The Block Beat multimedia series is a collaboration with The TRiiBE that roots Chicago musicians in places and neighborhoods that matter to them.
Written by Arthur E. Haynes IIPhotography by Morgan Elise Johnson
Video by Alex Y. DingShot at Fishman’s Fabrics, 1101 S. Desplaines
The Sheila Rashid Brand attracted interest around the world in 2016, when Chance the Rapper wore a pair of Rashid’s now-famous drop-crotch overalls at the MTV Video Music Awards. Since then, her designs have turned up on the likes of Zendaya, Fucci, Bella Hadid, and Lena Waithe. When ComplexCon came to Chicago for the first time this past July, Rashid was one of four local designers it named “Brands to Watch,” with her own booth on the convention floor.
This spring, Rashid’s dream finally came true. She secured a sponsorship from Nissan to create a collection for the 2019 edition of the Wearable Art Gala, Tina Knowles-Lawson’s annual philanthropic fashion-centric celebration. The theme for the event was “A Journey to the Pride Lands,” but Rashid’s challenge was more specific: her collection was supposed to blend the aesthetic of the 2019 Nissan Rogue with that of Disney’s new photorealistic version of The Lion King.
After high school, Rashid began studying design at Columbia College Chicago in late 2006. She ultimately had to drop out due to financial pressures, but her fashion education was just beginning. Immediately after leaving Columbia in 2009, Rashid studied under designer Horacio Nieto, then based in Chicago. In 2010, she broke out on her own with a fashion show in Pilsen—her very first solo outing. She moved to New York the following year and debuted a collection at Brooklyn Fashion Week, the first to include her popular drop-crotch designs.
