Aisle of style: Mixing food banks with fashion

Written by Solana James

On September 20th, Kai (aka Kailinciaga) hosted a fashion show inside a local food bank, The Grocery Spot, located at 2615 Donald Lee Howell Parkway NW, Atlanta GA. There were over 10 designer brands featured with 80 models walking. The purpose of this show was to raise funds and awareness to Metro Atlanta citizens. 250+ people attended The Grocery Spot fashion show, garnering $1000 in donations from ticket sales. Attendees' age groups varied from children to elderly.

Each brand varied in style from streetwear to avant garde, providing for a versatile viewing experience for the audience. “I like to give the people something new to look at,” says Kailinciaga, “most fashion shows show the same thing every time trying to fit a ‘theme’ but my theme is always community.”

The audience filled the food bank with cheers, phones flashing as models strutted down the narrow runway lined with grocery shelves. The venue is a space for distributing fresh produce and pantry staples, but during the fashion show, became a stage for creative expression and cultural pride. Some attendees described the experience as “raw” and “authentic,” saying it reflected the ingenuity of Atlanta’s underground fashion scene.

Kailinciaga is an event planner that hosts fashion shows for up and coming designers and models to give them a platform to build their portfolio to then seek more opportunities. Most of his fashion shows consist of known local designers, while some are experiencing their runway debut. The designer, Jean Bleu, of Tollinshil, has been featured in each of Kailinciaga’s fashion shows since 2023. “What keeps me coming back is Kai’s consistent support,” says Jean Bleu, “he doesn’t just support me at his shows, he comes to my other shows, buys my clothes, and promotes me on his socials.” This kind of talk was unanimous among most repeat designers.

Kai’s previous show, “Dress to Impress” was inspired by the popular Roblox game. Each designer was tasked to fit a theme such as Gothic, Fairytale, and Streetwear. Models were then scored by three judges on their resemblance to the aesthetic. Events like Kailinciaga’s fashion shows reflect Atlanta’s growing creative scene, while remaining true to its community values. Diversity and independent artistry are a major influence for him.

“Where else are black people supposed to come and be weird?” “there’s no one else doing shows like me.”

— Kailinciaga | Aisle of Style 2025

Kai’s next event is his “Big Ass Halloween Party” where he will be hosting a mandatory costume party. He has also teased on his social media accounts a future fashion show, and plans to feature, “the most designers,” he’s ever had on the runway.