The Be Well Agency Fashion Experience
The ICON
200 Walker St.
Detroit
August 7, 2026
As Radiohead’s “Creep,” blasted through The ICON for Act I of the Be Well Agency’s “Subconscious” show, I realized I had never quite understood the power of fashion before.
The other two fashion shows I’ve been to in my life were cool, but this one made me feel something.
It was dramatic, intentional, and clearly telling a story — one that slowly moved from dark and melancholic to bright, futuristic, and almost otherworldly. Nearly every piece felt powerful yet wearable, every model came to stun, and the soundtrack told you exactly how you were supposed to feel at every moment.
Even the venue felt like part of the experience. The ICON building’s open ceiling and huge windows revealing the Detroit River gave the show a perfect backdrop. My friend had joked prior that the venue felt like Hogwarts, since we had heard of the the Pensole Lewis College, Michigan’s first and only HBCU housed in The ICON, but never seen it — and between that, the production, and the booming voice of the show’s producer announcing each act, it really did feel like we were really in some sort of fantasy or sci-fi movie.
“Subconscious” was divided into four acts: “The Conditioning,” “The Break,” “The Rebirth,” and “The New World.” Each act featured pieces from two Detroit designers, with an opening model combining elements from both designers into one look and interacting with the audience before the rest of the models began to walk.
The opening model for the entire show was my favorite. He didn’t just walk the runway more freely like the others. He circled the crowd, stopping to hand out roses to a few people in the audience. It immediately broke the fourth wall and made the show feel like less than something we were just watching and like something the audience was actually a part of.
Plus, the blended look of Act I featuring local fashion labels Apt 315 and Dogface by Zarbie was one of my favorites of the night.
The first two acts leaned heavily into neutral tones: black, white, and denim. But the looks were far from basic. Sewn by Sydney, for example, played with ties in unexpected ways in Act II, turning them into belts, incorporating them into bags, and using them to construct a shirt.
Other pieces used keys and buttons as part of headwear, featured pearl necklaces and other jewelry to accentuate a simple look, and added shimmery heels for a layer of drama.
The styling made for pieces that I could actually wear — but also made you stop and look at all of the intentionality and uniqueness behind them.
But the thing I liked most about the show was that the clothes told a story.
Act I made me feel sort of sad. The slow soundtrack and darker color palette created this sense of heaviness I wasn’t expecting to feel at a fashion show. But as the acts progressed, the music became more energetic, the mood got lighter, and the clothing got more whimsical.
By the time we reached “The New World,” the show had transformed.
While I’d probably wear more of the looks from the first two acts, the final act had some of the most visually striking pieces of the night.
Vincitcia took crochet dresses and gave them a futuristic feel, including one of my favorite looks of the night: a handcrafted headpiece that made the model look like a futuristic queen.
Avojang ended the show with a bang, leaning even more into the theme of royalty. The big, dramatic dresses felt like something you’d wear to a ball — or somewhere you wanted to enter a room knowing everyone would turn their heads.
By then, I could feel that the Be Well Agency was doing more than putting on a show, but truly building a world.
That’s what made “Subconscious” stand out to me. It wasn’t just a collection of designers putting their best pieces on models and sending them down the runway. The pacing, music, styling, models, venue, and production all worked together to make the show feel like a story.
I really just went to support someone I love. But, I left thinking about how clothes can make you feel.
And, apparently, that’s what I’d been missing.
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