaboration, vision, and promotional support in making this event a massive success. We also want to give a major shout-out to the brilliant photographer @aweaverphoto for capturing all the fire moments from the night!