The multidisciplinary artist is transforming Mud Island into a full-scale runway-meets-stage event on Juneteenth weekend.
Brezay strikes a pose in her original, limited edition BREZERK streetwear collection. Photo courtesy of Brezay and her team.
The scissors are finally down. Models are locked in. The yellow carpet is nearly rolled out, and anticipation hangs heavy in the Memphis air.
What’s about to hit the Riverfront is visionary. It’s bold. It’s BREZERK.
Brezay, a multitalented artist and designer, is diving into her biggest designer bag yet — all for her beloved hometown. On June 22, from 6 to 10 p.m., she’ll bring her striking urban designs and signature sound to Mud Island River Park for her “Concrete Canvas” streetwear fashion show.
For the risk-taking artist, this show marks the next level in a journey that started with dance and has expanded into music, fashion, and cultural impact. While attending Jackson State University, Brezay sold out her debut fashion line on launch day, signaling early promise in the fashion world. Then this past March, her “Home Made” collaboration with the Memphis Grizzlies sold out in just six hours during the home game — the confirmation she needed to build on her growing momentum.
Now, “Concrete Canvas” promises to be even bigger and bolder, featuring exclusive new looks from the headliner and supporting designers, live performances from local artists, and the contagious Memphis energy stitched together in true Brezay form. Joining the lineup is special guest, Mr. Blvck, a Memphis fashion icon whose designs have graced runways at both Los Angeles and New York Fashion Week.
It’s a full-scale vision — what the 25-year-old entertainer calls “a real production.” But this is more than flashing lights and flawless fits. Rooted in Memphis’ creative culture, this streetwear presentation has the support of Memphis River Parks, a yellow carpet provided by TappedIn901, major sponsors like Pepsi and Old Dominick, and a portion of proceeds donated to charities supporting youth artistry. The show aims to turn concrete into canvas and fashion into an inspiring movement.
Ahead of the June 22 show, we sat down with Brezay for a Q&A to talk about the inspiration behind her spectacle, her collaborative community, and why BREZERK is only the beginning of more creative opportunities in the city.
Q&A WITH BREZAY: BEHIND THE SCENES
Artist and fashion designer, Brezay, poses with the flyer for her “Concrete Canvas” streetwear show. Photo courtesy of Brezay and her team.
THE JOURNEY BEGINS
Q: First things first — How did you land the BREZERK X Memphis Grizzlies collab that helped put you on the fashion map?
A: One of my friends, Prep Curry, is a fashion designer and he saw some of my work at Demi Blvck’s fashion show two years ago. That was my first fashion show with a designer. Prep had been doing a collab with the Grizzlies already, so he mentioned my name to the Grizzlies and they reached out to me like, “Hey, we really like your work, so let’s get on something.” I was the only female that did the collab and they put me in Women’s Month too, so it worked out really good. The collab went crazy — I sold out in six hours and I wasn’t even expecting that, but I knew the work I put in was eventually going to pay off.
Q: How has growing up in Memphis influenced your grind?
A: I love my city. Memphis really helped me learn how to grind for real, because we don’t see a lot of opportunities here, but we can create them. When you create these opportunities, it puts more into the community. And if you can grind here, you can grind anywhere.
Q: You’re a dancer, artist and fashion designer. What was your process like going from dance to music and most recently fashion? And how did those skills that you learned in other parts of your life influence your art now?
A: Yes, I’m so glad I started off with dancing because a lot of artists are trying to learn the performance side when it comes to concerts and shows. So me doing that actually built confidence. Music helped me figure out my sound and my brand and how I wanted to promote myself. Fashion was about showing style. A lot of artists get endorsed by big brands and they dress them how they want, but I was like, I’m going to make my own stuff and perform in it and sell it. It was like a revenue thing. So I was building a brand, building something that I can help generate wealth to pass down to my kids.
Q: In the past you’ve named Chris Brown and Ciara as heavy creative influences. Who are your influences now?
A: I have a couple of influences so I’m going to split it up. Dance, definitely Chris Brown and Ciara. Those are my favorites because they are artists, and they dance. For music, I would say Doechii, Tyler The Creator, Don Toliver, that type of vibe. Fashion, I love Louis Vuitton, I like how creative they are. And I’m really big on small brands because they do more extravagant stuff than the big brands do. The big brands now are kind of copying off the small business owners so I’m a fan of those designers.
Q: You’ve named your long-time friend, producer and manager, Jeff aka Jkidd, as a great force in your career path among many others. How important is it to cultivate a team that supports you and elevates you as a creative?
A: It’s really important because it’s super hard to get a team, especially in the beginning phases. When it gets hard some people walk off but having people who actually see the potential and the vision and putting all the eggs in one basket — and we all collab with all our talents. Like I don’t know how to do certain things that my friend may know how to do and I’m not trying to step on toes because I feel everybody has their own thing. And our team, yeah, they’re helping me out, but I help them out too. If they’re doing something in their career path, I’ll make sure I support because it’s not just about me. It’s a big overall goal and it’s bigger than Bre.
BRINGING THE VISION TO LIFE
Q: When you first visualized your “Concrete Canvas” streetwear fashion show, what came to mind?
A: It was crazy. After the collab with the Grizzlies, I’m like, okay we got to keep this motion going. And this is where Jeff (Jkidd) comes in because he hears me. I asked him, “You think we can put a fashion show together?” and he was like, “I think that’s a great idea.” I said, “We never did this before, where are we going to get all this money from, how are we going to put this together?” Jeff made some calls and Mud Island was like, y’all can have it here. When we got that call, I’m like, okay, this is happening for real. I was promoting everything. Next thing you know, we start getting sponsors because they saw the work we did with the Grizzlies. We got Pepsi, we got Old Dominick — those are the main two. And then of course the Grizzlies will be there too. So, I’m super excited about it. I keep saying it, but I really didn’t expect all this to happen.
Q: How were you feeling when you were getting these callbacks and sponsors began reaching out to your team?
A: It’s a feeling of knowing that we can do it. You get so many no’s and all it takes is one yes. And it’s gotten to the point where if somebody tells us no, it doesn’t even hurt our feelings.
Q: The theme for your fashion show is “Concrete Canvas,” how did you come up with that name?
A: So, we went to Mud Island and saw it was a bunch of concrete. And I was thinking about how when I look at concrete I think about art and graffiti, so “Concrete Canvas” was basically another word for graffiti. One of the designers hand paints his designs — each piece, small details he hand paints on his clothes. Me, I’m more of cutting fabrics out, making shapes, patchwork, putting weird stuff — I like to put weird stuff together that actually looks cool. Another guy loves denim. So Concrete Canvas is basically art on a garment.
Q: What can we expect from the June 22 show — any sneak peeks?
A: I’m the performance at the end so I am presenting some new songs that I have coming out. It’s gone be pretty dope. I do have a special collection dropping. Everybody’s been asking for something that everybody can wear so I made sure I heard everybody’s opinions and ideas, and I put the work in and made that happen. Also, something to let people know is when you come to this fashion show you’re going to want to come to another one.
Q: What doors are you trying to open for the next creatives in Memphis through this fashion show?
A: Everybody keeps saying bring in more opportunities, but it never comes. So what I’m trying to do is really bring those opportunities and let it stay — inspire others. If we half do it, then people will eventually be like, okay, this ain’t working out. So I want to set the tone: if you’re going to do something, do it the right way. I want this to keep going — just because this is the BREZERK fashion show, I want another designer to do something different. I want everybody to do better.
Q: If BREZERK was a landmark in the city, what would it be to you? A mural, a building, a street?
A: A building. Reason why I say a building is because I believe in building empires, so building something that could last forever and also help other people. It would be a symbol representing that we can do this together. You need people there to help develop your business and keep it moving. It’s a team effort, not just one person. And we can’t try to look at each other as bigger than somebody else. We are all the same, we’re on an equal level because we all need each other. So I would use a building to represent my brand, my style and my sound.
Q: In three words, describe BREZERK.
A: Influential. Bold. Vibrant.
ADVICE & REFLECTIONS
Q: What advice would you give to the next creatives in Memphis?
A: I would say first, develop your brand. Go M.I.A. Isolate, learn who you are, figure it out first before you come out with it. Because when you come out with it you need to come out with a bang, you need to let people know you doing this for real. Also, being consistent, persistent and disciplined. Some stuff can get hard, and we procrastinate and don’t discipline ourselves to stay on track with what we have going on because of other distractions. It takes sacrifices. Yeah, it takes a lot of hard work but you don’t have to work so hard. You need to network. Have you talked to somebody? Are you going to different events? So all of those things and combine it together, you become the greatest artist. You become the greatest painter, designer, whatever you want to call yourself. Whatever you’re pushing towards, you have to use those skills.
Q: What is the most Memphis thing about you?
A: My drive. I told you it’s hard out here for a pimp. I ain’t a pimp, though, but it’s hard out here. *laughs* So, I would say my drive and my confidence. Memphis will make you be confident. A lot of people just stare at you, so you have to develop that self-love and confidence.
Q: What song feels like your life right now?
A: This new song that I’m actually supposed to be dropping soon. It’s called “Overthinkers Dance.” It talks about how people in general overthink everything no matter how small it is, and it’s a natural thing that we do. So that song really touched me right now because I used to overthink about everything. I felt like I wasn’t doing enough, I felt like I needed to do more, or it’s not working. I used to have all these things in my head and then coming out of that overthinking phase, I’ve been flying, like I’m a butterfly. So that song, it represents me right now, because I’m going through all these different phases — All right, I’m starting here, I’m struggling here, I’m overthinking. Is this going to work? I’m getting some calls. Oh, it’s starting to work. You’re getting closer. So that song represents me right now.
Official flyer for the BREZERK “Concrete Canvas” fashion show on June 22, 6 to 10 p.m. Photo courtesy of Brezay and her team.
As the city prepares to witness Brezay’s vision come to life, one thing is clear: BREZERK is more than a brand — it’s a movement breathing fresh energy into Memphis, one stitch at a time.
This blog was written by Aarika Stanford
Aarika Stanford is a student multimedia photojournalist attending the University of Memphis. She lives in Memphis and enjoys exploring the local music and entertainment scene, bringing focus to the arts and culture of the city through her writings.
