Project Runway Alum Shows Off Her Recent Designs

It’s a bit of an illusion. From a distance, this floral maxi dress by Valerie Mayen-Nehez looks like your typical full-length, long-sleeved maxi with a straightforward silhouette and pockets. But look closer, and you’ll see a transparent vinyl window stitched in one of the sleeves. “You can kind of peek into the skin of the wearer a little bit,” says Mayen-Nehez, a Cleveland fashion designer and Project Runway alum. The inspiration for Mayen-Nehez’s Of A Kind collection, which debuts during her Hullabaloo fashion show Oct. 7 at the Rockefeller Park Greenhouse, comes from community members of L’Arche Cleveland, a nonprofit for those with developmental disabilities. “We wanted to focus on a positive aspect and how we can be more inclusive of people who have differences,” Mayen-Nehez says. “The collection is a really unique blend of garments that are very simple and minimalistic, but they each have a unique trait and quality about them that might be a small surprise or something you wouldn’t expect.” 750 E. 88th St., Cleveland, 216-236-4073, doyoubaloo.com