Transforming a local music and film festival into an internationally renowned event is no small feat, but Afropunk co-founder Matthew Morgan is preparing to do it for the second time. Billed as a “new platform and music carnaval” meant to “bridge the equity gap in entertainment for Black, Brown, and Asian people across all levels of the industry,” LETS get FR.EE aims to harness the power of creativity to make change. Ahead of its official summer 2022 launch, LETS get FR.EE set up shop on a sweltering Saturday in Queens—the most linguistically and ethnically diverse county in the country—to give folks a taste of what they can look forward to.
In Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, just steps away from the iconic 1964 World’s Fair New York State Pavilion, an eager crowd gathered to see and sing along to a lineup of performers including Goldlink, Mannie Fresh, Tony Touch, and multiple DJs associated with Everyday People, another live music event series with a special appeal. “Everyday People seems to bring out a lot of attractive attendees,” one audience member observed, and many of them came through sporting casual yet striking ensembles to boot.
Warm and utterly free of pretense, LETS get FR.EE felt as inviting as a family reunion, right down to the hearty food (think: souvlaki and jerk chicken) and spontaneous Electric Sliding. From family heirloom accessories to handmade garments and shoes swapped with friends, even the style on display came with stories that emphasized community. If this gathering is any indication of what’s to come, next summer’s launch will certainly be an event worth attending—with friends, loved ones, and a look worth striking up a conversation over. In the meantime, Vogue caught up with a few of the early-adopters this weekend to hear more about their looks for the occasion.
A woman of many talents, Shema Love is a visual artist, creative director, and registered nurse, one of the countless essential workers who kept New York going during some of its darkest days last year. “It was a lot,” she says of the ordeal, but she’s excited to be in attendance at events like these—she was especially looking forward to seeing GoldLink perform. Her casual-meets-tactical look featured pants by Local European and a Zara harness paired with a selection from Love’s 100+ pairs of sneakers. A consummate sneakerhead, she’s working on an exhibition titled SneakHer Gallery. “I’m drawn to women designers and collabs,” she says, accordingly. “I try to steer clear of trends.”
Photographed by Denise Stephanie
For Brittney Winbush, owner of the wildly popular Alexandra Winbush self-care kits, she opted for a more pared-down outfit for strategic reasons. “I wanted to let my hair shine,” she says. A chic and utilitarian toolbelt-cum-purse by Axcexx ensures that her expertly twisted tresses aren’t the only statement piece.
Photographed by Denise Stephanie
“I call it communion, being with my people like this,” says Skylar Kearney, a Brooklyn-based content creator and creative strategist. For the occasion, she decided to test drive a knit set by French label Ruve that she plans to wear during an upcoming trip to Tanzania. The verdict? Surprisingly comfortable despite the heat.
Photographed by Denise Stephanie
Model and fashion designer Sarah Ngongi’s colorful maxi skirt is the culmination of a multigenerational eye for style. “I discovered this in the basement,” she says of the vibrant, checkerboard printed textile that was purchased by her mother back in the ’90s. Ngongi, whose fashion line is called Avec Dieu (or “with God” in French), fashioned the fabric into a skirt to suit her own statuesque frame and layered on more gold and jewel tones to create a look that caught the light—and turned a lot of heads, too.
Photographed by Denise Stephanie
“I like to call myself a bit of a magician,” says Tadea Miles of his multi-hyphenate skillset. The stylist, model, and creative director built his outfit around a striking, bubblegum pink Zara button-down featuring a lush and colorful scene. A silk scarf kept his bleached blonde buzz cut out of the sun, while a pair of Rick Owens boots kept the whole look grounded and ready to groove if need be. “I’m a fan of DJ Moma,” Miles said. “So I made the journey all the way up to Queens just to hear him play.”
Photographed by Denise Stephanie
“Working in production, I need to stay cool,” says creative consultant and strategist Khalid Livingston, who pulled together a fresh and functional fit to work backstage, topped off with Grey Ant shades and a Yankees bucket hat to keep the sun’s rays at bay. Citing the bright white as a shortcut to looking “professional,” Livingston even stashed two extra shirts in his large black Telfar bag to keep his outfit crisp no matter what. A Rolex watch given to him by his father added a touch of sentimental value to the look, along with jewels designed by Brooklyn’s Dynasty and Soull Ogun.
Photographed by Denise Stephanie
“We decided to cover up our legs to avoid bug bites and just suffer up top,” law student and professional poker player said of the outfit strategy she devised with friend and dance artist Jailyn Wiley. Despite working from the same creative brief, however, the outcome showed off their own unique fashion sense—although the heat made Thompson wish she’d considered Bantu knots, as well. Wiley was drawn to the show for its Everyday People connection, while Thompson was looking to hang out and make connections, having recently moved from Las Vegas after months of poker tournaments. “It was a good way to pile up some change,” she says.
Photographed by Denise Stephanie
“When you’re trying to figure out who you are, the zodiac can provide great context,” says director Chase Johnson of his self-made tee showing off his Aquarius sign. According to Johnson, Aquarians seek freedom and knowledge, and as he rattles off his recent sojourns—Japan, where he found his pants, Egypt, where he discovered his multicolor necklace—it seems his reading is right on the money. His friend and musician Avila Santo considers himself a minimalist in search of quality over quantity, like his colorblocked Blue The Great-reworked Air Jordans, pants from South Korean fashion collective Ader Error, and tee created by his pal, model Sage Elsesser. “It stands for solidarity among Black people,” he says.
Photographed by Denise Stephanie
Bronx-born dancer Damanique Castro let Saturday’s forecast—90 degrees, even in the shade—guide her casual and streamlined all-white ensemble. “I’m just excited to get out and hear some music,” she said of the park jam, which she discovered via TikTok. Subtle details like the Stephen Hawking book cover printed on her boxer shorts and the nameplate ode to her Y2K birth year showcased her eye for style.
Photographed by Denise Stephanie
Musician V Major was the one who convinced her friend, model Abbie Artista, to make the trek to Queens from Brooklyn to see the show. “I know more soca than I do American music,” Artista admits, citing her Trinidadian heritage. V Major, who’s been making music since junior high school, sees her clothing as another tool of self-expression.
Photographed by Denise Stephanie
Artista, wearing a Dolls Kill x Bratz dress and bag, says that she always appreciated the “flavor and attitude” of the glossed and puckered dolls growing up. “I was never a Barbie girl,” she says. “Only Bratz.”
Photographed by Denise Stephanie
“I alter a lot of my clothes,” says Tia Fields, a waitress from Dallas, Texas who recently touched down in New York to visit friends. Her pastel pink wig set the tone for the rest of her candy-colored look, featuring thrifted jeans that she cut up, dyed, and continues to wear as each wash gives it a bit more character. Her expertly applied, sunset-inspired eye makeup is a skill she picked up during quarantine watching TikTok tutorials, while her watch is a vintage Anne Klein piece given to her by her mother. “She keeps me accessorized,” Fields says.
Photographed by Denise Stephanie
Model, educator, and organizer Aisha bint Gladys says her ideas for outfits come to her in visions, like the chartreuse-anchored color scheme that led her to the ensemble she put together for LETS get FR.EE. “It reminds me of Indian summer,” she says. The Brooklynite and co-founder of Freedom Boutique, a mutual aid collective focused on supporting Black folks experiencing homelessness, said she was thrilled to be out with friends, experiencing the energy of live events again. A self-proclaimed “frugal fashionista,” every element of her look was thrifted or scored at a discount.
Photographed by Denise Stephanie
Having lived in Bali for the last seven months working with a startup, Catalina assumed that she’d get a reprieve from the heat when she touched down in New York. No such luck. “It’s a different kind of heat here,” she says. “It feels like an oven.” Luckily her go-to style, “boyish with feminine details,” paid off when it came to beating the heat. Sporting pieces from Indonesian street vendors and independent designers like Kait by Kar, who created her crochet shoulder bag, Cuervo said she was excited to see the artists co-signed by her cohort. “I respect my friends’ decisions when it comes to music,” she says.
Photographed by Denise Stephanie
For Moses Opawumi, a filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman, pulling off a look is very much a family affair. “My aunt has these fabrics at her home,” he explains. Drawn to this blue selection, Opawumi then waited until his father returned to Nigeria to ask him to take the fabric with him and get a custom suit tailored to his measurements. “With a print like this, my goal was to have a classic silhouette,” he says. His assortment of jewelry was inspired by steampunk, the perfect accent to his look for an afternoon of scouring the park for film subjects alongside his brother, Samuel.
Photographed by Denise Stephanie
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