![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/BWFC_Amaya-Edwards-67-scaled.jpg\")
A Jus Vibe event at FOB Kitchen in Oakland on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. (Amaya Edwards)<\/p>\n\u201cWe are going to be talking about Black excellence and what that means in our community as a whole,\u201d Ruiz said. \u201cMorgan and I are hoping that at the end of this event, you\u2019ll learn something new about the Black diaspora \u2026 and what it means to honor and cherish your ancestors.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Jus Vibe event at FOB Kitchen in Oakland on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. (Amaya Edwards)<\/p>\n
For their debut, Dill will focus on hats, an intergenerational project with their aunt, who Dill would often see knitting and crocheting when they were growing up. Their work experiments with height, structure and bright colors, creating a strong, noticeable presence atop the head. The hats augment the wearer\u2019s silhouette to challenge assumptions about race and gender.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of my work is rooted in examining how clothing is a tool used to transcend or evoke a racialized experience,\u201d Dill says.<\/p>\n
They plan to style each hat with clothes from the models\u2019 own closets to emphasize their individuality.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m also just making sure that [the models] feel good,\u201d Dill says. \u201cFor me, a big part of it is being able to play with this idea of what it means to be a queer Black person existing in America.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P1173997-scaled.jpg\")
Q\u2019oy Dill\u2019s hat designs play with exaggerated silhouettes that challenge assumptions about the wearer\u2019s race and gender. (Angie Paola)<\/p>\n
Alongside Dill, Oakland native Marc Allen will also showcase his work at the Homecoming Fashion Show. Deemed the \u201cmost authentic designer\u201d in Jus Vibe\u2019s senior superlative-style distinction, his deconstructed style stems from the instinctual drive to create whenever inspiration strikes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat fuel is emotional,\u201d Allen says.<\/p>\n
Growing up in an artistic household surrounded by music and dance, Allen carved his own way into the visual arts. Photography, graphic design and painting became his media of choice, and clothing soon followed.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Three-scaled.jpg\")
Designs by Marc Allen in the Limitless Fashion Show in Oakland in 2025. (Courtesy of Marc Allen)<\/p>\n
Those around Allen describe his work as a futuristic approach to the Black experience. While this framing isn\u2019t intentional on Allen\u2019s part, his process reflects it. As a designer who doesn\u2019t sew, he reworks garments into something new.<\/p>\n
Allen utilizes grommets, safety pins and fabric paint to create raw, abstract designs. His own personal style consists of clothing that he\u2019s altered in some way, reflecting the same improvisational approach he brings to his collection.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can wear my art around people and into events, but you can\u2019t really carry around a canvas,\u201d Allen said. \u201cI think that the best part of fashion is the fact that I can express myself through my clothing, something I wear every day.\u201d<\/p>\n