For Chicago designer Tisa Johnson-Banks, fashion is more than clothing — it’s healing. After experiencing profound personal loss, she returned to a skill she learned as a child: sewing. What began as a way to cope with grief became a powerful creative purpose.
Johnson-Banks creates custom garments that honor loved ones who have passed, stitching memory and meaning into every piece. Her designs resonate deeply with others navigating loss, offering comfort through wearable storytelling.
Her designs are deeply personal. She creates custom sweaters and garments that often memorialize loved ones, incorporating names, dates, and symbols that carry emotional weight. For many clients, her pieces are more than fashion — they are wearable stories of love, loss, and resilience.
What makes her work especially powerful is its ripple effect. People who are grieving see themselves reflected in her designs. They find comfort knowing someone understands their pain and has found a way to transform it into something tangible and beautiful. In this way, Johnson-Banks’ fashion doesn’t just heal her — it builds community.
A turning point came when one of her custom pieces gained attention on social media, even catching the eye of Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles-Owens. The moment brought visibility, increased demand, and new opportunities. But at the heart of her success remains the same purpose: honoring life through creativity.
As her story spread on social media, her work began to reach a wider audience, even gaining attention from Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles-Owens. The visibility brought an influx of support and orders, helping Johnson-Banks take a major step forward: purchasing a building in Chicago to serve as her studio and creative space.
However, owning the building came with unexpected challenges. Now, she is actively raising money to save and restore it, determined to preserve the space not only for her business, but as a place of purpose, creativity, and community. So far she has raised $21,000 and her goal is $46,000. The deadline to pay the balance is February 27.
