Areka Ikeler

Areka Ikeler is the 30-year-old founder of Fashion Ninja. She grew up in St. Francis, a small suburb on Milwaukee’s south side. She first learned to sew from her grandmother when she was 16-years-old. She attended St. Francis High School and went on to attend University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and Milwaukee Area Technical College for a short time before transferring to Mount Mary, where she spent three semesters majoring in fashion design. During this time she began developing her own collection that would come to be called Fashion Ninja, a nickname given to her years ago by her good friend and photographer, Darren Hoke, who was taking photos of her collection at the time. After becoming disenchanted with attending Mount Mary, Areka dropped out and began applying for loans to buy studio space. In 2003, she launched The Fashion Ninja School of Sewing and Design.

Fashion Ninja

Milwaukee--Fashion Ninja is a local boutique and sewing school created and designed by 31-year-old independent designer Areka Ikeler. In addition to producing her clothing line, Areka also runs the Fashion Ninja School of Sewing and Design. Founded in 2003, the Fashion Ninja School of Sewing and Design was created to provide education and encourage independent fashion culture through a supportive environment offering classes in sewing and fashion design, providing technical tools, supplies, and inspiration, while building a strong awareness about the fashion industry.The school offers five classes varying in length from 6 to 16 weeks. Courses include Introduction to Clothing Construction, Clothing Construction II, Draping 1, Building Pants, and Handbag Design. The classes range in price from $216 to $288 with the exception of Draping 1, which runs for $512. At her shop, Areka offers everything from sewing supplies, sewing machines, and fabric to various hardware and professional design tools. In addition to these classes, Areka offers three 2-hour sessions including Sewing Machine Operation, Introduction to Draping, and Business 101 D.I.Y. for $40 each.To individuals who prove qualified, Areka also offers an apprenticeship program that gives them the opportunity to gain real life business experience in sewing and design production. The program requires that the individual completes 120 hours over the course of 8 to 16 weeks, during which Areka offers them complete access to her studio and equipment to work on her personal collection as well as any projects of their own.In addition to producing fashion shows for the local market, Areka provides designers the option of selling their designs at her boutique—at 100-percent profit. Both the boutique and sewing school are located at 315 N. Plankinton in Milwaukee’s Third Ward. For more information visit www.fashionninja.com.