Michael Sullivan | HAUS Founder, Owner & Creative Director
Michael is a passionate, fast-paced fashion designer and wardrobe stylist and tailor who's vocational efforts extend between Denver, Colorado, and Los Angeles, California. He utilizes his talents through collaboration and wardrobe tailoring and has contributed to various projects for companies such as Refinery29, Gentle Monster, and Charles David Shoes as well as clients such as J White Did It, SUCH, Selina Albright, and Ms. Lauryn Hill.
As the Founding Owner and Creative Director, HAUS, Michael has dedicated his passions and education to sustainable production methods, bespoke garment construction, pattern making as well as charitable event planning to benefit his community.
His line's most recent collection, Reclaim BlaQ, debuted at New York Fashion Week September 09, 2023, and since has been published on bet.com, xonecole.com, elle.com - Slovenia, and glamour.com - Bulgaria. He aspires to help educate people in the communities he belongs to as well as open doors for other black and black-LGBTQIA+ creatives
Tennisia Littleton | HAUS Editorial Director
Experienced Conservator with a demonstrated history of working in the creative industries. Skilled in Multi-media production, Production Management, brand management, creative direction, Hair and Makeup Artist services for (weddings, photoshoots, fashion shows, and special events), and Event Management + Coordination. 28 years of experience as a published professional.
Raya Lynn | HAUS Hair & Beauty Director
“Hello! I’m Raya and I can’t wait to take care of you!
A little about me…
I truly love and am passionate about hair and the impact it has on our self esteem and confidence. Your hair is the crown you never take off and it’s my goal to make sure you love that crown every day!
I’m an education junkie and never stop learning new techniques, the latest sciences behind product, and new information about hair in general!
I have over 30 certifications for various product lines, chemical services, extensions, and specialty services. This includes CURLY hair!
If you have thin hair, thick hair, long hair, short hair, curly hair, straight hair…I’m your girl!
As well as making you all fabulous looking from behind the chair, I have been involved in the fashion and film industry for many, many years! I get to be creative and still do hair in a different venue!
This includes anything from runway fashion shows, to editorial magazine shoots, & hairstylist for film/tv!”
Nizhoni Smocks | HAUS Business Operations Director
Nizhoni Smocks (she/her), an Afro-Indigenous woman, is a fierce advocate, facilitator and operations innovator. She left corporate America to pour back into the underserved and overlooked communities that she most connected with. She believes that you must go beyond being an ally to accomplice even though you're not a true stakeholder; their challenges are your challenges.
She understands the incredible impact that organizations have on real people’s lives. Nizhoni is constantly seeking and learning the skills that help organizations work smarter not harder. She deeply believes that organizational efficiency influences everything.
As featured on Colorado Voices, she shared experiences of growing up as an outsider on the Navajo Reservation and her journey of self-discovery while never fitting in. Nizhoni is a founding member of Black PRIDE Colorado and is the current Finance Director of YouthSeen.
Specialties: corporate training, organizational operations, project management, process management, academic transfer/articulation, communications, policy management, event planning, contract negotiation, database management, technical writing, asset management and higher education.
Clare Sobon | HAUS Public Relations Director
Clare Sobon serves as the Founder and Lead Publicist at WYN Public Relations. After spending seven years in frontline fundraising and marketing for higher education institutions, she set her sights on creating a boutique PR agency that supported up-and-coming entrepreneurs who had little to no PR strategy or influence.
That now-solved problem for multiple clients led to the birth of WYN PR in 2020, and placement for clients in BET, ELLE Magazine, XONECOLE, 5280 Magazine, and more.
Clare’s East Coast approach toward project management and relationship building has enabled WYN PR to strategically inform and support novice entrepreneurs about PR and Media Relations strategies while servicing their communications needs.
Native to Lamberene, Gabon by way of Franklin, NJ, she is anchored in faith, transparency, and actual work. Clare is excited to support the clients she serves in a way unique to her personality and drive for next-level success!
Christina Renee | Production Assistant
Christina Jones is a 34-year-old beauty professional currently serving as the NARS business manager at Nordstrom. With a passion for creativity and innovation, Christina has made significant strides in her career through her work at Nordstrom and as a freelance makeup artist. She brings her expertise to fashion shows, photoshoots, weddings, and other creative endeavors, always seeking to push the boundaries of traditional beauty concepts.
In 2022, Christina showcased her visionary approach by bringing a fashion designer, Crystal Lee, into Nordstrom and organizing a private event for TOMBOI and NARS cosmetics. Building on that success, she single-handedly orchestrated a large-scale event on the store’s first floor the following year.
Christina is also an integral part of the makeup team for Color of Fashion, participating in one of the largest fashion shows in Denver in September 2023. Her outstanding work earned her an invitation for her second season this year.
Christina will be working New York Fashion Week ‘24 for the first time with HAUS. She remains grateful to everyone who has supported her on her makeup journey, continuously exploring new ways to express her creativity and passion for beauty.
Santiago Arce | HAUS Design Assistant
Santiago is an upcoming designer by way of Bolivia. His fascination with silhouettes and history of the 1960’s fashion scene, as well as his love of detail has paved a way for him in the fashion realm at just 19 years old.
Michael Board II | HAUS Design Assistant
Michael is an actor, playwright, painter, fashion designer, recording artist, and most importantly the proud black uncle (minus the nieces and nephews) at the cook out wearing the woven sandals, cargo shorts, and fedora. Michael is proudly leading the Denver art scene into the future as the founder of CLRD PPL and the prince of Kiki House of Flora (Denver chapter).
Roy Barnet Jr. | HAUS Lead Photographer & Filmmaker
“I am a portrait photographer because I'm interested in capturing reality and emotion from a person. The essence of what makes each of us different. Yet, to me a portrait isn't only a photograph of a person, it's the soul and life of a moment in time. It can be a place, a feeling, or idea.
I was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I love being from Oklahoma, it's my blood, but I also love not being there now and could never live there again. The world is massive, and I've always been drawn to seeing as much as possible. I've always been interested in creativity, whether it be writing, making music, or "taking pictures". However, it was my time at Oklahoma State University that introduced me to new experiences, opportunities, and began to take me from taking pictures to loving photography and creating art. My fourth year of university was spent studying in Osaka, Japan at 関西外国語大学 aka 関西外大 (Kansai Gaidai) and it changed everything for me. The way that I saw the world, people, and photography changed. It's the most beautiful place I'd ever seen. I can also remember being like a kid in a candy store as I walked into Yodobashi Camera (a massively huge electronics store), and trying out every type of film I'd never heard of . I still have a shoe-box full of my negatives and prints of my year abroad; digital wasn't something I picked up until a few years later.
Creativity is at the core of who I am, be it through music or photography. Creativity is about translating the world as we see it to express and communicate who we are with others and ourselves.”