Chicago native Casscellina Crededio is a multidisciplinary artist whose talents span writing, styling, and creative directing. After studying journalism at the University of Missouri, she began to create inclusive spaces for young creatives. One of her recent creations includes the Antix Runway, which gives a spotlight to young, up and coming fashion designers. Antix happens every August at various Chicago venues that rotate each year. This year’s show was hosted on Aug. 19 at the Epiphany Center for the Arts, an expansive venue for Chicago’s premiere creative events. Antix Runway has become a diverse and inclusive runway experience that showcases up and coming designers and allows them to demonstrate their wide array of talents — which is Crededio’s overarching goal of the program.
Who is Casscellina as a creative?
I think I am just a curious person. I went to school for journalism, and I always found myself interviewing characters- you know, the different characters in the room. So I guess I’m just another character. I’m very inspired by people, faces, and people who look different than me.
What was the vision behind Antix?
I knew I wanted it to shock people — and I didn’t want to fit into any box. I didn’t want it to remind them of any other show or person. I wanted Antix to be completely of its own. I wanted it to be a festival that surrounded the arts, but specifically textiles, because we have a lot of different art expos that are usually like music and paintings and sculptures, and you can go to museums, but there’s nothing that really surrounds fashion [in Chicago].
When creating Antix, was diversity and inclusion at the forefront of your ideation?
It’s been like a blessing. I mean, we’re in such a great city to do it, and that makes me emotional because I think we can all relate to not fitting in some places, and feeling like we’re not getting the right attention in the room. That is something I completely make sure of at Antix, that everyone is seen and heard. We have all different kinds of stories and people in the room, and we put them in the same room and they all love each other.
How do you think Antix has fostered a community in Chicago?
We’ve seen models that say they were getting denied before being called back and booking campaigns. We’ve got hair and makeup people being [introduced to] photographers and media people that work in luxury fashion. People telling me that they came to my show and since they’ve gotten campaigns and work [because of it]. I think that’s the core of what building a community is and what it should do.