By Carita Miller

From Style Icon to Community Architect, Rufus Bartell is Leading Detroit’s Most Dynamic Cultural Revival—One Block, One Blazer, One Vision at a Time.

As the sun rises over Detroit’s Avenue of Fashion, there’s a hum in the air—not just of morning traffic or opening shop doors, but of a movement in full bloom. Standing in the heart of this renaissance is Rufus Bartell: entrepreneur, fashion tastemaker, community developer, and the heartbeat behind the city’s most anticipated summer celebration—LIGHT UP Livernois.

Dressed in his signature sharply tailored blazer, eyes scanning the avenue he’s helped transform, Rufus doesn’t just talk about vision—he lives it. “Everything starts with vision,” he tells us. And it’s that very ethos that's turned a once-fading stretch of Livernois into a cultural and economic hub pulsing with Black creativity, commerce, and pride.

You don’t need to scroll far on Rufus’s Instagram to understand what drives him. His bio reads like a mission statement: Love: God + Family + Community. Fashion. Hospitality. Developer. Tastemaker. Eventmaker. Business Leader. Kappa Alpha Psi. Detroit Loyal since 4 ever.

These aren’t just hashtags—they’re a code. A lifestyle. A promise.

For over a decade, Rufus has owned and operated Simply Casual Clothing Store, a local institution that’s more than just a place to shop—it’s a beacon for Detroiters seeking culture, identity, and community under one roof. “Style is how we communicate our value before we even speak,” Rufus explains. “It’s a statement of self-worth. And in Detroit, we have a lot to say.”

At the core of his latest initiative is LIGHT UP Livernois, the explosive street festival that draws thousands every year to experience Detroit’s creative brilliance. This year’s event, taking place Saturday, July 5th, 2025, is expected to be the biggest yet—stretching from 6 Mile to 8 Mile with stages, art installations, fashion vignettes, and over 300 small business activations.

“This isn’t just an event,” Rufus says. “It’s a statement of presence. A reclamation of space. A celebration of what it means to be from Detroit.”

Highlights include:

Live Fashion Vignettes featuring designers from across the city.

Art & Film Panels spotlighting Black creatives in cinema.

Hospitality Suites and lounges hosted by Amazon, StockX, and local partners.

Sound Stages & DJs energizing every corner of the street.

Pop-up Retail & Dining experiences from local vendors, curated by Rufus himself.

The festival is about more than spectacle—it’s economic strategy in motion. “This is how you build infrastructure,” Rufus says. “You center community and let culture lead.”

Rufus’s fashion is more than fabric. His looks—blazers, fedoras, vibrant colors, deliberate tailoring—are an extension of his philosophy. “I wear my message,” he says. “Confidence. Legacy. Pride.”

But behind the looks is hard work. Rufus sits on boards, mentors youth, curates cultural programming, and anchors economic development—all while amplifying the narrative of Detroit as a city of innovation, not ruin.

This summer’s LIGHT UP Livernois is just one chapter. Rufus is already thinking ahead—expanding his retail footprint, developing community-centered spaces, and mentoring the next generation of Detroit leaders.

“My job isn’t just to shine—it’s to hand out the light,” he says with a quiet smile.

Because Detroit is in a new era—one shaped by doers, dreamers, and developers like Rufus. In a world that often looks past local changemakers, we’re spotlighting a man who’s making national moves from a neighborhood corner.

With faith in one hand and fashion in the other, Rufus Bartell is proving that style can be strategy—and vision can rebuild cities.

“Detroit, this is for us. Light it up.”

– Rufus Bartell, July 5th, 2025