Otherworldly Fashion Lands in Bushwick: Bushwick Daily

Nestled between two Bushwick apartment buildings in the garden of the Madison Square Association, last week’s latest collection by local fashion label Amehl SS23, titled “The Prophecy” comes from the brainchild of Amanda Mehl.

Some of the highlights of Mehl’s previous shows include: a long table full of pastries and jewelry, the centerpiece of her “How to Protect Your Husband” scene; Mock Awards shows models wearing her “193” and accepting trophies^rd Annual Amehl Gala Celebration” collection; Back to School season where her entire scene takes place on the school bus.

Her most recent act began on the web before she even got to the garden: Mehl and her mother, Beverly, created a talk show in which the younger Mehl makes a guest appearance.

“I’m this crazy YouTuber spiritual New Age prophet who seems to have prophecies,” Mehal said.

One day, as dusk fell on the garden, a group gathered behind a chain-link fence to watch Mehl’s fashion show. One of them, a countryman named Jules Elmourib, told me, “She is a prophet so I’m sure she has a lot to tell you.”

So far, the prophet’s message seems to be that “strangers have come into the garden of society.”

A local DJ who goes by “Æon” delivers his music for aliens to dance to, a mix of trance, techno and a pop theme created from samples from Regression Records. The show begins with a lone voice speaking to a girl: “Oh, girl, it’s not like that.” Let me go with DJ.

“The entry resets the room,” Æon is heard saying.

Mehal’s guests were treated to a variety of models wearing designs ranging from hues to sunset shades, rich purples, beautiful pearls and leafy greens. Her pieces showed a real Y2K influence, no doubt a nod to the past.

“[This style is] Something I’ve been doing since I was five years old. I was laying out fabrics from my mother’s stash because she is a designer. The clothes are always naughty, dreamy and unashamedly beautiful,” said Mehal.

“I guess I’m coming from another planet,” Mehl said.

All images by Davita Aundréa.

Subscribe to the Bushwick Daily newsletter for more news.

Join the fight to save local journalism by becoming a paid subscriber