By Ameera Steward | For the Birmingham Times
On Friday, October 30, 2026, Erica Smith-Patterson — better known as designer Erica Nicole — will bring her fashion brand, Haus of 81 Fine Designs, to the Magic City Classic.
Held at Mabel’s on 3rd in Birmingham, The Yard, Redefined: A Culture & Couture Runway Experience, will be Nicole’s first official fashion show showcasing streetwear and avant-garde designs that translate traditional collegiate themes.
“This collection is for every HBCU alum, every trendsetter, and everyone who’s ever been told their style is ‘too much,’” Erica Nicole stated in a press release. She added that for those told their style is ‘too much,’ The Yard, Redefined proves it never was.
Founded at an HBCU
Born in Texas, Erica Nicole moved to Birmingham in 6th grade after her father’s military job relocated her family. She attended Bottenfield Middle School and graduated from Minor High School in 2000.
Erica Nicole, 44, first learned about fashion through her family. Her mom, Dorarith Smith, and her grandmother, Eddie Lou Diggs, used to make clothes and pageant dresses for her when she was younger.
“I used to watch her make dresses…[and do] alterations on her clothes and our clothes…it just looked really interesting to me, so it stuck with me,” she said. “My mom taught me a few things, but…[neither her mom nor her grandmother realized] that I was actually paying attention [while they were] sewing.”
Erica Nicole attended Alabama A&M University but didn’t graduate. She felt school wasn’t for her. But with design she found her place. In college, she began cutting and pinning clothing together to create something new and different. Although she didn’t sell pieces for money, she did do trades.
“I [would] get my hair braided, and I would make [the hairstylist’s] outfit for football games,” she explained.
When she returned home, she began making dresses and other designs for herself and her friends to wear when they would go out. “I really was just [designing] for fun,” she said. “But now I want more than just my friends to see my designs. I want my designs to be seen and be known.”
The Classic Meets The Yard
The Yard, Redefined: A Culture & Couture Runway Experience will be held at Mabel’s on 3rd, Friday, October 30, during the week of the Magic City Classic, with doors opening at 5:30 pm and the runway show beginning at 6:30 pm.
Attendees can expect to see deconstructed and reconstructed clothing inspired by the 90s.
“I like to use pieces of clothes that I get from the thrift [store] to use them as fabrics more so than going to fabric stores or sourcing online [sites] for fabric,” Nicole said, but she wouldn’t place Haus of 81 within the sustainable category because everything isn’t made from thrift store pieces.
Additionally, people can also expect a taste of HBCUs for this particular show.
“I wanted my theme…for this line to be more about clothing that is reminiscent of the 90s, early 2000s, like being at an HBCU and the impact that I feel HBCUs have had on culture, fashion, and style,” she said. “This line is going to lean more towards people of color.”
She added that the week of the Magic City Classic was perfect timing for The Yard because “since I was born, The Classic, [has been] something I’ve always known and associated with HBCUs.”
Erica Nicole’s family has an enduring connection to HBCUs. Her grandparents and aunt taught at Alabama A&M. Her parents, she, and her brother attended A&M. Attending The Classic has “always been a tradition. And thinking about the [clothing] line…and thinking about my nod to HBCUs, I thought it would be a really good weekend,” to showcase her designs, she said.
“I’m excited for my city to see my mind, my brain [and] what I come up with and…to get my designs out there because I feel like my designs are my artwork, and I want people to see that.”
Erica Nicole’s pieces are custom and made to order. She said she wants to stay exclusive for now and give her customers something no one else will have.
The Yard will be held October 30 at Mabel’s on 3rd, located at 3120 3rd Ave. S., Birmingham. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the show starts at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available on Eventbrite. Follow Erica Nicole on Instagram at @81fine_haus.
