EDWARDSVILLE - On Aug. 8, 2019, two Edwardsville moms celebrate the second anniversary of Local 618, a clothing company that is locally inspired.
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From start to finish, Brandy and Kelly’s designs are their own.
Kelly explains, “Two years ago we set out to bring locally inspired clothing to the community. We create our ideas and bring them to life for all to the sport. We are friends, mothers, and wives and have the everyday 'busyness' that most families have. But we are committed to this brand.”
Brandy continues, “This amazing community shaped our clothing into the vibrant, cool, and free-spirited brand it is now. We get our inspiration from the beauty of the Midwest, the heart of the community, and the local colors of Edwardsville. We continually feel the love of this community and it is very important to Kelly and myself that we give back to the community that continually supports us."
This local dynamic duo runs the entire business themselves, from the design process where they choose every material, color, and font, to the marketing plan where they design their website and share hundreds of local photos of community members wearing the Local 618 gear on Facebook.
Kelly continues, “The art and designs behind the clothing are very special to us and we wanted to bring that to the youth of the community. We thought a great way to do that would be to hold an art contest and use the winners' design on one of our shirts. The shirts will be revealed at the upcoming “The Art of Fashion” show at The Wildey Theatre, where Local 618 will have a pop-up shop and 12 runway looks during the fashion show. Local 618 will also sell a “Wildey” Shirt at the event and online, the shirt proceeds will be donated back to the Wildey."
Brandy and Kelly choose two winners out of all the designs that were entered. The winners included Quinn, an 8-year- old from St. Jacob, who designed the “Local 618 Watermelon” tee-shirt and Lauren, an 18-year-old from Edwardsville, who designed the “Paint Splatter 618” tee-shirt. They will each receive a $50 gift card and the opportunity to have their design printed and sold on a Local 618 shirt.
Quinn will also be one of the 12 models in a fashion show wearing the design she created. “Brandy explains, we are so honored to be a part of this amazing event that supports, displays, and encourages local businesses. We know we will be sharing the runway with other local fashion businesses that we also support, respect, and love. This community supports local business and this fashion show is a perfect example of why we love this community that inspired our brand.”
Local 618 next community campaign will be their “No Hate” campaign that has gained community support last year. The “No Hate” shirt represents that in this community we do not bully others, we are kind and inclusive. Kelly says, “As we continue to grow, it is our mission to not only bring beautiful and fun clothing to this community but to also give back.” Brandy continues, “We are just so grateful to all who have supported our brand and mission, and we look forward to seeing this brand continue to grow.”
The Wildey Theatre will celebrate the Art of Fashion at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 24. The seventh annual runway show held by the Friends of the Wildey will showcase the fashions of 10 Metro-East retailers, entrepreneurs, and curators and includes a Repurposed Wedding Dress/Tuxedo Design Competition.
Local 618 is hosting a pop-up boutique throughout the evening, featuring a fresh, new design with the Wildey and fashion in mind as well as other 618 designs. VIP tickets are $50 and include preferred seating, a deluxe gift bag, and access to the Buckley and Buckley VIP reception, which begins at 6 p.m. All other reserved seats are $20 and $25 and include gift bags.
