Fashion designer Miller McCoy returns to Iowa this weekend. (Photo: themillermccoy.com)
By Hailey Evans
Los Angeles-based fashion designer Miller McCoy will return to Des Moines this weekend to participate in the 2024 Bubble Ball, the annual ChildServe fundraiser set for April 20 at the Iowa Events Center.
The designer plans to show off a new garment (pictured) inspired by the 2001 movie “Spy Kids,” and he’s eager to support both his hometown and a charity that’s close to his heart.
As a child, McCoy spent some time at Blank Children’s Hospital, in treatment for chronic pain. “I’ve been in the same rooms as people whose lives have been altered by ChildServe,” he said. “It’s an amazing organization and an amazing cause. I’m glad I can be even a small part of this and inspired by everyone else who is working so hard on it.”
McCoy, 24, grew up in West Des Moines and took some fashion classes at Des Moines Area Community College. As he found his way into streetwear, he channeled his creativity into his own brand, HUMAN Clothing. He ran pop-up shops to sell his designs and gained a local following.
“I’d have lines that went down several blocks!” he said. “And then I thought, ‘If I can have this success in Iowa, I want to try and go bigger.” He moved to LA in 2019, but the first few months presented some roadblocks, and his internship fell through. He moved in with a few other guys in the fashion industry, including several from Iowa, and steadily worked to build up his brand.
Early on, he used a marketing technique called “product seeding,” which involved sending sample clothes and promo packages to rappers, influencers and other LA hotshots who might wear his designs. It worked. He befriended the rapper Trippie Redd, who began wearing McCoy’s designs and introducing him to his inner circle. By 2023, McCoy was working with several big-name rappers, including NLE Choppa and Action Bronson.
McCoy received the Shein Global Entrepreneur Award last year but said he still keeps his “blinders up.” “I don’t do this for the limelight or to gain celebrity status or anything like that. I just see it as growth, and taking those next steps to succeed in the industry I live in.”
Following his initial success with HUMAN, he created a full-service creative business called Limitless Manufacturing Group, which offers creative branding, business building, web design, merchandising and other marketing for music artists and creative professionals.
He plans to release a new HUMAN collection with B.B. Simon on April 26, right after his return to his roots.
“The CornFed Collection is actually inspired by the Midwest and the heritage of Iowa. It’s workwear — and vintage-inspired, with denim jackets, flannels, vintage T-shirts, the whole nine yards,” he said. He described the Midwest as warm, comforting and welcoming and hopes to capture that feel in his new designs
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