At The Other Art Fair Brooklyn, designer Anika Ignazzi reveals how paintings, photography, and New York City become the foundation of her growing fashion brand.

Walking through The Other Art Fair Brooklyn, it was impossible to miss the energy surrounding Booth 109. Colorful garments, distinctive textiles, and thoughtfully crafted outerwear drew visitors into the world of Ohh Baby, the fashion and art practice created by Brooklyn-based designer Anika Ignazzi.

What makes Ignazzi’s work particularly compelling is that every piece begins as a painting before it becomes clothing.

For Ignazzi, fashion and fine art are inseparable. Every seasonal collection starts with a body of paintings that ultimately informs the colors, prints, textures, and visual language of the finished garments. The result is clothing that feels deeply personal, carrying traces of the artist’s hand from conception to completion.

Among her signature pieces are trench coats, a recurring design element that has become central to the Ohh Baby aesthetic. Their distinctive linings often reveal the visual narratives that originated in her studio, creating garments that function almost like wearable canvases.

The creative process begins with an idea, not a trend.

Ignazzi starts by asking herself what message or feeling she wants to communicate. From there, she develops a visual subject that supports the concept. Recently, photography has become an important source material. Images of Brooklyn, New York City streets, and the surrounding environment near her studio become reference points that she prints and paints over, layering materials and imagery until a cohesive collection begins to emerge.

The process mirrors the city itself. New York is a place of constant accumulation, where stories, cultures, and visual experiences overlap. Ignazzi’s work embraces that same layered quality, allowing painting, photography, textiles, and fashion design to coexist within a single piece.

Despite the artistic complexity of her practice, organization remains essential.

Running a growing fashion brand requires balancing creativity with logistics. Ignazzi approaches that challenge with surprising practicality. While many artists rely on sketchbooks filled with ideas, she credits spreadsheets as one of her most valuable tools. Managing samples, production schedules, and collection development requires a level of structure that supports the creative freedom visible throughout her work. Adobe Illustrator also plays a crucial role, helping transform concepts into technical designs ready for production.

Her studio routine reflects that same balance between discipline and spontaneity.

Mornings often begin with coffee, music, and movement. Rather than diving directly into emails and administrative work, Ignazzi prioritizes creative energy. Hula hoops, roller skates, music, and artistic experimentation help establish the tone for the day before shifting into the business side of running a brand.

That commitment to maintaining a creative mindset has helped fuel a period of significant growth for Ohh Baby. Rather than focusing on a single dream collaboration or specific corporate partnership, Ignazzi’s ambitions center on continued expansion. Her goal is straightforward: create the best possible product, reach more people, and establish the brand in major retail markets throughout the United States and internationally.

Her vision is grounded not in celebrity endorsements or fleeting trends, but in craftsmanship and consistency.

For emerging artists and designers, Ignazzi offers advice shaped by her own experience. After leaving college, she faced the practical reality of needing to support herself through her work. The turning point came through local street markets, where she was able to place her creations directly in front of the public.

Those experiences taught her one of the most important lessons of a creative career: visibility matters.

Artists often spend years refining their work in private, but Ignazzi believes growth happens when creations enter the world. Whether someone works in painting, photography, fashion, or another medium, her recommendation is simple: find local markets, fairs, and public spaces where people can encounter the work. Feedback, sales, conversations, and connections all begin when art is shared.

That philosophy continues to shape the success of Ohh Baby today.

Throughout her paintings and mixed-media works, Ignazzi incorporates spray paint, graffiti markers, textiles, patches, leather elements, and increasingly, oil paint. The use of fabric and clothing materials extends naturally into her fine art practice, reinforcing the dialogue between the canvas and the garment. Each piece becomes part of a larger ecosystem where art inspires fashion and fashion becomes art.

At Booth 109, visitors encountered more than a clothing brand. They stepped into an evolving creative universe where painting, photography, design, and entrepreneurship intersect.

As Ohh Baby continues its upward trajectory, Anika Ignazzi remains focused on what first inspired the work: transforming personal vision into something tangible, wearable, and meaningful. In a city filled with creative voices, her ability to merge fine art and fashion into a singular language is helping define a distinctive path forward.

About Tarik Talk Podcast

Tarik Talk Podcast is an international arts and culture podcast hosted by artist and curator Tarik Mendes. With more than 200 episodes across 50 seasons and conversations recorded in over 10 countries, the podcast explores the stories, ideas, and creative journeys of artists, curators, designers, cultural leaders, and innovators from around the world.