The Art of Becoming – Grand Rapids and the Quiet Rise of a Fashion City
- Brainz Magazine
- Oct 16
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 17
Rich Nollen is one of the most respected healthcare business development professionals in the US and a global thinker, known for creating strategies that drive growth. As founder and CEO of Innovare HP, he specializes in demand capture and pipeline acceleration, helping healthcare brands forge meaningful connections and create lasting impact.
Grand Rapids never asks for attention, it earns it. It doesn’t roar like New York or shimmer like LA. It hums, a low, steady vibration that starts in old brick buildings and seeps through alley murals, local coffee roasters, and late-night studios where artists still chase light.
Photo credit: Julia Becker
On October 4, 2025, that hum turned into a crescendo at DeVos Place when RC Caylan’s “One Night Only” transformed the city’s creative pulse into a full symphony of fashion, art, and emotion.
The night Grand Rapids dressed up to speak
You could feel it the moment you walked in, that mix of elegance and electricity, the kind of energy that happens when a city realizes it’s ready to be seen.
RC Caylan didn’t just present a collection, he staged a conversation.
Gowns that shimmered like liquid glass, silhouettes that carried the drama of opera, and details so intentional they bordered on spiritual. Every look felt like a memory, of resilience, of identity, of grace stitched into fabric.
There was no rush. No pretense. Just beauty meeting purpose in its purest form.
A city ready for its spotlight
For years, Grand Rapids has quietly built a foundation for art to thrive, through ArtPrize, the Grand Rapids Art Museum, and the countless makers who’ve refused to leave for “bigger” markets.
But this show felt like a shift. A moment when Grand Rapids wasn’t just hosting art, it was owning it.
Behind the scenes, you could sense collaboration at every turn, local stylists, photographers, models, musicians, and volunteers coming together like threads in a tapestry. This wasn’t just a show, it was community couture.
RC Caylan and the art of staying rooted
For Romel Caylan, the designer behind RC Caylan Atelier, “One Night Only” wasn’t a return, it was a reaffirmation. His atelier, tucked inside Breton Village in Grand Rapids, has long been a haven for artistry that feels both global and deeply personal. Every gown, every stitch, carries the duality of his craft, precision worthy of Paris, warmth born of the Midwest.
This time, Caylan unveiled his Spring/Summer 2026 “ReImagine” Collection, a breathtaking study in transformation and courage. The pieces moved like poetry, structured yet fluid, powerful yet profoundly human. They didn’t just walk the runway, they carried a message, that renewal isn’t about reinvention, but about remembering who we are beneath the noise.
Caylan has shown on international runways, but his creative compass has always pointed home. And with “One Night Only,” he didn’t just showcase a collection, he showcased a city. He reminded the world that refinement doesn’t need to fly in from somewhere else, it’s already here, quietly thriving in a studio where ambition meets empathy, and where elegance is redefined on local soil.
The show ended with a standing ovation, but what stayed wasn’t applause. It was gratitude and a collective realization that Grand Rapids’ creative heart beats louder than ever.
Photo credit: Matt David
The quiet revolution of creativity
What makes Grand Rapids different is that it doesn’t chase trends, it nurtures truth.
Its creatives, from fashion to fine art, are fueled by authenticity, not algorithm. They create not because the world demands it, but because they can’t not.
And that’s what will make this city unstoppable.
The future of fashion here won’t be built on flash, it’ll be built on feeling, on stories woven from local threads, stitched by hands that understand both craft and care.
The heartbeat beneath the glamour
As I stepped out of DeVos Place that night, the city lights felt softer, like Grand Rapids had exhaled. The buzz of conversation spilled into the streets, heels clicked against pavement, and the air carried that unmistakable mix of pride and possibility.
I thought about what it means for a city to grow up quietly, to build momentum without losing its soul. Grand Rapids is doing exactly that.
And if this show was any indication, it’s no longer waiting to be discovered, it’s defining itself, one creation at a time. To RC Caylan, and to the dreamers who see art not as luxury but as language, thank you for showing us what becoming looks like.
Read more from Rich Nollen
Rich Nollen, BSN, RN, Healthcare Marketing and Strategic Growth
Rich Nollen is a nurse turned entrepreneur and the driving force behind Innovare HP, a healthcare marketing agency that's transforming how providers connect with communities. After transitioning from bedside to boardroom, Rich’s journey has been nothing short of wild, fueled by a passion to spark ideas, share stories, and empower others. With a growing presence across multiple states, including Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and California, Innovare HP is committed to making healthcare more accessible and impactful. Rich’s message, if a nurse can dream big and invest in change, so can you.
