By Shirley Jackson
Alabama NewsCenter
When Birmingham hosts The World Games 2022 (TWG2022) July 7-17, athletes will be outfitted in costumes designed by CEO and founder Twyla Grider of Stellar Creative Collective.
With more than 12 years of industry experience, Grider has evolved into a creator, cultivator and curator with a strong background in fashion merchandising, design and marketing.
“Being awarded the contract to design costumes for The World Games 2022 opening and closing ceremonies is an honor,” said Grider. “Being able to showcase my work in Birmingham, a city that has given me so much, makes this extra special.”
Grider’s company will not collaborate in the design process for The World Games 2022. The costume designing will be performed exclusively by Grider.
The World Games 2022 will be one of the first in-person international sporting events to take place since before the pandemic.
“Since we are showcasing a new Birmingham with a new generation of global sports, we wanted to showcase a new designer as well,” said Rashada LeRoy, executive producer and CEO of LRY Media Group.
LeRoy’s company, a Black-woman-owned event production and media company, selected Grider as costume designer for The World Games 2022’s opening and closing ceremonies.
“Grider was the perfect choice,” said LeRoy. “Her designs are great and, with her ties to Alabama, we knew she had the ability to simultaneously capture the spirit both of the Games and Birmingham.”
Publications such as O Magazine, In Style and others have featured Grider’s designs. She is a driving force behind brands such as Jessica Simpson, William Rast and Robert Rodriguez.
“Ms. Grider will be responsible for hundreds of costumes,” said Henry Panion III, artistic director for The World Games 2022. “I’m really looking forward to seeing her designs, because they will serve as visual extensions to not just my music but the overall show production during the Games.”
Huntsville native Grider graduated from Auburn University with a degree in fashion merchandising and marketing. She earned a Master of Business Administration in marketing from Loma Linda University in California and studied fashion design at Drexel University in Philadelphia.
Stellar Creative Collective is a full-service fashion design and development firm serving clients across the country. It is a collection of independent contemporary fashion designers, artists, technical designers and strategists. The company provides creative coaching, while pushing members beyond their creative limits to produce beautiful products. It also addresses the business needs of merchandising and sourcing in the marketplace.
The World Games is an 11-day international multisport event organized with the support of the International Olympic Committee. An anticipated 3,600 elite athletes from more than 100 countries will compete for gold in 34 of the fastest-growing sports in the world.
Follow the link here to learn more about The World Games 2022 and here to learn more about Stellar Creative Collective.
