The event took place in a studio located on a charming quiet street in Downtown Atlanta. The space itself was very open and had a clean look. The classic hardwood floors and white walls were a great aid in keeping the shoppers’ attention on the merchandise. There was a live DJ booth, and a video reel playing on a large screen in the back of the store. It was a small pop up shop put on by two brands, iam.eccentric (IME) and heightnlight (HNL), showcasing their designs. On both sides of the room, there was a table set up with their merchandise, as well as a decorated wall behind them showcasing their merchandise.
I was immediately greeted by the Woman behind the brand IME. She walked me through everything she had laid out on the table. One thing I love about her brand is her reoccurring slogan of “homegirls supporting homegirls”. Not only does she create actual outfits, but graphic designs to be printed on clothes. In fact one of my favorite designs is the Homegirls supporting Homegirls hoodie. On the front is the IME logo surrounded by a moon and stars. The back exhibits the cast of sailor moon in their classic heroic lady poses. They are encircled by the “homegirls supporting homegirls” slogan. The hoodie comes in black, red, purple, and pink. The lettering on the back works very on all colors. She even changes the color of the letters to be more functional and readable on all colors. It comes in T-shirt form as well.
A second favorite and pick up of mine is the Black Princess tee. (Lil Kim owns this shirt herself. Facts.) It is more than just a graphic tee. This shirt was designed with the cute oversized t-shirt look in mind. IME is a bright colored brand that resembles a cute tom boyish look. This brand has been worn by female rappers known for their goth/punk styles. Scrolling into the Instagram feed, you’ll see Rico Nasty, Asian Doll, Bali Baby…etc rocking various IME pieces.
On the opposite side of the room is HNL. She specializes in jewelry. Her designs are very captivating because of the history she includes in them. She includes animals and geometric shapes that you may see in some African Art. She does not produce your average necklaces you secure with a clasp. She plays around with how it can be worn, creating more than just jewelry, but actual additions to an outfit you may be putting together. Young Thug, a very well known Atlanta rapper, took off his chains to wear an HNL chain. He wore “Slattlace”, a beautiful silver large link chain with slithering snakes attached.
She creates chokers, belts, headgear, as well as body chains. One choker, in particular, she showed me had a snake head on either end. It is to be worn in such a way that you wrap it around your neck twice and leave the snake ends to dangle off your shoulders, becoming a necklace piece as well. Part of what sets her brand apart is the experimentation with the look of the chain itself. Some of them resemble industrial chains. Again, her jewelry is designed in a way that it adds to an outfit. Her brand has a that cute gothic look to it.
Shop and follow IME
Instagram: @iam.eccentric
Shop and follow HNL
https://www.heightandlight.com/
Instagram: @heightnlight