In "DC Fly" Youth Take Flight
Photos and Story by Jeronique Bartley
For seventeen years, the Sew N Know Fashion Show has created a platform where creativity, mentorship, education, and youth development meet on one runway. This year's production, DC Fly, continues that legacy while expanding upon themes first explored during the Blacks in Wax performance held at theARC in Southeast Washington earlier this year.
Fashion was the medium, but the story was Washington, DC itself.
Presented before a packed audience of community leaders, parents, youth participants, artists, and longtime supporters, DC Fly celebrated the unique influence Washington, DC has had on fashion, culture, music, entrepreneurship, and Black excellence.
Youth as young as four confidently stepped onto the runway, embodying personality, charisma, fearlessness, talent, and strength in motion. Their presence reflected what becomes possible when the DC community invests in sustained youth programming.
In an era shaped by fast fashion and endless digital feeds, it was especially powerful to witness hands-on life skills like sewing take center stage, stitching themselves into the confidence, discipline, and creativity of the next generation.
When speaking with one of the young model/sewers, 7th grader Dasiah, it was clear the program is both exciting and deeply fulfilling. When asked if she knew how to make anything, she proudly shared that she had designed, sewn, and modeled a pair of pants during the show. She spoke warmly about her instructor, saying
"I really love her because she’ll help kids make stuff, make sure they’re good [taken care of], make sure you’re paying attention when you’re sewing stuff. She’s a very good sewing teacher and I love her."
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The production featured local designers, local vendors, and youth who participate in programs at the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center. Together they transformed the evening into a vibrant display of creativity and community pride.
The Organizations Behind The Show
The Southeast Tennis and Learning Center was founded by Cora Masters Barry to provide educational, athletic, leadership, and enrichment opportunities for young people throughout Washington. Over the years the center has become one of the city's most respected youth development institutions, helping countless students build confidence, academic skills, and pathways toward future success.
Sew N Know (SONE) was founded by Janice Rankins and her son, Raji Rankins. The program introduces youth to sewing, design, entrepreneurship, and creative expression while teaching practical skills that can translate into future educational and career opportunities.
Months of planning, sketching, sewing, fittings, alterations, and collaboration culminated in the community runway presentations. The result was a show where the participants were not simply modeling garments—they were presenting their own ideas, identities, and artistic vision.
Every garment represented hours of learning, creativity, and personal growth.
A Love Letter To Washington
Hosted by triple threat: rap artist, mentor/coach, public speaker Yusha Assad, and Sew N Know Executive Director, Raji Rankins, DC Fly paid tribute to the city's cultural impact through a series of themed runway moments. Throughout the evening, attendees were reminded that Washington's influence extends far beyond politics. Music, style, entrepreneurship, advocacy, and neighborhood pride all helped shape the stories being told on stage.
At one memorable point during the evening, Cora Masters Barry playfully called out the host for not including enough Go-Go music in his catalogue, drawing laughter and applause from the audience and reinforcing the importance of Washington's homegrown sound within the city's cultural identity.
The show also honored media pioneer Cathy Hughes, founder of Urban One, whose impact on Black media ownership and broadcasting continues to inspire generations of entrepreneurs and communicators. A SONE cape was custom designed to present to her, and because she unfortunately could not attend the program, the cape almost found its way into the closet of Fashion Icon Cora Masters Barry. Someone must have had foresight that Cora Masters Barry would find the cape beautiful enough to want it for herself, as the audience laughed when it was made clear by the creator that the piece had Cathy Hughes name stitched into the design.
The Monument Collection
One of the most memorable presentations of the evening was a tribute to the landmarks, institutions, people, and traditions that define Washington. Youth participants walked the runway wearing dramatic capes, bubble coats, and custom garments inspired by locations and symbols familiar to residents throughout the region.
The collection included references to Ben's Chili Bowl, Go-Go music, the Nationals, Cherry Blossoms, Black Broadway, National Park Service landmarks, Marion Barry, Cora Masters Barry, the Washington Monument, and other pieces of the city's cultural fabric.
The show's signature image features a young participant wearing a crown atop long locs, a black-and-gold dress, and a flowing gold cape inspired by Black Excellence and Black Broadway. The look served as a powerful reminder that Washington's story continues to be written by the next generation.
DC Fly transformed familiar monuments into wearable art.
A Community Effort
The audience reflected the broad reach of the program. Supporters ranged from students and families to elected officials, advocates, educators, entrepreneurs, and longtime community leaders.
Among those in attendance was 90-year-old Ella McCall Haygan, a Washington native and former civil rights activist who spent years working alongside Rosa Parks and other leaders of the movement. Her presence highlighted the intergenerational spirit of the evening and the importance of passing knowledge and encouragement from one generation to the next.
Throughout the show, audience members applauded not only the garments but also the effort behind them. Their support reinforced one of the central lessons of Sew N Know: when young people are given resources, mentorship, and opportunities to create, they often exceed expectations.
By the time the final models left the runway and Janice Rankins brought the youth team onto the stage for recognition, it was clear that "DC Fly" goes deeper than fashion. It is a celebration of community investment, cultural pride, and the limitless potential of Washington's youth, when resources are poured into their growth and development.
