“I've never thought this through to this extent so allow for a pause because this is me trying to understand myself for the first time too..but I didn’t realize how intertwined my passion for drawing was with Black culture..."

Amid the turmoil, life continued..Geared with masks, we navigated our way through the new norm. In a year like this one, even mundane tasks seem daunting; go to work, produce content, maintain connection with others. We spoke to creatives about how they balance their day to day lives

"Encompassing the depths of Panama’s beauty, people, traditions and energy; I want to shine the light on my culture, and represent its truth." - Tamara Dill

At the heart of By Design lies a community of everyday creative people. Collaboration fuels community & man..we’re excited about this one. We’ve partnered with The Pitch to amplify dynamic stories centered around the vast aspects of blackness. "Human at the Center" kicks off that monthly collab.

Who is Astin McAfee? In their own words…”I’m just me.”

Wesley Hamilton, community activist and founder of Disabled But Not Really, a philanthropic non-profit seeking to empower those living with disabilities, released a statement regarding his intent to cut ties with organizations who have not made it clear that they are in support of the Black..."

Jayden Fleming is an event host and rollout specialist hailing from Wichita, KS. Operating as the Creative Director of Mars Mansion and Creator of AFTERDARK: An R&B Experience he considers himself a curator of culture. 

The last rays of sunlight have kissed the earth and the greens and purples have melted into grey under the moonlight. This is the time for reflection of growth upon the pedestal of nostalgia and the apotheosis of groove. Waiting to be renewed by the sun, we seek to become creatures of the night.

In the slums of Staten Island, poverty bred desperation, a combination conducive to violence. Out of neighborhoods polluted with narcotics, some chose a more expressive means of medicating: rap. Despite adversity linked to their socioeconomic status, the Wu-Tang Clan emerged. 

The story of Jericho is colorful, animated, and filled with twists and anticipation. The highs and the lows are what make a good story. He has been able to continue to push his own personal limits and put his own stamp on a growing industry in America. 

"Encompassing the depths of Panama’s beauty, people, traditions and energy; I want to shine the light on my culture, and represent its truth." - Tamara Dill

Who is Astin McAfee? In their own words…”I’m just me.”

Wesley Hamilton, community activist and founder of Disabled But Not Really, a philanthropic non-profit seeking to empower those living with disabilities, released a statement regarding his intent to cut ties with organizations who have not made it clear that they are in support of the Black..."

In the slums of Staten Island, poverty bred desperation, a combination conducive to violence. Out of neighborhoods polluted with narcotics, some chose a more expressive means of medicating: rap. Despite adversity linked to their socioeconomic status, the Wu-Tang Clan emerged. 

The story of Jericho is colorful, animated, and filled with twists and anticipation. The highs and the lows are what make a good story. He has been able to continue to push his own personal limits and put his own stamp on a growing industry in America. 

“F*** this, I’m starting a group of girls who doesn’t care about what society says makes them feminine. I’m calling it Cozy Girl Squad, and I’m the Captain”

Being a woman in street wear is at an all time high right now, and as time progresses it will only get better. Women are involving themselves more and more into a primarily male dominant field, and quite frankly to me, it’s all fascinating to watch. 

Dwayne “7ierre” Snipes is an eccentric brother with a creative eye for style and a “cozy” lifestyle. Dwayne is almost unknowingly a fashion influencer in Kansas City having dabbled in modeling, styling, and overall vibe curating. 

The Spect promotes advancement in all urban communities. The newly debutedThe Spect Cypher Series shook up Kansas City’s emerging hip hop scene to the core, allowing newer and more established acts to showcase their lyrical prowess. This was only the first of many to come, so stay tuned.

Summer has always been the most anticipated season of the year! Filled with bouts of hot summer fun, events, festivals and not to mention tons of food! Well, Streetwavve was able to combine all of that into one dynamic podcast and in the format of a summer show!

Creatives are dynamic storytellers who give culture life. By Design celebrates the creatives, we are the magazine for creatives by creatives. Issue 003 features the Kids, all talented people in different lanes. Creatives, just create.

Sometimes being one of the few people of color in your field of work can be tough, especially when the field itself is naturally unappreciated within its industry. I had an honest and casual sit down conversation with my friend LaRon Cooper

Jacob Buchanan, a photographer from Kansas City also known as Melting Giraffe, is currently working on his new project Moving Ghosts. Check out what Jacob has to say and some images from below

Tam Gibson, photographer and interior design extraordinaire. Tam is a friend of the By Design Magazine and somebody we are all a fan of. From her clean minimalist style and her love for rational pieces, her design skills will leave you inspired. We wanted to dig a little deeper. 

More than just style and branding, Jasmine Diane continues to grow, elevate, cultivate and strive to reach her entire potential; in her most authentic way. Her straightforward style and relentless persistence has taken her to levels where she can be an inspiration to herself and those around her. 

WE DON’T FIND INSPIRATION AT THE END OF THE JOURNEY, WE FIND INSPIRATION IN THE MIDST OF THE JOURNEY. EVERY ARTIST, EVERY ATHLETE, EVERY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPS A BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS. WHETHER IT REQUIRES MORE STROKES OF THE PAINTBRUSH, 

"Imagine you’re a band on tour playing shows. Tickets to your shows are five dollars and you’ve been selling out venues consistently. At the end of the night you go split the revenue with the venue and your three other band mates..."

Black women are the prototype - trendsetters impacting cultures across the world - from our hair that defies gravity, to our brown melanated skin, black women are leading the way for the culture. This is true even in Kansas City. 

“This Ain’t Luck” reads boldly from every MADE MOBB price tag. A motto that a resilient team of dreamers has made known in their short existence of being a Streetwear Brand. 

Mark is a man with a lot of vision, what makes him unique is that he’ll see that vision through. With the help of event coordinator extraordinaire L’Chelle Green and the rest of the Kritiq team they put on a show in which the energy was unlike any show prior. 

Cozy Girl Squad is creative collective that aims to eliminate the lack of representation that women, especially women of color, experience in streetwear culture and they just dropped their first collection with their second collection on the way. 

In the world of fashion, new, emerging faces are entering the market telling dynamic and unique stories through their clothing. Check out UE Supply Co. 

Chances are you’ve seen HustleKC. It has cropped up on everyone’s Instagram feeds, whether they are modeling the clothing or proudly showing off their most recent purchases. Thomas “Tommy” Grass has been at the forefront of HustleKC 

I love a woman in the workplace that does not shy away from letting her feminine fashion show. With most fields of work being male dominated, women are often limited and misrepresented in topics of equality in pay, respect, and perception within the workplace.