Chamber 115: Participant Spotlight on Ayanna Ali
Today, we’re sitting down with Ayanna Ali, owner of Chamber 115 by AlterEgo Expressions. Through the Seattle Restored pop-up program, Ayanna is realizing her vision of building community around art, alternative apparel, and immersive experiences.
Q: Tell us about your business. What inspired your pop-up concept?
Alter Ego Expressions is an artwear brand that combines original artwork with fashion and lifestyle products. Our pop-up concept was inspired by a desire to reimagine what shopping can feel like: immersive, community-driven, and centered on storytelling through art. Each piece tells a story and gives people a way to express individuality through wearable art. We partner with other indie artists and creatives to use our platform to bring more exposure to their creations and community events. The pop-up format allows us to bring that vision to life and highlight Seattle’s creative energy while supporting local artists and alternative culture.
Q: Why did you apply for Seattle Restored? how will this opportunity help you reach your goals?
I applied because Seattle Restored aligns perfectly with my vision of building community around art, alternative apparel, and immersive experiences. Chamber 115, our new concept store in Pioneer Square, represents a major milestone for my brand, Alter Ego Expressions, and we’re honored to have a role in revitalizing downtown Seattle and drawing more people to take a second look at Pioneer Square.
This opportunity gives me the support and visibility to establish a creative hub where artwear, storytelling, and technology collide. It also helps me expand beyond retail into programming, collaborations, and digital interactive experiences, pushing forward both my personal growth as an artist and designer and the evolution of the brand.
Q: What’s the most rewarding part of your business? how do you hope to impact the community?
The most rewarding part of my business is seeing how people connect with the artwork and use it as a form of self-expression. Watching someone light up when they find a piece that reflects their identity or resonates with their story reminds me why I started Alter Ego Expressions in the first place.
Through Chamber 115, I hope to create more than just a retail experience, I want to build a safe space and creative hub where art, fashion, and community intersect. My goal is to provide visibility for underrepresented artists, celebrate Seattle’s diverse creative culture, and inspire others to explore their own self-expression. By fostering these connections, I hope to positively impact the community by offering both inspiration and opportunity.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know about you or your business?
Alter Ego Expressions is an artwear brand and movement around the idea of “Wear More Art.” Every piece features my original artwork and brings my bold characters and surreal storytelling into everyday fashion. With Chamber 115, we’ve created an underground creative space where shopping feels like entering a gallery-meets-portal, a place to experience art in a way that feels raw, immersive, and unapologetically alternative.
Q: Do you have any events or collaborations coming up?
Yes! Chamber 115 will be hosting “Chamber After Dark” during Pioneer Square Art Walk each month—a late-night sensory experience under dim lights, neon glows, and shadows, where artwear, ambient soundscape, and fashion converge. We’re also running our Black Vault vendor program, spotlighting local indie and alternative creators whose work resonates with the aesthetic of Alter Ego Expressions.
I’m also working on collaborations with standout fashion designers to develop proof-of-concepts and final pieces for my new couture tapestry dress line—most notably Andreya Taylor of Be Meticulously Eccentric (Las Vegas, NV), whose designs have graced the runway at New York Fashion Week.
Music is a core part of what drives my creative vision, especially the underground and alt scenes here in Seattle. That’s why I’m thrilled to partner with Museum of Terror, lead vocalist for Seattle band Undulation, who will be the featured model for the campaign launching the new dress collection. Undulation’s music—a fierce, evocative blend of blackened-death-metal, melodic black metal, and ritualistic atmosphere—embodies a raw power and theatricality I want to capture in this photoshoot collaboration.
More details and event announcements—including dates, featured creatives, and previews—will be shared on our Instagram, @alterego_exp. Can’t wait to bring this cross-disciplinary underground energy to life.
Q: If you could give one piece of advice to locals, what would it be?
Support your local creatives and independent businesses! You’re not just buying a product, you’re fueling the growth of Seattle’s creative ecosystem. The culture we want to see in our city tomorrow starts with how we show up for each other today. Building a relationship with local vendors and businesses can open up opportunities that you never would have imagined.
Q: What’s your favorite Seattle Restored activation, and why?
I’ve enjoyed learning about them all, especially getting to know neighboring businesses on my block who are also part of the Seattle Restored program (shout out Studio 7117 and Cebreazy Paints). I haven’t had a chance to visit all of the locations yet, but I love the way Seattle Restored has transformed vacant spaces into living, breathing showcases of creativity. Our location is an old building that’s well-preserved, and when you can feel the history of Pioneer Square when walk through the gates!
Each Seattle Restored project proves how powerful it is to activate underutilized spaces and give artists and entrepreneurs a platform. My favorite examples are the pop-ups that blend art and retail, because they create an experience that’s both inspiring and accessible to the community.
Q: Where would you take visitors or a group of friends for a fun, relaxed experience in Seattle?
I’d take them to the Pioneer Square Art Walk for a mix of history, art, and underground energy. Between the art galleries, street murals, hidden shops, and local food spots, it’s the perfect place to explore. And of course, now I’d lead them down into Chamber 115 to experience Art After Dark — our unforgettable underground shopping-meets-art activation.
Q: What are you looking forward to the most in the coming year?
I’m looking forward to fully bringing Chamber 115 to life—not just as a retail store, but as a true creative hub for community, collaboration, and immersive experiences. What visitors see today is only the foundation of a much larger vision for what the Chamber can become, and thanks to Seattle Restored we are on our way to achieving it.
We recently launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to invite backers to help unlock the full potential of this space. With the additional support, we’ll be able to expand beyond physical retail and dive deeper into digital frontiers, including AR/VR try-ons, interactive storytelling, and digital fashion inspired by the bold characters at the heart of Alter Ego Expressions.
Most of all, I’m excited to see how Seattle embraces this vision and grows with us—turning Chamber 115 into not only a place to shop, but a destination where art, fashion, and technology collide in unforgettable ways.
Visit Chamber 115
Address:
115 Cherry St.
Seattle, WA 98125
Open hours:
Tuesday-Saturday: 1:00-6:00pm
Dates: September 15 – January 15, 2026