BEING part of The Runway Ball has taught me many things, but the biggest lesson of all is this: the runway is never just about the clothes. It’s about the people behind them — the visionaries, the risk-takers, the artists who stitch their heart into every hem. And this year, three of those voices I admire deeply are stepping back into the spotlight with us: Mpoze’s Stephanie Muñoz, Solo Jubin, and Graciela Rivas.
These aren’t just designers. They’re creators who choose to build beauty from the ground up, no matter how relentless, messy, magical, or maddening the process may be. And watching them return to the Runway Ball Season 3 stage feels like watching the city of Boston claim its fashion identity louder than ever.
I STILL remember the first time I saw work from each of them.
From my VIP front row runway seat, Stephanie’s Mpoze silhouettes — bold, sculptural, and undeniably powerful — had this energy that made you stand a little taller just being near them during Season 1 on that Runway Ball stage.
Last year, Season 2, Solo’s pieces felt like a heartbeat on fabric, each one daring and expressive, like he was saying, “Go ahead, try to ignore me.”
And then there’s Graciela, whose garments float into a room like a poem — romantic, intentional, and crafted with the kind of integrity that reminds you fashion can still be an art form. Graciela’s collection made that very clear, during the inaugural Runway Ball season in 2023.
And now, they’re all coming back for Season 3. Same stage. Bigger vision.
WHEN Amanda Vargus (hi honey!) Matt Ribaudo, and Jimmie Espo created The Runway Ball, they dreamt of a platform that wasn’t just another event, but a movement. A declaration that Boston has designers worth celebrating — designers who don’t need New York, Paris, or Milan to validate their artistry.
We have brilliance right here, on our own streets, in our own studios, at our own dining-room tables where sketches and fabric swatches share space with coffee cups and late-night ambition.
That’s what excites me most about the return of Stephanie, Solo, and Graciela — it’s not just a reunion. It’s a reminder of what we’re building.
Stephanie brings this razor-sharp understanding of how fashion empowers identity. She’s been sewing since she was seven, and somehow her work still has the curiosity and fearlessness of that little girl who first discovered she could create something out of nothing. When you wear Mpoze, you feel seen — not as who you are, but as who you’re becoming.
Solo, on the other hand, is an energy all his own. Growing up navigating a learning disability, he turned fashion into his language — and wow, does he speak it fluently now. His work is unapologetic, expressive, and intricate in ways that most people miss unless they pause long enough to appreciate the layers. He reminds us that fashion isn’t just fabric. It’s storytelling.
And Graciela… she pours elegance and vulnerability into every garment. Her designs are crafted, not manufactured — slow fashion at its most intentional. Watching her pieces glide down the runway feels like witnessing the merging of past and future, each silhouette a little love letter to strength and femininity.
BUT HERE’S the truth people rarely see: getting these designers on a stage, coordinating collections, aligning looks with the theme, building cohesive storylines through clothing… it’s anything but effortless. It’s hours of planning, revising, fittings, re-fittings, and emotional whiplash. It’s creative euphoria one day and “how are we possibly going to pull this off?” the next.
AS WE count down to showtime, I’ve been thinking a lot about why fashion matters, why this event matters, and why these designers matter. Fashion, at its core, is communication. Before we speak, before we introduce ourselves, before we even make eye contact — our clothing tells the room who we are. These designers create the language for that first impression.
So when the lights go down and the music hits, and the runway becomes that breathtaking tunnel of possibility, I know the audience won’t just be seeing clothes. They’ll be seeing confidence. They’ll be seeing identity. They’ll be seeing artistry. And they’ll be witnessing the work of three designers who deserve every ounce of applause they receive.
Ladies and gentlemen, they’re back. And trust me — they’re ready to own the runway once again.
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Soufiane Boutrig, aka ‘Lil Boss’ is the Pose Coach & Chief of Security for BostonMan Magazine. Recognized as one of the sharpest dressed men in the city, a resident of the North End, he credits styles from his native Morocco, many famous Italian men, and his favorite hip hop artists with influencing his look. For Boston’s Runway Ball he helps to style the members of his security team to ensure they are ‘high fashion’ and on-brand with the show.
