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CASE STUDY:
TURNING VISION
INTO BRAND EQUITY
TATE DIGITAL MEDIA x SHALEAH LACHÉ SUTTON
shaleah’s portfolio
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Sourcing & Styling a Signature Look for FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™ Host City Campaign
For Sir Brandon’s appearance in Philadelphia's official FIFA World Cup 2026™ Host City campaign, “Know Before You Go,” I sourced and styled a head-to-toe adidas look inspired by the brand's officially licensed USA Denim collection, a modern tribute to the iconic 1994 U.S. Men's National Team World Cup kit.
The wardrobe strategy was deliberate. As an official FIFA partner, adidas was a natural choice, but the story went deeper than the brand. Sir Brandon could have worn any number of looks. He tried on a bunch.But we ultimately chose USA because it reflects who he is: an American soccer player committed to growing the game at home. With the United States hosting the FIFA World Cup, there was no stronger statement than having USA across his back.
And he looked damn good in it!
I built the look from head to toe: the adidas USA Denim Track Jacket and matching shorts, Men’s adidas Samba OG FIFA World Cup 2026 Team USA sneakers in Cloud White, Night Indigo and Better Scarlet, and classic white adidas socks. I also sourced a Weston McKennie U.S. Men’s National Team jersey to wear underneath, giving the production team another authentic option if needed on set.
The creative and print teams loved the selection, and ultimately, the wardrobe became part of one of the campaign’s most prominent visuals.
Sir Brandon opens the flagship commercial juggling the official World Cup ball as he walks through one of the tunnels of Philadelphia’s historic City Hall and out into the city. As he turns, USA stretches prominently across the back of the adidas jacket. Later, he’s seen holding the ball with USA still commanding the frame.
That visual says almost everything the wardrobe was intended to say.
The commercial has since surpassed 1.5 million views on YouTube and reached audiences from around the world through television broadcast, while the campaign placed Brandon on 25 billboards throughout the Philadelphia region.
One look. But every piece had a reason for being there.
EXPERTISE APPLIED
Wardrobe Strategy
Wardrobe Sourcing
Wardrobe Styling
Creative Direction
Athlete Brand Positioning
Visual StorytellingCREDITS:
Production: Maestro Filmworks
Agency: Brian Communications for FIFA World Cup 2026™ Philadelphia
Official Still Photography: Wyche Studios
Commercial Director: Kyra Knox
BTS Photography for Sir Brandon Lewis: Sherine Tate
Wardrobe Sourcing & Styling for Sir Brandon Lewis: Shaleah Laché Sutton
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Transforming a Rustic Space into a Luxury Nightlife Experience.
I led the full transformation of The Braid Mill into the “70/70 Club,” a luxury nightlife–inspired, members-only environment designed for two best friends celebrating their 70th birthdays.Commissioned by their adult children, the 1526 vision was clear: elevate the space, set the tone, and make it feel like an exclusive club takeover, not a traditional milestone party. The design drew inspiration from Jay-Z’s iconic “40/40 Club” aesthetic, reinterpreted through a bold red-and-gold palette, luxe textures, and editorial vignettes that signaled arrival, confidence, and celebration.
Lounge seating, custom bar moments, and intentional lighting worked together to create a room that encouraged movement, conversation, and fun. Every detail supported the experience—polished, immersive, and unmistakably cool—while keeping the night light, celebratory, and alive.
The result was a confident, high-style environment where guests didn’t just attend a party, they stepped into the 70/70 Club.
The theme of the party, “A Night to Remember,” was drawn from Shalamar’s 1982 hit song.
CAPABILITIES IN ACTION
Private Client Event Production
Custom Concept Development & Signature Design
Experiential Design & Full Room Transformation
Venue Takeover & Original Atmosphere Design
Custom Fabrication & Visual Detailing
Vendor Sourcing & Management
Custom Bar & Lounge Styling
Budget Strategy & Oversight
On-Site Execution & Creative DirectionCREDITS:
Photography - 1526 FIRM + Hailey Photography
Creative Direction, Event Design & Production - Shaleah Laché Sutton & 1526 FIRM
Built for Possibility
A proud design moment for 1526.
The custom bar for Club 70/70 was designed as a central experience, not an accessory. From layout and finish to glassware, lighting, and styling, every element was intentionally selected to elevate flow, encourage interaction, and reinforce the luxury nightlife atmosphere of the space.
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Positioning Sir Brandon for the Pros.
As interim representation, I am building the complete brand and digital presence for Sir Brandon, a 20-year-old, UK-trained American forward and attacking midfielder who registered 45 games, 26 goals, and 9 assists during the 2025 season in England. From a professional sports photoshoot to a polished website and daily advisory, I’ve positioned this Penn State business student as a dynamic, market-ready talent with the discipline, leadership, and profile to break into the professional game.This isn’t a prospect. This is a professional in the making.
Click here to visit sirbrandonlewis.com.
CAPABILITIES IN ACTION
Interim Representation & Advisory
Athlete Brand Building
Creative Direction
Website Design & Content Development
Professional Sports Photography Direction
Career Positioning & StrategyCREDITS:
Photographer - Sherine Tate
Creative Direction - Shaleah Laché Sutton & Sir Brandon Lewis
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Built for neighborhoods. Built for visibility. Built for the boys often left outside moments this large.
SUMMER WORD CUP™ began as an ambitious idea from my client, Sir Brandon Lewis: connect young Black American boys to reading through the global energy of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the United States. What followed required more than program development. Together, we built a literacy model designed to move between sport, identity, culture, and community—creating pathways for boys to experience reading as confidence, participation, and possibility.The work demanded coalition building, strategic partnership development, experience design, narrative shaping, and translating a global moment into something deeply local. It also demanded something quieter, but equally important: refusing to believe “good enough” is enough for children.
In early March 2026, during the launch of Sir Brandon’s INCREDIBLE ME, I was searching for a Jalen Hurts coloring page for a small group of boys in the book club when I found an illustration I loved. Cynthia Greer’s name sat quietly in the corner. I reached out simply hoping she might send me a clearer PDF, assuming it would be a one-time email exchange. Someone else may have settled for the blurry version. I didn’t. I never do. Excellence for children has always mattered to me.
What began as a small request became a relationship. Cynthia—a respected illustrator whose work helped shape visual storytelling during her 30-year career at The Philadelphia Inquirer—would later become part of the visual language behind this work. The rest is history.
SUMMER WORD CUP™ exists at the intersection of what I do most: thought partnership, strategy, and helping people build with greater clarity, reach, and purpose.
APPLIED EXPERTISE
Thought Partnership + Co-Innovation — helping shape vision, pressure-test ideas, and build an original literacy experience from concept to executionProgram Architecture — structuring a scalable model connecting reading, soccer, and youth engagement
Cross-Sector Coalition Building — cultivating partnerships across civic offices, nonprofits, and community institutions
Narrative Strategy — positioning literacy as language power, confidence, and expanded possibility for Black boys
Experience Design — developing immersive touchpoints that bridge global events and neighborhood impact
Strategic Development — translating early ideas into frameworks capable of growth, visibility, and sustainability
CREDITS:
Founder & Client — Sir Brandon Lewis
Official Thought Partner & Co-Innovator — Shaleah Laché Sutton
Illustrator — Cynthia Greer
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From Movement to Marketplace.
Born from 16 years of leading the UNIQUELY YOU SUMMIT™, FOR THE LOVE OF BLACK GIRLS® is the evolution of a movement into a premium lifestyle brand. What began as a platform for advocacy and leadership has expanded into apparel, stationery, gifts, and accessories that embody brilliance, sophistication, and cultural intention. This isn’t just a brand — it’s a cultural engine. Using cultural curation as its foundation, FTLOBG is not just producing merch or even telling stories, it’s curating culture through design, retail, aesthetics, and digital presence. I built every aspect of its startup identity. From brand architecture to voice, visual systems, and rollout strategy, I continue to lead its graphic design, social media development, and content creation to ensure the brand is intentional, consistent, and invested at every touchpoint.EXPERTISE APPLIED
Building FOR THE LOVE OF BLACK GIRLS® demanded the full spectrum of my expertise — every skill I’ve honed across strategy, design, culture, and execution.
Startup Identity & Brand Architecture
Apparel, Accessories & Stationery Design
Graphic Design & Visual Storytelling
Social Media Development & Content Creation
Retail & E-Commerce Development
Cultural Curation
Creative DirectionClick to view website.
CREDITS:
Photographer - Sherine Tate
Creative Direction - Shaleah Laché Sutton & Island Saige Lewis
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Transforming Space for High-Stakes Conversations.
I led a full-scale transformation of Eddie V’s private dining room in Cherry Hill, New Jersey into a tailored environment for a private, high-stakes convening. Partnering with outside vendors, I executed a redesign that elevated the space beyond hospitality into a stage for influence and decision-making. The result was an environment designed for impact, where every detail reinforced the weight of the conversations taking place.CAPABILITIES IN ACTION
High-Stakes Event Production
Vendor Sourcing & Management
Experiential Design & Room Transformation
Private Client Consultation
Budget Strategy & Oversight
CREDITS:
Photography & Creative Direction - Shaleah Laché Sutton
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Building a Statewide Platform for Women’s Advancement.
Partnering with Delaware’s newly created Office of Women’s Advancement & Advocacy (OWAA), I developed its digital face and social presence from the ground up, transforming followers into legislative action takers. I provided design leadership on annual reports, major event programs, and digital publications; advocated for the launch of de.gov/women as a statewide resource hub; and delivered digital projects for the Women’s Workforce Council, Commission for Women, and Women’s Hall of Fame Committee. Through strategy, design, and execution, I equipped OWAA with a cohesive platform that amplified women’s voices, engaged communities across the state of Delaware, and positioned the office as a lasting institution for advocacy and change.
EXPERTISE APPLIED
Strategic Consultation
Digital & Social Media Strategy
Legislative Advocacy Campaigns
Website & Platform Development
Design Direction
Event Co-Production
Creative Ideation & Campaign Design
Community Engagement & Conversion Strategy
Content Creation
Stakeholder Collaboration & Partnership StrategyCREDITS:
Creative Direction & Collateral Designer - Shaleah Laché Sutton
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Not another program. We built an alternative to reach Black boys.
I co-created Reach Black Boys™ with my son, Sir Brandon Lewis, around a simple idea: reach Black boys right where they are, so they can go places they’ve never been.
Rather than building a traditional youth program, we created a mobilization enterprise designed to bring partners, resources, experiences, and investment directly into the spaces Black boys already occupy. Through 1526, I led the strategy, brand development, creative direction, partnership building, program design, and execution that took Reach Black Boys from an idea between mother and son to work happening in classrooms across the city of Philadelphia.
Literacy became our first focus—not because boys needed another message telling them to read, but because we saw an opportunity to make reading feel more connected to the things that already had their attention.
That thinking led to INCREDIBLE ME™, a 12-week boys-only book club piloted with third through fifth graders at Richard R. Wright Elementary School in North Philadelphia to connect elementary-aged boys to books, sports, and experiences beyond the page. This is a partnership with Read to Succeed Philadelphia.
Along the way, we’ve brought schools, literacy organizations, city partners, libraries, creatives, sports writers, and community leaders into the work—each contributing something different to what Black boys get to experience.
We didn't build Reach Black Boys to replace what already exists. We built it to mobilize people, resources, and opportunities on behalf of Black boys.
Learn more at reachblackboys.com.
EXPERTISE APPLIED
Concept Development
Brand Strategy & Development
Creative Direction
Website Design & Content Development
Program Design
Partnership Development
Community Mobilization
Youth Engagement Strategy
Strategic Communications
Program ExecutionCREDITS:
Shaleah Laché Sutton
Photography - Sherine Tate
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Honoring Legacy, Inspiring the Next Generation.
In collaboration with PassionArt Design House and UNIQUELY YOU SUMMIT, I co-produced The Game Plan for Black Girls: a six-week art series inspired by basketball culture and a tribute to Philadelphia native and coaching icon Dawn Staley. This project blended art, sport, and advocacy to amplify Black girls’ voices and connect them to a living legacy of excellence, Dawn Staley. It culminated in local events and media coverage that showcased how cultural storytelling can both honor history and spark the future.EXPERTISE APPLIED
Program & Series Design
Strategic Collaboration & Partnerships
Cultural Curation
Cultural Event Production
Creative Direction & Campaign Storytelling
Youth Engagement Strategy
Press & Visibility Amplification
Click to see press coverage.
CREDITS:
Co-Creative Direction - Serena Saunders (@mspassionart) & Shaleah Laché Sutton
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Different Stakes, Same Room.
I was tapped by a private, high-stakes client to reimagine Eddie V’s dining space in Cherry Hill, New Jersey as a Dallas Cowboys–themed sports lounge engineered for influence, luxury, and decision-making. Partnering with outside vendors, I built a tailored environment that fused the energy of the NFL with the discretion required for deal-making at the highest level.CAPABILITIES IN ACTION
High-Stakes Event Production
Experiential Design & Room Transformation
Creative Concept Development
Vendor Sourcing & Management
Luxury Environment Styling
Private Client Consultation
Budget Strategy & Oversight
CREDITS:
Photography & Creative Direction - Shaleah Laché Sutton
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Black Girls at the Center.
2016 was a turning point. As the nation shifted from Obama to Trump, and the Black Lives Matter movement rose, I watched young Black girls navigate a climate that demanded their voices, yet too often denied them space. Black Girls at the Center is my documentation of that moment through the lens of UYS participants: my mentees, my girls, their real stories.I know Black girls carry undeniable leadership, yet I’ve seen them pushed to the margins. At the very moment their voices are most urgent, they remain overlooked, and this work refuses to let that truth go unseen.
EXPERTISE APPLIED
Movement Documentation — capturing youth leadership in a shifting political climateNarrative Framing — elevating Black girls from margin to center
Political Education — connecting young women directly with civic leaders
Cultural Commentary — positioning girlhood within national discourse
Leadership Cultivation — affirming power, potential, and visibility in real time
CREDITS:
Creative Direction - Shaleah Laché Sutton
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Fashioning Legacy Into Power.
With FOR THE LOVE OF BLACK GIRLS®, I designed The Presidential Collection: a limited capsule honoring Vice President Kamala Harris and her 2024 presidential candidacy. This wasn’t just apparel. It was a wearable declaration. Each piece carried the weight of history and the promise of possibility: affirming that Black girlhood, joy, and resilience belong on the world’s most powerful stages. By merging politics, culture, and fashion, the collection gave supporters a new way to wear their vote.CAPABILITIES IN ACTION
Capsule Collection Design & Development
Graphic Design & Visual Identity
Cultural Storytelling Through Fashion
Political Messaging as Wearable Art
Retail & E-Commerce Strategy
Social Media Creative DirectionCREDITS:
Creative Direction & Design - Shaleah Laché Sutton
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Theorems of Black Girlhood.
This series is a visual study of strength, symmetry, and spirit. Every braid, part, and pattern reveals the truth that Black girlhood carries its own blueprint: divine, natural, unapologetic. The Geometry of Black Girlhood captures what’s already on our heads as our unique architecture: living art, legacy, and design that cannot be replicated or reduced to trend. These images hold both the intimacy of our everyday and the grandeur of our genetic inheritance.
APPLIED EXPERTISE
Visual Canon Building — transforming everyday images into cultural archivesCultural Documentation — framing Black girlhood as design, not trend
Artistic Direction — styling and composition that honor natural geometry
Legacy Preservation — treating hair as architecture and heritage
Narrative Production — pairing image and language to declare strength as structure
CREDITS:
Creative Direction - Shaleah Laché Sutton
Photographer - Khanya Brann
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Real Girls. Powerhouse Women. A Summit That Changed the Game.
At the UNIQUELY YOU SUMMIT™, the brand identity was built on real Black girls (never stock images) and amplified by the high-caliber women who took the stage. From Mara Brock Akil to Tai Beauchamp and beyond, UYS became known for convening visionaries who not only spoke to girls, but reflected what was possible. Each year’s design direction drew from my vision: pairing portraits of girls I mentored with promotional campaigns that honored the women leading them. The result was a summit brand that became instantly recognizable: authentic faces in front, powerhouse women behind them, and an audience forever changed.
EXPERTISE APPLIED
Brand Identity & Creative Direction
Speaker & Facilitator Engagement
Cultural Photography Integration
Campaign Concepting & Design Direction
Youth Mentorship & Storytelling
High-Caliber Convening ProductionCREDITS:
Creative Direction - Shaleah Laché Sutton
Photographer - Joshua Black
