This week on the pod, we welcome two guests – Jeffrey McAlister of FashionSense and Beth Weirick of the Downtown BID #21 – to celebrate the release of the Winter 2021 Lookbook. The MKE It Local Lookbook is a visual representation of style and fashion from Milwaukee's local designers, shops, and boutiques in gorgeous Downtown locations, and can be viewed here.  

Mac, David, and Lindsay start off reflecting on the start of the pandemic in Milwaukee one year ago, and ask the question “Is it time for Imagine This Podcast to start a NFT?” We also announce Imagine MKE’s Arts and Culture Advancing Public Health cohort, which is starting up now. 

At 21:26, Jeffrey and Beth join. Sharing arts and culture memories that left an impact (23:10), how Jeffrey and Beth connected over the years to lead to this current partnership (28:00), COVID-time changes to the plan to highlight fashion Downtown that led to the Lookbook (34:00), turning the project into a photoshoot (38:10), the perception of Milwaukee fashion right now (41:50), relationship between place and fashion in Milwaukee (43:55), the balance of fashion being elite and accessible (48:15), what’s next for Downtown in 2021 (51:50), what they hope for in fashion and place in the coming year (55:50), Jeffrey and Beth’s reign as Czar of Arts and Culture (57:20).  

Music Transitions: “Love Song (ft. 311),” B. ALXNDR  

E217 Ephemera 

“Epstein Was Murdered,” David Najib Kasir, 2020 (Sculpture made with fidget toys at last in-person Imagine MKE meeting) 

What is an NFT? Article  

How to Make an NFT Video  

$405 Million in aid to Milwaukee 

Arts and Health Leaders Cohort Sign Up 

Social:  

Jeffrey McAlister/ FashionSense – Facebook and Instagram 

Milwaukee Downtown – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter