DesEdessa School of Fashion is the only four-year fashion college in the Midwest, and it's located in the Marshall Building in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward. As a boutique institution, Edessa offers a highly personalized, value-driven education led by one of the most industry-experienced faculties in the Wisconsin-Illinois region. With a diverse student body, award-winning work, and multiple museum exhibitions to its credit, Edessa is redefining fashion education through a rigorous, industry-focused approach.

The bras are created by Lynn Dixon, Lupita Murillo

Modeled by Kelly Mutsch and Antonio Rosascription

DAlthea’s Milwaukee boutique is known for colorful, on-trend designs in lingerie. Offering personal fittings and private shopping parties, Althea's provides exclusive collections from the best designers in the world. The boutique is located at 777 N. Jefferson and has 2,000 bras in stock.

Modeled by Shauna Hessel

Deborah is a fashion designer and owner of Gg Collections in Milwaukee. She is passionate about making all women feel confident, and designs pieces to influence women as well as the fashion industry. As soon as a customer feels a design’s fabric on their body, Deborah wants them to feel good about themselves — because daring to be different is to be different, if you dare!

Pearlsational modeled by AlexDescription text goes here

Ann Dee is a longtime knitter who enjoys composing knitted fabric by linking loops of natural fiber with two sticks. Bralette Luma was designed by Valentina Uskova and knit with Emma’s Yarn Simply Spectacular DK in the color Oops, I Did It Again, from Cream City Yarn shop in Brookfield.

Bralette Luma modeled by Georgie Pink

Carri is a Milwaukee-born artist living in New York. Her work has been exhibited in museums and group exhibitions throughout the country. Primarily interested in portraiture, Carri applies her unlimited imagination to highly diverse projects.

Floral Barbie Burton

Tweaker. Carolina Cuevas

Bras donated by Donna Baumgartner

Leanne, a mixed media mosaic artist, studied at the University of Nebraska and Chicago Mosaic School, where she served on the faculty and board. She is also a member of the Society of American Mosaic Artists. She is an award-winning artist whose mosaic installations have been featured in Milwaukee Home & Fine Living Magazine, Dallas Urban Living Magazine, the Milwaukee Sentinel and Dallas Morning News. Leanne created a Frieda Kahlo inspired bra.

Modeled by Renee Koerner

Bobby's bra is a love letter to the trans community. The right cup is an armor-like chrysalis and protective shell. The left cup is a beautiful, fully emerged butterfly about to take flight. The tie-dye-like colors within the organza wings are the colors of the trans pride flag. The whole piece is built over a bra and leather harness. Bobby's client plans to wear the bra during PrideFest in June. 

Modeled by Miss Spencer 

Holly Harnischfeger received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in ceramics, with a minor in painting, from the University of Colorado in 1977. Embracing mixed media, she works with acrylic, charcoal, photo transfers, encaustic wax, and cold wax, often incorporating expressive and unconventional techniques. In addition to maintaining her studio practice, Holly has served as a visiting artist at the Cedarburg Cultural Center and currently works as a private art instructor. She also develops and leads art retreats, creating innovative instructional content for programs in Wisconsin and California. Holly resides in Milwaukee, where she continues to create, teach, and inspire through her evolving artistic practice.

Bra donated by Donna Baumgartner.

Modeled by Holly Harnischfeger

Jennifer has a Bachelor's degree in Art Education and a Master's in Art Therapy. She taught art for many years in the Milwaukee area, U.S. and overseas. Jennifer has retired from teaching, but not from creating. Her studio is in the Fur Factory in Riverwest. She enjoys painting, mixed media, assemblage and especially working with textiles. She said Brava provided a fun opportunity for her to explore textiles in a way she hadn’t before.

Modeled by Linda Murphy and Colleen Fleming

When she was asked to create an artsy bra for the premiere of Brava, Louise's answer was an immediate yes. She called in her secret weapon, her daughter Alexia, who studies fashion in Paris. With their ideas, Louise leaned into a bold, expressive concept full of life and feathers.

Modeled by Hannah Hopkins

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Stephanie has a lifelong love for design, art, and bizarre stuff. She said, "My goals are to have fun, care for nature, and shine the light on unexplored parts of my imagination." She adores time spent with her husband, fur babies and plant family.

Blossom Bosom modeled by Stephanie Burdette

Sexy Eyes modeled by Shayla Torres
Threaded Dreams modeled by Stacy Kaat

Emma created the Rave bra, decorated with ribbon, beads, leaves and butterflies. She has been sewing since age 10 and has studied fashion design. She said, "Sewing has always been a passion of mine, as you can create whatever your heart desires.”

Modeled by Ellie Koney

David is an art student at UW-Milwaukee. His piece is a 1980s-themed, skull-shaped, bedazzled bra inspired by the '80s cartoon Jem and the Holograms. David said the cartoon was “his first female influence that wasn’t my ma.” 

Modeled by Yelena Ostrerov

Ann enjoys creating collage, abstract art, and photo art. She loves to experiment, and the art in her gallery includes abstract, semi abstract, photo collage, photo manipulations, and realistic photography. Ann is an Oklahoma artist who obtained her fine arts degree from the University of Tulsa. To see her designs, visit zazzle.com/annpowellart.

Modeled by Montana Morris

Barb is a Milwaukee artist who was “uplifted and wired” about creating a unique bra for Brava. She is primarily a painter in oil, acrylic and watercolor, and also enjoys crafting, sketching, and woodworking. Barb is a member of the Cedarburg Artists Guild and Fox Point Artists group.  She will be painting in the Cedarburg Plein Air event in June.

Modeled by Jules Laabs

Item descriptionTitle: Barrel of Fun Bra!

Modeled by: Juli Stefanczyk, Kurt’s beloved friend and artistic collaborator since meeting in fifth grade. 

Kurt, born third generation into a family of professional visual artists. 

Art school runs in his blood, with a family educational pedigree from Rhode Island School of Design, School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design. 

Kurt is celebrating 40 years of his own award winning multifaceted career- working as a Visual Artist, Art Director, Higher Ed Arts Administrator, Art Instructor and Art Collector.

Currently, Kurt continuous his love for teaching and his personal artistic practice at the family’s namesake, MEINKE Studio.