Under multi-colored strobing lights at ELMNT Lounge, women strut down a carpet runway to loud cheers and applause. Though not a formal fashion show, Runway Rave is giving attendees a chance to own the spotlight.
Last Friday’s Runway Rave marked the third installment in a series of themed nightlife events by I Love Hot Bitches (ILHB), a Milwaukee-based brand founded by CeCe Mihelich. ILHB hosts girls-only parties centered around community, empowerment, and fun.
Mihelich started ILHB two years ago after moving on from the T-shirt company she ran in college. The name came to her in a dream, inspired by an existing design. Her passion for supporting women stems from her time in the lingerie business, where she says she learned that “all women are just magic.”
She channeled this energy into the creation of I Love Hot Bitches, focusing on the idea that making a woman feel beautiful also reminds her of her power. The name might raise eyebrows, but Mihelich says that’s the point.
“When a man says, ‘Where all the hot bitches at?’ it’s kind of lame, but if a girl says, ‘Where all the hot bitches at?’ it’s phenomenal.”
In a city where nightlife for women means heading to the bars, unsolicited male attention, and no themed dress-ups, ILHB offers something different. For Mihelich, it’s a chance for people to connect around these “extremely unique girlhood experiences,” like wanting to walk the runway as a model.
She describes the brand’s mission as throwing parties “driven by joy and love,” with the broader goal of creating more girls-only parties in other cities.
“Saying ‘I love hot bitches’ is like saying ‘I love you on sight. I accept you.'”
Lily, Mihelich’s younger sister, calls ILHB events “kind of magical,” where “women are awesome, and we all want to support each other.”
That spirit is alive and well at ELMNT Lounge, where about 100 attendees—mostly women and nonbinary people in their 20s and 30s—fill the room, from aspiring models to friend groups looking for a fun night out. Some have heard about the event from Instagram; others are repeat attendees.
Ahjae and Olivia, both in Y2K-inspired fits, arrive together. Olivia admits her outfit is more than she’d typically wear to a bar, but she wants to go all-out for her first ILHB event.
Ahjae, who went to a past event in May, has returned because she loves how “the whole outside world melts away.” A lover of fashion, she hopes to see more opportunities for Milwaukee girls to dress up and show off.
As the DJ spins early 2000s female pop hits, guests shop from tables featuring vintage clothing, permanent jewelry, and press-on nails, all run by women-owned businesses.
Sofia Miller, founder of Kismet Jewelry, says her business was born from a desire to help women feel confident and empowered. Emily Breider, who sells vintage clothing through em & m, shares that she’s “obsessed” with all-women events and the chance to collaborate with other creative people.
Even the bartenders at the event are all women, sporting ILHB apparel behind the bar.
On the dance floor, guests throw their hands up without a care in the world, as clips from Victoria’s Secret fashion shows play on the screens in the background. Purses and drinks fill the tables—because, as one guest, Jasmine, puts it, an all-girls space means “no creepy men following you around.”
Sierra, a close friend of Mihelich, returns to support her and to watch people let loose in ways they might not with men around. “Being a hot bitch means knowing I’m so unique, and I’m hot no matter what anyone else says.”
Having a women-centered space “allows for being yourself and feeling more free,” Julia observes. Another guest, CJ, came expecting more of a rave, but found something better. “I don’t feel as self-conscious,” she says.
“I have the prettiest friends,” she adds, cheering for them as they pose at the end of the runway.
As the night unfolds, friends film each other dancing and strutting down the runway in strappy sandals and platform sneakers. As emcee, Mihelich cheers on each person who walks the carpet.
Sydney, a model and college student, shouts over the music: “I’ve been waiting for Milwaukee to have this shit!” She offers runway tips to anyone nervous to walk, holding hands with first-timers as they flounce down together.
Watching from the crowd, Sophia, a first-time attendee, smiles. “I love to see girls supporting girls.” Next to her, her friend Mikaela agrees.
“This is the definition of girlhood,” she says.
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