The visual and performing arts department of Boston Latin School offers a wide variety of talents, ranging from music and theater to visual arts. No matter the medium, creative expression is celebrated throughout the school community. Mitchell Phesay (I), Head of Props in BLS theatre and co-captain of the Yellow Submarine Improv Troupe, not only expresses his creative mindset through theater, but also through Clothes by h., his emerging clothing brand.
This young designer attributes his entry into the creative world to his upbringing in an artistic family. His brother, Logan Phesay (I), and his father are both artists, and their perspectives are woven into his work.
Phesay began to include his signature logo on his sweatshirts, and it has evolved into an image present throughout his designs. From sweatshirts and T-shirts to pants, Clothes by h. has evolved into an established brand. “h.,” Phesay explains, “came before the clothing; I would write ‘h.’ on everything.”
Phesay’s independent supervision of the brand allows him to be involved in every part of the production process. The pieces from Clothes by h. are distinct from mainstream fashion, as each piece is created with the client in mind. Phesay describes, “Someone will contact me through my Instagram, (@clothes_by_h._), and they will have an idea, or ask me for a jacket, or pair of pants or whatever.” From there, Phesay designs a concept based on the client’s commission, taking inspiration from the inquiry and experimenting with fabric swatches and mood boards while communicating with the client to ensure the piece captures what they envision. He prioritizes sustainability when gathering materials, finding “old pairs of jeans, or T-shirts,” from thrift stores and cutting the fabric to formulate his unique pieces.
Creating his pieces is merely a part of his work. To promote his products, Phesay recruits fellow BLS students as models and photographers to curate content for his Instagram. Sarah Huff (II), Clothes by h.’s main photographer, supplies the brand’s visual content.
Phesay praises his peers for their work, explaining how “they show up with a camera, and they do all of the model poses. I will supply the clothing, and I am there to give some creative direction, but a lot of it is [Huff], so I want to [give a] shout-out [to] her.”
In addition to employing Huff as his primary photographer, Phesay has models that are seen throughout the entire visual portfolio of his brand. He expresses, “I have had a bunch of my friends model, but I want to shout out my lead model, Z [Colimon (I)]; they are [the] best model.”
Though Clothes by h. is fairly new to the fashion scene, Phesay has already landed collaborations with well-known brands. In October 2023, he held a pop-up shop in Macy’s South Bay location, hosted by a program called Market by Macy’s, explaining, “I showed them some of my pictures from my Instagram, and they asked if I wanted to come down and be hosted for a day. It was nice. […] I made a bunch of pre-made clothing for the first time.”
Clothes by h. also made an appearance at Diversity Consignment, a vintage store in Boston’s Jamaica Plain. On November 10, the store hosted an event called “Project Reworked Runway,” where Phesay and 16 other designers displayed pieces made in collaboration with the shop. At this event, designers selected clothing from the “by the pound” section in the shop’s basement and crafted unique pieces using the materials.
Phesay’s Clothes by h. shows no signs of losing traction, and he hopes to continue the brand’s growth. Following “Project Reworked Runway,” Phesay plans to continue managing orders from customers while working on applying to fashion school, with plans to carry his talent into the future. Given his commitment, it will not be a surprise to see Phesay’s work on a Fashion Week runway someday soon.