- I don't feel like I'm just creating fashion at all.

I'm definitely creating art and moments that will hopefully change all of our lives.

I always want to have something that makes people feel powerful.

That they feel like, "Oh, now that I have this on, I can just go and kill it, or stand on that big stage and sing."

Just want to empower them more so to be able to do that in their like, most powerful way.

And that's honestly what the clothes do for me too.

My name is Daniel Grier.

I am a fashion designer with Splashed by DKG.

Splashed by DKG started right in the same studio we in right now, almost 10 years ago.

Fashion has just always been something that I've gravitated to.

It's always been natural for me.

And what I've learned is fast fashion and things like that, we don't really hold memories attached to those clothes.

They just end up, you know, in very unwanted places.

And I've been able to focus on sustainability and adding value to things that are already there, like a lot of thrifted garments.

Where do I get my inspiration for my clothing?

Honestly, most times it's when I'm on a random day, when I'm walking through the thrift store.

It's like a therapy session, honestly.

I don't rummage the racks.

I just see whatever pops out.

And I said, "Oh."

Immediately, I just see a design.

Like, I saw this jumpsuit.

I literally thrifted this.

And I saw it, and I said, "Of course, I'm gonna wear it a couple times."

And then I'm gonna patchwork it and make it something that when people have in their closet, they're gonna like, they just love it so much, and like 10 years from now, they're like, "Oh my God, I had to find somewhere to wear this piece."

And I love that because I've obviously added value to it.

You'll remember where you went, the experiences you had while you were in this garment.

It'll be a memory for them for a lifetime.

Those are the fun parts for me.

It's the designing, the adding the value to it, saying, "Oh my God, when somebody puts this jacket on, oh, they're gonna think they're the man."

That makes me so happy.

(upbeat music) What is Magic City Fashion Week?

At the core of Magic City Fashion Week, there's this big designer competition that happens.

Why is it a competition?

Because people like to compete, and it brings more out of them.

But you have these designers who are all building a name locally here in the state of Alabama.

And they are at different stages of their career, but mostly like three years and up.

But what I want them to do is get together and showcase in their hometown what their magic is, what their product is, and just have that stage where they can just show off.

(upbeat music) So last season we did it at the Birmingham Museum of Art.

We took over the whole space.

There's a lot of emerging talent here that is ready for that moment to show off.

And they're not just designers.

There's hairstylists.

We had salons that came together.

We had a lot of retailers that had their own night.

Diana Rawlings, who was an amazing Indian saree draper, she presented a beautiful showcase.

It opened our show, really.

So that has just continued to evolve, but we did start with the designer show, and then always having shows surrounding that that have just shown off the community.

I just want to continue to make this big, beautiful, yummy bowl of like, gumbo of the South 'cause they think that we're all, we're a dirt road's child, and we're still wearing, I don't know what.

But I'm just saying, like, we're pretty fabulous here too.

So I just want to have my part in showing that.

The way it has grown and the way people look to it and the things that they say about it, the rooms that I've been in, the tables that I've been able to sit at, because of it, it still continues to blow my mind.

You know, I have some mentors, the people that have worked with Beyonce, like Ty Hunter, Raquel Smith, Mondo Guerra, who has won "All Stars Project Runway."

Those people have come and mentored designers in Magic City Fashion Week.

And we have kids going everywhere.

Now they're in New York, they're all over the place.

And the messages that they send me, like, I got one yesterday from a girl.

She's like, "I'm about to move to Cali because of you."

That means the world to me that my little self, who did not go to fashion school, none of that, just always sought to find my place in the world, are helping people to get where they need to go.

That's just crazy to me.