FLINT, Michigan — It was a hot, sun-soaked summer evening in Flint, Michigan, when Adriana Lanice, CEO of La BelleWerk and producer of the 810 Fashion Show, met for an interview at The Market Tap. Nestled on the upper level of the Flint Farmers’ Market, the rooftop bar was bustling with patrons and the sounds of ice clinking in glasses, live music, and chatter.

Lanice arrived in a striking burgundy sheer dress with a slit that was elegant, commanding, and entirely on brand. The way she carried herself was reminiscent of her shows: polished, bold, and undeniably hers.

Despite the heat, Lanice posed and modeled across Flint Farmers Market, journeying through beds of rock and grass, lying up against concrete walls and growing ivy, and braving the sun's rays with a composed and girlish ease. Even as she sipped her drink, her posture remained graceful. Her poise, she later explained, is no accident.

“Elegance,” she said with emphasis. “Everywhere I go, I make sure I hold a standard for myself and even for my girls as well.”

Lanice’s influence in Flint’s fashion scene is hard to overstate. As the founder of La BelleWerk and the driving force behind the 810 Fashion Show — a quarterly event that blends high fashion, music, and storytelling — she’s created a cultural institution that uplifts local talent while attracting national attention. But her journey didn’t begin with glitter and lights.

“My leadership style is very stern, but caring,” she explained. “I drill ’em hard, but it works out because they learn a lot. They get all of my 13 years of knowledge in their first month.” That militant approach is grounded in experience. Lanice is a veteran of the U.S. Army and a former firefighter, roles that instilled a sense of structure, discipline, and unshakable focus.

Bryce Mata | FlintsidePictured on July 15, 2025, submerged in shrubbery, Adriana Lanice knows the cost associated with building an empire.“The Army helped me be so much mentally stronger,” she shared. “It molded me into being very aware and very intentional. I move with my mind.”

Her path to fashion dominance was driven by early determination. As a teenager, she was told to choose a “realistic” career. That moment stuck with her. “If you don't think I can do it, I will show you better than I can tell you,” she said. That inner fire has never dimmed.

Her career is marked by thoughtful curation, intentional mentorship, and unapologetic self-belief. She credits Detroit fashion leader Daishawn “Jelly” Franklin, Producer of the Indie Fashion Show, as a key mentor. “I started off modeling with him, then coaching, then managing, and became his assistant. I’ve been to New York Fashion Week, Miami Swim Week, L.A. Fashion Week, and I bring all of that back home.”

That homegrown mission is central to everything she does. “Why not bring it here? Bring those people here. See our fashion, see our models,” she said. “I want our models to wake up and know that they can get paid, that they have a fashion show coming up, and they’re making money for the city.”

Bryce Mata | Flintside"I’m very protective of my energy. People want to feed off it, and I don’t want to give them any food,” explains Lanice on July 15, 2025. Her shows are about more than catwalks. They’re about community. “It’s a family,” she said. “Any birthday — baby, we’re all coming. We talk to each other about everything, stay positive, keep that good energy no matter what we do.” This familial atmosphere has produced transformative success stories, like that of a 17-year-old designer and model.

“She designed in 20 fashion shows just this year alone,” Lanice said, her voice swelling with pride. “She’s been in 17 published magazines, she’s been to New York Fashion Week, and we plan to go to Paris next. She told me, ‘You don’t even know, you guys saved my life.’”

Representation is woven into the fabric of Lanice’s work, both intentionally and instinctively. “We are very diverse, very open,” she said. “Everybody gets the opportunity to do everything, and we look at everybody the same. I have a few trans models I love to death.”

As a Black queer woman in a leadership role, Lanice navigates her visibility with purpose and protection. “I keep my public life separate,” she admitted. “Most people know I date girls, but I don’t post about it. I’m very protective of my energy. People want to feed off it, and I don’t want to give them any food.”

That awareness of public perception doesn’t hinder her authenticity; it sharpens it. “Everything I do is with a purpose. As long as you stick with that purpose, your vision will come to life,” she said. “Whatever I feel in here,” she tapped her chest, “I put it out there for everybody to see.”

Bryce Mata | FlintsidePurpose. Passion. Longetivity. These are some of the words to describe Adriana Lanice and all that she's accomplished, pictured on July 15, 2025.Her vision has already expanded beyond Flint. Her team has traveled to Atlanta and New York, with eyes set on Paris. Still, the heart of the 810 Fashion Show remains local. “We always have who we need there,” she said. “Every single show has a purpose for somebody.”

Yet, the road hasn’t always been smooth. “Sometimes I walk into venues, and it’s like, ‘It’s a little Black girl asking about this space?’ But once I put that production on, they are mind blown,” she laughed. “They see the professionalism. If we say we’re out of here at 10:30, we’re out at 10:30 — cleaned up, locked up, gone.”

That professionalism is rooted not just in talent, but in tenacity. “I don’t like to get discouraged. I’m a problem solver,” she said. “Whatever comes to me, I have to figure out the way to solve it.”

As Flint undergoes a renaissance of art, culture, and innovation, Lanice sees fashion playing a pivotal role. “It opens doors that our people normally wouldn’t think would be open,” she said. “Somebody told me, ‘This is the type of stuff I see on TV. I never thought I’d be in it.’”

That’s the magic of what Adriana Lanice is doing: making the extraordinary feel accessible, even inevitable.

“Whatever you can think of, you can do it,” she said. “If you can think it, do it. I feel like I’m the proof. Let’s do it, and let’s rock out until we can’t no more.”

Learn more about Adriana Lanice, the 810 Fashion Show, and La BelleWerk on Facebook.