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layla brown-clark

journalist and photojournalist

hello, i'm layla!

i am a journalist and photojournalist, reporting on my city and beyond about all things including news, arts and culture, entertainment, and other areas of interest!

featured articles

Chicago Reader •

An ode to a fashion capital - Chicago Reader

Up the winding staircase leading to the second floor of the Chicago History Museum, a time capsule of Chicago fashion history awaits visitors.

The museum’s newest exhibition, “Dressed in History: A Costume Collection Retrospective,” is timed to honor the 50th anniversary of the museum’s costume council. The council’s curators gather clothes worn, designed, made, and sold in the city to help uncover Chicago’s fashion history and share the compelling stories told through the styles. 

“Dressed i...
Chicago Sun-Times •

Popular brands like Baggu say strong shopper demand has them setting up shop in Chicago

Small groups of shoppers stroll through the Gold Coast on a recent sunny and warm Friday afternoon, popping in and out of the high-end shops on North Rush Street. Among the shoppers are 17-year-olds Ariel Brown and Katherine Peck, friends who traveled from the Milwaukee area to Glossier’s Chicago location.Known for its makeup and skincare, Glossier’s store at 932 N. Rush St. has been attracting shoppers near and far since it opened in April 2023. Though the two are casual users of the brand, the...
Medill Reports Chicago •

How Tanicha Lopez made improving cool again - Medill Reports Chicago

Taking inspiration from composers on and off the island to keep in shape, Tanicha Lopez is reinventing her career
By Layla Brown-Clark
Medill Reports
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — It’s a beautiful day in Miramar, a neighborhood in the expansive city of San Juan. The weather is warm and humid, and inside Gustos Coffee, the espresso shots and order calls set the scene for a promising day in the bustling city. The coffee shop is buzzing with vigor as Tanicha Lopez enters the establishment in her own way....
Chicago Sun-Times •

Girl K sheds the indie rock band persona for decidedly pop road

Katherine Patino is out of breath and full of adrenaline when she comes off stage after her set at Wicker Park Fest on a late July evening.She’s just performed songs off her upcoming release, aptly named “My Future,” a collection of wistful vocals, ambient beats and melodic guitar. Her energetic and playful performance channels her Disney pop princess idols Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato, whom she grew up listening to.And while she dances across the stage like she owns it before the night’s headli...
South Side Weekly •

DJ Mo Mami Is Transforming the Scene with Inclusivity, Activism and a Global Sound

DJing is more than playing music for a crowd longing to dance and let loose; it is also about creating inclusive spaces and reading the crowd. Ashley De La Torre, who DJs under the moniker Mo Mami, has been spinning records professionally since 2019. The Pilsen resident first debuted after curating and throwing parties with Babes Only, a woman-owned not-for-profit organization dedicated to inspiring, empowering, and educating women and is known for hosting workshops and parties throughout the ci...
Medill Reports Chicago •

With new Hyde Park bookstore, owner Courtney Bledsoe answers call for more diverse representation - Medill Reports Chicago

By Layla Brown-Clark
Medill Reports
There are more than 50 independent bookstores in the Chicago area, each with its own flair and serving as a cornerstone to the culture of its neighborhood.
This is true for Courtney Bledsoe’s Call and Response Bookstore in Hyde Park. 
Call and Response opened May 4 and has become a gem to the community members of Hyde Park. Like many independent bookstores in the city, the owner’s passion for reading and storytelling was one of the keys to opening this booksto...
Block Club Chicago •

Morgan Park's Newest Coffee Shop, Erin's Cup, Is Owned By An 18-Year-Old

MORGAN PARK — Most 18-year-olds are busy graduating high school, making summer plans or getting ready for college.Erin Polk is doing all those things while running her own coffee shop.Erin’s Cup opened late last year — when Polk was 17 — at 1212 W. 111th St. in Morgan Park. Though she has a business partner and received startup money from her mom, the coffee shop is the teenager’s vision.Polk is in charge of scheduling workers, reviewing payroll and keeping up the aesthetics of the shop, respons...
News21: In Pursuit •

Washington state rolls back some of its sweeping police reforms

SEATTLE – Roger Goodman called the summer of 2020 apocalyptic.
The economy had cratered. COVID-19 ran rampant. Forest fires choked the West.
“Everything wrong was happening at the same time,” the Washington state lawmaker said.
Then came a flashpoint: The deaths of Breonna Taylor in Kentucky and George Floyd in Minnesota pushed protesters across the country into the streets, demanding justice and police reforms. Major protests in Seattle continued for weeks.
Goodman knew the Legislature needed t...
News21: In Pursuit •

British police leader discusses reform efforts across the pond

LONDON – Janet Hills, as the head of the Metropolitan Black Police Association, worked to rebuild fractured trust with marginalized communities.
Her work started early in her years as a police officer, fresh out of a previous job as a revenue inspector for Transport for London, the city’s transit system. She was assigned in 1991 to Brixton, a predominantly Black district of London, where people have a strained relationship with the Metropolitan Police Service.
Brixton was unfamiliar to Hills, wh...

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