At 16, Matthew E. Bell became Chicago Fashion Week’s youngest headlining designer last fall, debuting two collections at the 14th Pharaoh R.A.W. runway experience at the DuSable Museum in honor of mental health awareness.
Bell said the collections range from designer streetwear and business casual to formal and evening wear, avant-garde couture, and organic custom luxury pieces.
“The human experience is the heartbeat of my collection,” he said. “With R.A.W. — Rugged, Arcane, Wounded — I wanted to take us back to our inner roots. Rugged represents the outer shell, how the world perceives us. Arcane reflects the hidden self, the mysteries of our inner process. Wounded acknowledges our pain — but also our power to heal.”
This fall, Bell, a student at Oak Park and River Forest High School, is gearing up to take his amazing talents from the Windy City to the Big Apple for the New York Fashion Week.
“Chicago raised me,” he said. “Everything I design, every stitch, is connected to that energy. I want my work to inspire young people to believe in themselves and chase their dreams relentlessly.”
Bell’s dreams began well before he ever sat down in front of a sewing machine. He began with a sketch and an opportunity to attend the Austin Chamber of Commerce’s three-week Young Entrepreneur Apprenticeship program. Soon his work was garnering a great deal of attention. In just four hours, he sold $1,200 in t-shirt designs from his first pop-up shop.
“I started this journey when I was 15 years old,” he said. “I wanted to create a brand for kids like me who love expressing themselves through clothing. I was driven by a strong desire to stand out, so I set out to offer a diverse range of styles and healthy fabrics that empower individuals to make a statement.”
He soon attracted mentorship and business coaching from Jacqueline L. Malone, president of the Support Black Excellence Foundation Inc. She now manages his career, guiding him through fashion, media and civic engagement to ensure his creative vision translates into sustainable opportunities, she said.
“I’ve been with Matthew since the very beginning of his fashion journey at 15, and watching his growth has been truly remarkable,” Malone said. “He’s a rare talent — bold, focused, and deeply passionate — who approaches challenges with strength, ease and maturity well beyond his years. What makes his success even more meaningful is the strong support system around him; his family keeps him grounded, guided, and ready for everything ahead.”
His collections are online at 14thpharaoh.com.
Bell has already turned heads, including that of Elissa Raymond, a fashion industry expert who now teaches in the Family and Consumer Sciences department at OPRF. While Raymond never taught Bell, she’s seen him work.
“I’ve been a wardrobe stylist for about 25 years in Chicago and New York, and I still do it at various times, but I took this full-time teaching job in August to try something different and Matthew Bell has been a huge inspiration to me, and also a lot of students who have gotten to know him and see his work,” she said. “He’s way ahead of the game. He’s a super talented kid on his way to great things.”
While he’s a self-taught sewist, Bell has taken classes at OPRF in business, entrepreneurship and fashion, as well as being involved in the Business Incubator Education program.
“I never came up with anything close to what he’s done as a 16-year-old,” Raymond said. “I was shocked when he went to the show. I knew he was good, but I didn’t know his vision was that complete. It all fell into line with the hair, makeup and accessories. It was all cohesive and that’s hard to pull off. I was shocked. He’s turning out pieces at such a speed and really well done. I think he has what it takes. He has the right people behind him so the sky is the limit.”
Bell comes from a lineage of local artisans who have influenced his work, including a great-grandmother who was a seamstress, a great-grandfather who was a tailor, and another relative who owned a boutique.
“Although I have only heard stories of my ancestors, their talents and accomplishments, I know I am living the dreams of my ancestors,” he said. “And I am walking proof that their God-given gifts are within me. Their legacy pushes me forward.”
His creations certainly caught the eye of John Leydon, founder of Chicago Fashion Week.
“Matthew exudes an innate sense of style and confidence,” Leydon said. “A pleasure to be around and hard to overlook — and unquestionably someone to watch. I expect Matthew’s evolution to mirror Chicago’s own rise as an ascending voice in the fashion industry.”
Prior to his Chicago Fashion Week debut, Bell made history at the Black Women’s Expo — BWe NEXT — in August, as the youngest designer to present a full collection on the main stage during the 30th anniversary of the event.
He also is a youth commissioner for Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and was the keynote speaker for Johnson’s inaugural Ignite Your Future Summit.
Bell can be heard on the Next Breath Podcast, where youth voices, creativity, and social change are amplified; episodes are available on demand via the Support Excellence Initiative YouTube channel. Most recently, Bell was appointed a youth ambassador for state Rep. La Shawn K. Ford, who called Bell “a remarkable example of what young people can achieve when talent, vision and determination come together.”
“With the support of his family and a strong village behind him, his leadership, creativity and commitment to uplifting his peers set a standard for youth across Illinois,” Ford said.
Bell will make his New York Fashion Week debut in September, an accomplishment that reflects his journey from Chicago to the international stage.
“Debuting at New York Fashion Week is a major milestone for 14th Pharaoh Apparel,” Bell said. “After making history as the youngest headlining designer at Chicago Fashion Week, I’m excited to showcase my collections to industry leaders and experience the work of talented designers from around the world, all while honoring the support of my faith, mentor, family and the Chicago community that shaped me.”