DESIGNBOX DOWNTOWN RALEIGH FREE

It all began at Designbox, the Khalifas’ creative incubator that, until this year, was located in the Warehouse District. This year, as the 11th annual festival gears up for its run from September 15 through 18, Lyf is poised for larger-scale production. Alumni include Raleigh Denim Workshop, Holly Aiken, and Lumina Clothing, putting Lyf in good company.įinding himself on the other side of the planning equation for the first time, Khalifa had to ask himself new quesions: What would Lyf’s models look like? How should they represent themselves as a company? “It was the first time we got to present the real package,” he says, “and it was great for us. Lyf was selected to become the first footwear company to debut in the Triangle’s largest annual fashion exhibition, which has emerged as a showcase for the area’s best up-and-coming jewelry, clothing, and accessories.

DESIGNBOX DOWNTOWN RALEIGH FREE

Their status as festival founders gave them no free ride into the event’s Wear What You Are fashion show. Meanwhile, the Khalifas are fully focused on launching Lyf, their own 3-D printed, custom-made, eco-shoe company in the heart of downtown Raleigh. These days, the once-modest event transforms downtown Raleigh into a weekend-long hive of creative expression, with a pop-up bazaar, runway show with a sprawling City Plaza catwalk, improv comedians, and chalk art that stretches for as far as the eye can see. After the first five hectic, successful years of running it – inventing and designing all the while – the pair relinquished management to the Visual Art Exchange, but not before expanding SPARKcon far beyond fashion to encompass film and technology, food and music, art and commerce. Which is how the couple designed it in 2006, when they began the festival to celebrate Raleigh’s fashion week. “SPARKcon is all open-source and run by the people who organize it, so I had no say whatsoever.” “We weren’t sure we would get in,” Khalifa says, with a hearty laugh. The couple had that in common with 30 other hopeful applicants, but none of those folks also had “SPARKcon co-founders” on their resumes. Last year at SPARKcon, downtown Raleigh’s annual festival of innovation and creativity, Aly and Beth Khalifa, local designers and entrepreneurs, had to apply to participate.

All of these people are what makes SPARKcon such a unique experience.Aly Khalifa, owner and director of innovation, at Lyf Shoes at Designbox in Raleigh Trailblazing shoe designer Community Run ArtsĮach year lead by over 50 organizers, hundreds of local artists are showcased, hundreds of volunteers are assisting, and thousands of attendees take part and marvel at the works constructed. SPARKcon is currently a program lead by VAE, a Raleigh non-profit whose goal is to support emerging talent and connect the community through the arts. SPARKcon uses an open organizational concept to empower diverse creatives to inspire all sorts of community leaders. It was founded in 2006 by Designbox and Aly Khalifa to celebrate, showcase, and influence the local creative community. SPARKcon is a showcase of talent and ideas from the Triangle of NC. It's goal is to be an annual creative explosion every third weekend of September in Raleigh, NC. For four days It fills the city with passionate artists, musicians, dancers, film producers, fashion designers and more. SPARKcon strives to be a hub of creativity, art & design in the City of Oaks. SPARKcon is a small festival produced by a non-profit creativity incubator that aims to set the city ablaze with talent. Category: Triangle News & Raleigh Events Blog

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