From Columbus to Couture: Ashe’s JUSTMYNE Heads to Milan Fashion Week

By Janell Williams

Columbus native Laketha Elaine Ashe, designer, community advocate, and founder of JUSTMYNE, will debut her latest couture collection at Milan Fashion Week on Sunday, Sept. 28, inside the historic Palazzo Visconti.

The milestone follows a wave of community support in Columbus, where Ashe and her team recently hosted a fundraiser to help bring local creativity to the global stage.

Ashe, who has previously showcased collections at New York Fashion Week and Los Angeles Fashion Week, is known for treating fashion as more than clothing. Through her company and her initiative, Still Standing Productions, she uses the industry as a platform for empowerment, mentorship, and resilience.

“This journey from Columbus to Milan is about more than fashion,” Ashe said. “It is about honoring the people and places that have shaped us. Our supporters made this possible, and now we are carrying their spirit with us to one of the biggest fashion stages in the world.”

Several models who walked in the Still Standing Fashion Show in January in Columbus will also appear on the runway in Milan, extending the reach of the local creative network to an international audience.