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I sit draped in red,
not for your gaze,
but for my own remembering.
Wine in one hand,
legacy in the other.

They tried to wrap my head in silence.
Passed laws to bind my glory—
said my hair was too loud,
my roots too proud,
my shine too dangerous
for the streets to hold.

So they wrapped it.
Forced my crown into fabric,
called it a cover,
but we called it a crown.

They thought they hid me.
But I became brighter in the shadows.
Tied my history into headwraps,
wove rebellion in every twist.
My grandmothers knew:
even a law can’t touch the soul of silk.

And then—
they found my hips.

Wide like the continent.
Full like the future.
They called them savage,
then built theaters to stare.
Sarah.
Baartman.
Carved into memory without consent.
Paraded, displayed—
the body of a woman turned exhibit,
turned warning,
turned myth.

But still we rise,
in dresses that drape like oceans,
in skirts that echo thunder.
You looked for shame in these curves,
but found revolution.

I am not your fetish.
Not your fantasy.
Not your fear.

I am the red you thought was too bold.
The fabric you tried to fold.
The rhythm you couldn’t hold.

Now look.
This seat I take?
Is throne, not stage.
This gaze I give?
Is not for sale.

You wanted my hips for your show,
my hair for your rules,
but I turned every stitch into defiance,
every glance into gospel.

This wrap?
A story.
This dress?
A sermon.
This pose?
A prophecy.

Let the hem sweep the floor
like the prayers of my ancestors.
Let the light catch the red—
like the blood,
and the fire,
and the love
we never stopped carrying.

I am not here to be unveiled.
I am the unveiling.

No longer spectacle.
No longer shadow.
I am presence.
I am poetry.
I am power wrapped in red.

Say my name with reverence—
or don’t say it at all.
•
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The Muse: @hex_girlfriend_
The Photographer: @gabeoviawe
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Thank you @millerspub for allowing us the opportunity to capture these amazing photos!

The dissolution of femininity and masculinity is not a gesture toward androgyny as performance. It is a return to honesty. The body precedes language; it precedes classification. It contains multitudes long before culture attempts to divide them. This is less a symbol of gender and more a vessel of revelation. I am exposing the inherent plurality of the human multiplicity.
•
•
The (forever) Muse: @hex_girlfriend_
The Visual Poet: @zacharyraber.work
•
•
*The gloves were donated in kind by the Estate of @andreltalley , with the transfer coordinated through @nccueagle .

The dissolution of femininity and masculinity is not a gesture toward androgyny as performance. It is a return to honesty. The body precedes language; it precedes classification. It contains multitudes long before culture attempts to divide them. This is less a symbol of gender and more a vessel of revelation. I am exposing the inherent plurality of the human multiplicity.
•
•
The (forever) Muse: @hex_girlfriend_
The Visual Poet: @zacharyraber.work
•
•
*The gloves were donated in kind by the Estate of @andreltalley , with the transfer coordinated through @nccueagle .

The dissolution of femininity and masculinity is not a gesture toward androgyny as performance. It is a return to honesty. The body precedes language; it precedes classification. It contains multitudes long before culture attempts to divide them. This is less a symbol of gender and more a vessel of revelation. I am exposing the inherent plurality of the human multiplicity.
•
•
The (forever) Muse: @hex_girlfriend_
The Visual Poet: @zacharyraber.work
•
•
*The gloves were donated in kind by the Estate of @andreltalley , with the transfer coordinated through @nccueagle .

The dissolution of femininity and masculinity is not a gesture toward androgyny as performance. It is a return to honesty. The body precedes language; it precedes classification. It contains multitudes long before culture attempts to divide them. This is less a symbol of gender and more a vessel of revelation. I am exposing the inherent plurality of the human multiplicity.
•
•
The (forever) Muse: @hex_girlfriend_
The Visual Poet: @zacharyraber.work
•
•
*The gloves were donated in kind by the Estate of @andreltalley , with the transfer coordinated through @nccueagle .

The dissolution of femininity and masculinity is not a gesture toward androgyny as performance. It is a return to honesty. The body precedes language; it precedes classification. It contains multitudes long before culture attempts to divide them. This is less a symbol of gender and more a vessel of revelation. I am exposing the inherent plurality of the human multiplicity.
•
•
The (forever) Muse: @hex_girlfriend_
The Visual Poet: @zacharyraber.work
•
•
*The gloves were donated in kind by the Estate of @andreltalley , with the transfer coordinated through @nccueagle .

She poses where ancestors once fled, wearing red for blood, green for land, black for souls, and gold for stolen suns. Her steps echo chains and engines, hope and sorrow. In Chicago’s roaring streets, she becomes the eternal race — a living monument to Black resilience, unstoppable and crowned in color.
•
•
This garment was inspired by @nascarchicago . Happy Racing 🏎️💨
•
•
The Model: @hex_girlfriend_
The Photographer: @zacharyraber.work

She poses where ancestors once fled, wearing red for blood, green for land, black for souls, and gold for stolen suns. Her steps echo chains and engines, hope and sorrow. In Chicago’s roaring streets, she becomes the eternal race — a living monument to Black resilience, unstoppable and crowned in color.
•
•
This garment was inspired by @nascarchicago . Happy Racing 🏎️💨
•
•
The Model: @hex_girlfriend_
The Photographer: @zacharyraber.work

She poses where ancestors once fled, wearing red for blood, green for land, black for souls, and gold for stolen suns. Her steps echo chains and engines, hope and sorrow. In Chicago’s roaring streets, she becomes the eternal race — a living monument to Black resilience, unstoppable and crowned in color.
•
•
This garment was inspired by @nascarchicago . Happy Racing 🏎️💨
•
•
The Model: @hex_girlfriend_
The Photographer: @zacharyraber.work

She poses where ancestors once fled, wearing red for blood, green for land, black for souls, and gold for stolen suns. Her steps echo chains and engines, hope and sorrow. In Chicago’s roaring streets, she becomes the eternal race — a living monument to Black resilience, unstoppable and crowned in color.
•
•
This garment was inspired by @nascarchicago . Happy Racing 🏎️💨
•
•
The Model: @hex_girlfriend_
The Photographer: @zacharyraber.work

She poses where ancestors once fled, wearing red for blood, green for land, black for souls, and gold for stolen suns. Her steps echo chains and engines, hope and sorrow. In Chicago’s roaring streets, she becomes the eternal race — a living monument to Black resilience, unstoppable and crowned in color.
•
•
This garment was inspired by @nascarchicago . Happy Racing 🏎️💨
•
•
The Model: @hex_girlfriend_
The Photographer: @zacharyraber.work

Can’t wait until next time, I so enjoyed meeting and working with all the fantastic people that made this show and symposium come alive!

#chicagosustainability #designer #slowfashionrevolution

Nike announced @tukiitucker as the winner of the Nike Designer Combine during Day 3 of HFR’s 8th Annual Designer Retreat.

A 2026 HFR Designer Retreat participant, NCCU alum, at AT&T sponsored 2023 Fashion Show & Style Awards Attendee, Tukii’s relationship with Harlem’s Fashion Row is not a one-and-done moment. It’s part of a larger journey that has been years in the making, making this $5,000 prize a meaningful next step in his growing design career.

We’re deeply grateful to @nike for their year over year partnership and commitment to creating access, resources, and real opportunities for designers of color.

Congratulations, Tukii. We’re so excited to see what’s next.

It all started with that universal frustration: 'I have nothing to wear.' But I looked at my chip bags and saw something more than just packaging—I saw art.

That’s when I decided to turn Local Style Chips into fashion, and the visionary Tukii Tucker stepped into my life and imagined a world beyond my wildest dreams. Seeing this capsule move from my closet to the runway gives me all the feels. Chip Couture has officially taken on a life of its own, and my heart is so full.

Chicago, thank you for being an endless well of inspiration. Tukii and I have so much more cooking. Food meets fashion is the soul-healing collab we never knew we needed. 🍟✨👠

Event @sfwchicago Designer @tukiitucker Muse@hex_girlfriend_Location : @thefultonstreetcollective Photography @ac_photography_chicago

Event @sfwchicago Designer @tukiitucker Muse@hex_girlfriend_Location : @thefultonstreetcollective Photography @ac_photography_chicago

Event @sfwchicago Designer @tukiitucker Muse@hex_girlfriend_Location : @thefultonstreetcollective Photography @ac_photography_chicago

Event @sfwchicago Designer @tukiitucker Muse@hex_girlfriend_Location : @thefultonstreetcollective Photography @ac_photography_chicago

We’re delighted to welcome @tukiitucker to the runway!
His looks, constructed from recycled potato chip bags, will showcase material innovation and his zero-waste ethos.

Plus meet Tukii and the other talented designers after the show!

#sustainablefashion #sustainablefashionchicago

We’re delighted to welcome @tukiitucker to the runway!
His looks, constructed from recycled potato chip bags, will showcase material innovation and his zero-waste ethos.

Plus meet Tukii and the other talented designers after the show!

#sustainablefashion #sustainablefashionchicago

We’re delighted to welcome @tukiitucker to the runway!
His looks, constructed from recycled potato chip bags, will showcase material innovation and his zero-waste ethos.

Plus meet Tukii and the other talented designers after the show!

#sustainablefashion #sustainablefashionchicago

We’re delighted to welcome @tukiitucker to the runway!
His looks, constructed from recycled potato chip bags, will showcase material innovation and his zero-waste ethos.

Plus meet Tukii and the other talented designers after the show!

#sustainablefashion #sustainablefashionchicago

We’re delighted to welcome @tukiitucker to the runway!
His looks, constructed from recycled potato chip bags, will showcase material innovation and his zero-waste ethos.

Plus meet Tukii and the other talented designers after the show!

#sustainablefashion #sustainablefashionchicago

We’re delighted to welcome @tukiitucker to the runway!
His looks, constructed from recycled potato chip bags, will showcase material innovation and his zero-waste ethos.

Plus meet Tukii and the other talented designers after the show!

#sustainablefashion #sustainablefashionchicago

We’re delighted to welcome @tukiitucker to the runway!
His looks, constructed from recycled potato chip bags, will showcase material innovation and his zero-waste ethos.

Plus meet Tukii and the other talented designers after the show!

#sustainablefashion #sustainablefashionchicago

If the body was never meant to be divided, then the question is simple: who benefits from pretending it is?

The truth is, the body already knows what it is. It breathes, desires, aches, creates. It does all of this without asking permission from a label.

When we stop performing masculinity or femininity, something deeper appears.. just a human being, fully alive.

And that might be the most radical thing of all:
a body that refuses to lie about what it is.
•
•
The (forever) Muse: @hex_girlfriend_
The Visual Poet: @zacharyraber.work
•
•
*The gloves were donated in kind by the Estate of @andreltalley , with the transfer coordinated through @nccualumni @nccueagle

If the body was never meant to be divided, then the question is simple: who benefits from pretending it is?

The truth is, the body already knows what it is. It breathes, desires, aches, creates. It does all of this without asking permission from a label.

When we stop performing masculinity or femininity, something deeper appears.. just a human being, fully alive.

And that might be the most radical thing of all:
a body that refuses to lie about what it is.
•
•
The (forever) Muse: @hex_girlfriend_
The Visual Poet: @zacharyraber.work
•
•
*The gloves were donated in kind by the Estate of @andreltalley , with the transfer coordinated through @nccualumni @nccueagle

If the body was never meant to be divided, then the question is simple: who benefits from pretending it is?

The truth is, the body already knows what it is. It breathes, desires, aches, creates. It does all of this without asking permission from a label.

When we stop performing masculinity or femininity, something deeper appears.. just a human being, fully alive.

And that might be the most radical thing of all:
a body that refuses to lie about what it is.
•
•
The (forever) Muse: @hex_girlfriend_
The Visual Poet: @zacharyraber.work
•
•
*The gloves were donated in kind by the Estate of @andreltalley , with the transfer coordinated through @nccualumni @nccueagle

If the body was never meant to be divided, then the question is simple: who benefits from pretending it is?

The truth is, the body already knows what it is. It breathes, desires, aches, creates. It does all of this without asking permission from a label.

When we stop performing masculinity or femininity, something deeper appears.. just a human being, fully alive.

And that might be the most radical thing of all:
a body that refuses to lie about what it is.
•
•
The (forever) Muse: @hex_girlfriend_
The Visual Poet: @zacharyraber.work
•
•
*The gloves were donated in kind by the Estate of @andreltalley , with the transfer coordinated through @nccualumni @nccueagle

If the body was never meant to be divided, then the question is simple: who benefits from pretending it is?

The truth is, the body already knows what it is. It breathes, desires, aches, creates. It does all of this without asking permission from a label.

When we stop performing masculinity or femininity, something deeper appears.. just a human being, fully alive.

And that might be the most radical thing of all:
a body that refuses to lie about what it is.
•
•
The (forever) Muse: @hex_girlfriend_
The Visual Poet: @zacharyraber.work
•
•
*The gloves were donated in kind by the Estate of @andreltalley , with the transfer coordinated through @nccualumni @nccueagle

What’s revealed can’t be ignored.

When we stop dividing things into masculine or feminine, the body doesn’t become unclear, it becomes honest. It was never just one thing to begin with.

Multiplicity isn’t confusion. It’s reality.

We’ve been taught to simplify ourselves to be understood, but the body doesn’t actually work that way. It can hold contradictions and still be whole.
Living in that truth isn’t about losing identity, it’s about not forcing it into a box.

And without those labels?

What’s left doesn’t need to behave.
•
•
The (forever) Muse: @hex_girlfriend_
The Visual Poet: @zacharyraber.work

What’s revealed can’t be ignored.

When we stop dividing things into masculine or feminine, the body doesn’t become unclear, it becomes honest. It was never just one thing to begin with.

Multiplicity isn’t confusion. It’s reality.

We’ve been taught to simplify ourselves to be understood, but the body doesn’t actually work that way. It can hold contradictions and still be whole.
Living in that truth isn’t about losing identity, it’s about not forcing it into a box.

And without those labels?

What’s left doesn’t need to behave.
•
•
The (forever) Muse: @hex_girlfriend_
The Visual Poet: @zacharyraber.work

What’s revealed can’t be ignored.

When we stop dividing things into masculine or feminine, the body doesn’t become unclear, it becomes honest. It was never just one thing to begin with.

Multiplicity isn’t confusion. It’s reality.

We’ve been taught to simplify ourselves to be understood, but the body doesn’t actually work that way. It can hold contradictions and still be whole.
Living in that truth isn’t about losing identity, it’s about not forcing it into a box.

And without those labels?

What’s left doesn’t need to behave.
•
•
The (forever) Muse: @hex_girlfriend_
The Visual Poet: @zacharyraber.work

What’s revealed can’t be ignored.

When we stop dividing things into masculine or feminine, the body doesn’t become unclear, it becomes honest. It was never just one thing to begin with.

Multiplicity isn’t confusion. It’s reality.

We’ve been taught to simplify ourselves to be understood, but the body doesn’t actually work that way. It can hold contradictions and still be whole.
Living in that truth isn’t about losing identity, it’s about not forcing it into a box.

And without those labels?

What’s left doesn’t need to behave.
•
•
The (forever) Muse: @hex_girlfriend_
The Visual Poet: @zacharyraber.work

What’s revealed can’t be ignored.

When we stop dividing things into masculine or feminine, the body doesn’t become unclear, it becomes honest. It was never just one thing to begin with.

Multiplicity isn’t confusion. It’s reality.

We’ve been taught to simplify ourselves to be understood, but the body doesn’t actually work that way. It can hold contradictions and still be whole.
Living in that truth isn’t about losing identity, it’s about not forcing it into a box.

And without those labels?

What’s left doesn’t need to behave.
•
•
The (forever) Muse: @hex_girlfriend_
The Visual Poet: @zacharyraber.work

What’s revealed can’t be ignored.

When we stop dividing things into masculine or feminine, the body doesn’t become unclear, it becomes honest. It was never just one thing to begin with.

Multiplicity isn’t confusion. It’s reality.

We’ve been taught to simplify ourselves to be understood, but the body doesn’t actually work that way. It can hold contradictions and still be whole.
Living in that truth isn’t about losing identity, it’s about not forcing it into a box.

And without those labels?

What’s left doesn’t need to behave.
•
•
The (forever) Muse: @hex_girlfriend_
The Visual Poet: @zacharyraber.work

New Chip Bag Fashion 🚨 @localstylechips x @tukiitucker

New Chip Bag Fashion 🚨 @localstylechips x @tukiitucker

New Chip Bag Fashion 🚨 @localstylechips x @tukiitucker

New Chip Bag Fashion 🚨 @localstylechips x @tukiitucker

New Chip Bag Fashion 🚨 @localstylechips x @tukiitucker

New Chip Bag Fashion 🚨 @localstylechips x @tukiitucker

New Chip Bag Fashion 🚨 @localstylechips x @tukiitucker

New Chip Bag Fashion 🚨 @localstylechips x @tukiitucker

New Chip Bag Fashion 🚨 @localstylechips x @tukiitucker

New Chip Bag Fashion 🚨 @localstylechips x @tukiitucker

New Chip Bag Fashion 🚨 @localstylechips x @tukiitucker

The only acceptable outfit to wear when your chips make it into Soldier Field. Let’s go Chicago, let’s go Bears! ❤️🏈

Jacket Design: @tukiitucker
Photos: @david_gardner and @zacharyraber

#chicago #fashiondesigner #chicagobears #nfl #custommade

The only acceptable outfit to wear when your chips make it into Soldier Field. Let’s go Chicago, let’s go Bears! ❤️🏈

Jacket Design: @tukiitucker
Photos: @david_gardner and @zacharyraber

#chicago #fashiondesigner #chicagobears #nfl #custommade

The only acceptable outfit to wear when your chips make it into Soldier Field. Let’s go Chicago, let’s go Bears! ❤️🏈

Jacket Design: @tukiitucker
Photos: @david_gardner and @zacharyraber

#chicago #fashiondesigner #chicagobears #nfl #custommade

The only acceptable outfit to wear when your chips make it into Soldier Field. Let’s go Chicago, let’s go Bears! ❤️🏈

Jacket Design: @tukiitucker
Photos: @david_gardner and @zacharyraber

#chicago #fashiondesigner #chicagobears #nfl #custommade

The only acceptable outfit to wear when your chips make it into Soldier Field. Let’s go Chicago, let’s go Bears! ❤️🏈

Jacket Design: @tukiitucker
Photos: @david_gardner and @zacharyraber

#chicago #fashiondesigner #chicagobears #nfl #custommade

The only acceptable outfit to wear when your chips make it into Soldier Field. Let’s go Chicago, let’s go Bears! ❤️🏈

Jacket Design: @tukiitucker
Photos: @david_gardner and @zacharyraber

#chicago #fashiondesigner #chicagobears #nfl #custommade

The only acceptable outfit to wear when your chips make it into Soldier Field. Let’s go Chicago, let’s go Bears! ❤️🏈

Jacket Design: @tukiitucker
Photos: @david_gardner and @zacharyraber

#chicago #fashiondesigner #chicagobears #nfl #custommade

The only acceptable outfit to wear when your chips make it into Soldier Field. Let’s go Chicago, let’s go Bears! ❤️🏈

Jacket Design: @tukiitucker
Photos: @david_gardner and @zacharyraber

#chicago #fashiondesigner #chicagobears #nfl #custommade

The only acceptable outfit to wear when your chips make it into Soldier Field. Let’s go Chicago, let’s go Bears! ❤️🏈

Jacket Design: @tukiitucker
Photos: @david_gardner and @zacharyraber

#chicago #fashiondesigner #chicagobears #nfl #custommade

The only acceptable outfit to wear when your chips make it into Soldier Field. Let’s go Chicago, let’s go Bears! ❤️🏈

Jacket Design: @tukiitucker
Photos: @david_gardner and @zacharyraber

#chicago #fashiondesigner #chicagobears #nfl #custommade

The only acceptable outfit to wear when your chips make it into Soldier Field. Let’s go Chicago, let’s go Bears! ❤️🏈

Jacket Design: @tukiitucker
Photos: @david_gardner and @zacharyraber

#chicago #fashiondesigner #chicagobears #nfl #custommade

The only acceptable outfit to wear when your chips make it into Soldier Field. Let’s go Chicago, let’s go Bears! ❤️🏈

Jacket Design: @tukiitucker
Photos: @david_gardner and @zacharyraber

#chicago #fashiondesigner #chicagobears #nfl #custommade