2026 BCFW Featured Designers

DESIGNER: Symone Luckey

REPRESENTING: USA

IG: @olabisi.designs

Showing: Oct 16 Rize Show

Symone is a Chicago-born, Boston-raised multidisciplinary artist whose creativity spans fashion design, jewelry-making, painting, acting, and performance. Introduced to sewing by her grandmother at age six, she developed an early passion for transforming ideas into wearable art.

Her designs range from leisurewear and formalwear to accessories, drawing inspiration from her identity, culture, and artistic upbringing. Through bold color, storytelling, and self-expression, Symone uses fashion as a way to celebrate Black culture and create work that reflects both who she is and the history she carries.

DESIGNER: Sherley Jean-Gilles

REPRESENTING: Haiti

IG: @shop.sherea

Tik Tok: @sherylzstyle

Showing: Oct 16 Rize Show

Sherley Jean-Gilles is the founder and designer behind SHERÉA, a Boston-based eveningwear brand centered on intentional craftsmanship, natural fibers, and uncompromising self-expression. A self-taught designer, Sherley built the brand while balancing a full-time career and doctoral studies, learning construction and sourcing materials independently.

Inspired by her Haitian roots and a desire to see women like herself centered in stories of beauty and luxury, Sherley creates made-to-order pieces in small batches using fabrics such as silk, viscose satin, and bamboo organza. SHERÉA reflects her belief that luxury should honor both the woman wearing it and the hands that create it.

Collection Description: SHERÉA is a celebration of confidence, identity, and being seen. Inspired by the women who were rarely centered in traditional fairytales, the collection moves from confidence claimed to confidence celebrated. Dusty rose, deep burgundy, and sunset tones meet dimensional florals, draped silhouettes, and natural fibers including silk, viscose satin, and bamboo organza. Made-to-order in small batches, each design carries a connection to Haiti and the community that shaped the designer. SHERÉA writes its own fairytale, placing women like her at the center.

DESIGNER: Kezia Miller

REPRESENTING: Trinidad and Tobago

IG: @kza.customs

WEBSITE: https://shopkza.bigcartel.com/kza-custom-looks

Showing: Oct 16 Rize Show

Bio: KZA was founded by Boston based designer, Kezia Miller in 2020 after she graduated from Framingham State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Design and Retailing.
Today, KZA continues to make its mark at numerous fashion events across the Boston area, offering a distinct blend of ready-to-wear apparel and bespoke, one-of-a-kind pieces. The brand is committed to crafting an image that resonates with individuals from all backgrounds.

Collection: A ready to wear fall collection that embodies confidence, class and women empowerment. Looks can be worn as day to night or just night life looks.

DESIGNER: Dianouscar Dominique

REPRESENTING: Haiti

IG: @croch.et.509

Tik Tok: @weldiacreation01

Showing: Oct 16 Rize Show

Bio: Dianouscar Shidly Dominique is a self-taught crochet fashion designer and founder of Weldia Creation. Born in Port-au-Prince and raised in Jacmel, Haiti, her creative vision is deeply influenced by the city’s rich artistic and cultural heritage.

Through Weldia Creation, Dianouscar transforms traditional crochet into contemporary, runway-ready fashion that celebrates craftsmanship, originality, and Caribbean culture. She is also the creator of All About Crochet, an international platform supporting and showcasing crochet artists. Her work aims to elevate handmade fashion while proudly representing Haitian artistry on the international stage.

Collection: This collection celebrates handmade crochet as contemporary luxury fashion, transforming traditional techniques into sophisticated, runway-ready designs. Inspired by Caribbean culture, craftsmanship, and individuality, the collection explores confidence and self-expression through eveningwear, resort wear, swimwear, and menswear.

Each handcrafted look highlights texture, movement, and modern silhouettes while preserving the artistry of crochet. 

Through Weldia Creation, the collection showcases the versatility of handmade fashion and brings Caribbean craftsmanship to the runway with a fresh, elevated perspective.

DESIGNER: Sade Gardner

REPRESENTING: USA

IG: @sadenicolebrand

Website: https://sade-nicole.square.site/

Showing: Oct 16 Rize Show

Bio: Sade Gardner is the fashion designer and entrepreneur behind the Sade Nicole Brand, a label rooted in confidence, sensuality, and self-expression. Built on ambition and a belief that women should feel empowered by what they wear, the brand is known for bold prints, striking textures, and statement-making silhouettes.

Through each collection, Sade creates fashion that encourages women to embrace their individuality, confidence, and personal power.

DESIGNER: Yolanda Sealy

REPRESENTING: Barbados

IG: @dresswithc

Facebook Page: @dresswithC

Website: https://dresswconfidence.wixsite.com/fashion

Showing: Oct 17 The Collections Show

Bio: Yolanda Sealy, the designer, was born and raised in Barbados and at this time calls Boston home. From a teenager she knew that she wanted to be a designer and boutique owner.  In 2014 opened Dress With Confidence Boutique Dress With Confidence (DWC) is located at 80 Fairmount Ave, Hyde Park, MA 02136.  DWC is a boutique and a custom made dress shop. 

DESIGNER: Catarina Abreu

REPRESENTING: Cabo Verde

IG: @lleya_p

WEBSITE: Https://www.LLeyap.com

Showing: Oct 17 The Collections Show

Bio: Catarina Abreu is the founder and designer of LLeya P., a women’s couture brand established in 2014. Born and raised in Cabo Verde and based in Boston, Catarina is a self-taught designer whose work blends her African heritage with Western fashion influences.

Originally launched as a ready-to-wear brand for curvy women, LLeya P. has evolved into a couture label celebrating confidence, individuality, and self-expression. Catarina creates bold, flattering designs for women across a range of sizes and was recognized as Boston’s Best Couture/Formal Designer in 2025.

DESIGNER: Kadija Sesay

REPRESENTING: Sierra Leone

IG: @zaikai81

Tik Tok: @zaikai250

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/kabcTnD

Showing: Oct 17 The Collections Show

Bio: Kadija Sesay is the founder and creative director of Zaikai, a ready-to-wear brand focused on timeless style for everyday living. With an eye for versatility and effortless sophistication, Kadija creates casual pieces that balance comfort, simplicity, and modern design.

Through Zaikai, she brings an elevated approach to everyday dressing, creating thoughtfully designed pieces that can move seamlessly through a woman’s wardrobe while remaining stylish beyond a single season.

DESIGNER: Sergio Hollender

REPRESENTING: Colombia

IG: @sergio.hollender

Showing: Oct 17 The Collections Show

Bio: Sergio Hollender is a Colombian fashion designer from Medellín, now based in Greater Boston. With more than 14 years of experience in womenswear and menswear, his work blends refined design with the vibrant culture and natural beauty of Colombia, drawing inspiration from its vivid colors, flowers, birds, and landscapes.

A 2025 graduate of MassArt with a BFA in Fashion Design, Sergio has presented collections at New York Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week, and Boston Caribbean Fashion Week. In 2026, he presented Quimbaya’s Garden in Cannes during the Film Festival. His designs celebrate femininity, cultural identity, and diverse body shapes through an expressive and sophisticated lens.

Collection: Quimbaya’s Garden celebrates Sergio Hollender’s ancestral connection to the Quimbaya people and the natural beauty of Colombia. Inspired by the sculptural form of the Poporo, the collection reimagines ancestral influences through contemporary silhouettes, original prints, vibrant colors, and gold accents. Drawing from the birds and biodiversity of the Andes, the collection brings heritage, nature, and modern design together in a celebration of Colombian culture.

DESIGNER: Dionne "Blond Di" Richards

REPRESENTING: Jamaica

IG: @bondijclothing

Showing: Oct 17 The Collections Show

Bio: Dionne “Blond Di” Richards is a Jamaican-born, Boston-raised designer and founder of Bondij, an independent fashion label rooted in individuality, reinvention, and personal style. Since 2015, Dionne has built Bondij around her signature approach to custom design, reworked vintage, and one-of-one pieces, transforming unexpected materials and classic silhouettes into something entirely new.

Her work blends her Jamaican roots with the energy of Boston street style, creating pieces that are bold, feminine, and unapologetically Bondij. Dionne previously showcased a collection in Jamaica at Caribbean Fashion Week, an experience that remains an important part of her journey as a Jamaican designer.