Exploring Life & Business with Alison “MetalBabe” Cohen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alison “MetalBabe” Cohen.

Hi Alison, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Music has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. I went to my first concert when I was 10 years old, and I was hooked. Growing up in the suburbs of St. Louis, I started promoting local bands, making flyers, going to shows, and finding any way I could to be involved in the music scene. After high school, I interned with a music marketing company, where I helped promote national tours and worked with bands including Buckcherry, Staind, Limp Bizkit, and Clutch early in their careers.

From there, music and fashion continued to shape my path. I managed a rock n’ roll clothing store and spent four summers traveling with Ozzfest as a vendor. One of my favorite memories from that time was getting pulled onstage with Ozzy Osbourne during the final encore of the 1999 tour! Experiences like that only reinforced what I already knew — somehow, rock ’n’ roll was always going to be part of my life.

In 2004, I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Marketing & Communications and moved to Hollywood to follow my dreams. Two years later, in September 2006, I created Metal Babe Mayhem as a way to bring together the things I loved most: music and fashion.

When I started, I had an idea, a passion for music, and the determination to see where I could take it. My first products were the original Lips & Bones T-shirt and a guitar pick necklace. From there, I started designing more products, vending at concerts and festivals, connecting with musicians and fans, and building the brand one person at a time.
At the same time, I continued pursuing another passion of mine — rock journalism. Since 2008, I’ve published hundreds of interviews, reviews, articles, and videos. I’ve interviewed everyone from legendary musicians to up-and-coming independent artists, and supporting musicians at every level has always been an important part of what Metal Babe Mayhem represents.

Over the years, Metal Babe Mayhem has continued to evolve and grow. Today, MetalBabeMayhem.com is a One-Stop Rock Shop with 500+ products, including clothing, jewelry, accessories with original Metal Babe Mayhem designs, in addition to licensed band merchandise, and more. The website is also has a blog site for interviews, reviews, videos, and other content that keeps us connected to the rock ’n’ roll community.

One of the things I’m most proud of is seeing Metal Babe Mayhem being worn by musicians, friends, and customers around the world. I’ve seen my designs onstage, at concerts and festivals, in photos, and on people I’ve never even met. This means the world to me, and I am very appreciative for all the support I’ve been given the past 20 years. This year is especially meaningful because Metal Babe Mayhem is celebrating 20 years, officially on September 21st, 2026.
Metal Babe Mayhem has never been just about selling merchandise. It’s about connecting people through the love of music and building a community.

Twenty years later, I’m still designing, writing, interviewing musicians, attending concerts and events, supporting bands, creating new products, and finding new ways to grow Metal Babe Mayhem. I still get excited when someone sends me a photo wearing one of my designs or tells me they discovered a new band or artist through something I shared.
To celebrate my 20-year anniversary, I am doing four weekly giveaways in September, Starting Wednesday, September 9th. The first three will be for a $20 gift certificate. The last one will be for a $20 gift certificate and personal Metal Babe Mayhem Goodie Bag tailored to the winner!

To enter:

1. Tag @metalbabemayhem in photos of you wearing Metal Babe Mayhem (One entry per photo)
2. Leave a Review for Metal Babe Mayhem on Google, FaceBook, or Yelp (One entry per review)
3. Purchase anything at MetalBabeMayhem.com (One entry per product)

Also, customers can enjoy 20% off EVERYTHING at MetalBabeMayhem.com for the month of September with the Promo Code: METALBABEIS20

Thank you to everyone who has supported me on my journey, who is reading this now, and to Voyage LA for having me in their magazine! Much love to you all!!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of my biggest challenges is the word out and reaching new people. Metal Babe Mayhem has grown organically over the years through word of mouth, social media, the music community, and the incredible support of musicians, friends, customers, and people who genuinely believe in what I’m doing.

As an independent business owner, I wear a lot of hats, and marketing is an ongoing challenge. I know there are so many people out there who love rock music and alternative fashion, but the challenge is finding them and making sure they know about Metal Babe Mayhem!

That’s also why opportunities like this interview mean so much to me. I’m incredibly grateful to Voyage LA for taking the time to share my story and help introduce Metal Babe Mayhem to a new audience.
After 20 years, I’m still passionate about growing the brand, connecting with new people, supporting the music community, and continuing to bring together music and fashion.

If you’re reading this and Metal Babe Mayhem sounds like your kind of place, I’d love for you to check out the website, follow us on social media, tell a friend, or share something that catches your eye. Every follow, comment, share, purchase, and review truly helps.

And as a special thank you to Voyage LA readers, you can save 15% at MetalBabeMayhem.com with promo code VOYAGELA15.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Metal Babe Mayhem?
I am excited to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of Metal Babe Mayhem this September! I founded Metal Babe Mayhem in 2006 because of my lifelong love of music and fashion. What started as a passion project has grown into Metal Babe Mayhem – “Where Music and Fashion Meet.” It is a one-stop rock shop featuring clothing, jewelry, accessories with original designs, and music-related content including interviews, reviews, and videos.

Metal Babe Mayhem specializes in music-related products and alternative-inspired fashion for people who want to express their love of music through what they wear. Today, the website features more than 500 products, including T-shirts, tank tops, hoodies, jewelry, hats, accessories, fitness apparel, and much more. Our designs are original Metal Babe Mayhem creations, including our signature Lips & Bones, along with designs such as Metal Forever, Purple Rage, MB Whiskey, Don’t Dream It Do It, and our newest addition If It Rocks, Turn It Up.

What sets Metal Babe Mayhem apart is that it has always been about much more than selling merchandise. Music is at the heart of everything I do. Over the years, I have interviewed and worked with countless musicians, covered concerts and events, supported independent artists and bands, created music-related content, and built genuine friendships throughout the rock community. Metal Babe Mayhem brings people together who love music and fashion.

Brand-wise, I am most proud that Metal Babe Mayhem has remained independent and authentic for 20 years. I have personally built and grown the brand while staying true to the music and lifestyle that inspired it in the first place. Seeing musicians, friends, and customers wearing Metal Babe Mayhem—whether they are onstage, at a concert, or just living their everyday lives—is incredibly rewarding.

As I head into this milestone anniversary, I want readers to know that Metal Babe Mayhem is for anyone who believes music is more than something you listen to—it is part of who you are. After 20 years, I am still creating, evolving, supporting the music community, and finding new ways to share my love for music and fashion with the world.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
When I think about my favorite childhood memory, one of the first that comes to mind actually happened when I was 17—right on the edge of adulthood—and it ended up helping shape the direction of my life.

When I was 17 years old, I lived with my family just outside of St. Louis, Missouri, and I desperately wanted to go to Los Angeles for a music convention called the American Noize Fan Forum. My parents wouldn’t let me travel to LA on my own—which, looking back, I completely understand! Instead, they did something amazing: they built an entire family vacation around the convention so I could go.

It was my first real experience hanging out in Los Angeles, and I absolutely loved it. My parents took me to the convention each day, where I got to meet so many of the bands and musicians I had grown up listening to. I remember learning how to play Blackjack at a simulated casino with Joey and Johnny Gioeli from Hardline. I won an autographed Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi poster that was presented to me by Mark Slaughter of Slaughter. I sat in on a panel with TUFF and have been friends with members of the band ever since. I even got a promotional Slaughter airplane for “Fly to the Angels,” which I remember playing with alongside a band called Dirty Dealin’. For a 17-year-old music fan, the entire experience was incredible.

What makes that memory even more special today is how full-circle my life has become. All these years later, I have interviewed and worked with several of the musicians and bands who were part of that convention in 1994, and some have even worn my Metal Babe Mayhem shirts. At 17, I was the fan excited just to be in the same room with these musicians. I never could have imagined where my love of music would eventually take me.

The rest of that family vacation was just as memorable. My sister and I went to the Whisky a Go Go for the first time and saw the Doors tribute band Wild Child. We ended up as extras in Danzig’s video for “Until You Call on the Dark,” and we visited Catalina Island, where I proudly wore my new Dirty Dealin’ T-shirt.

Looking back, this is one of my favorite memories because it showed me just how much my parents loved and supported me. They planned an entire family vacation around something that meant the world to their 17-year-old daughter. That trip also changed the direction of my life. I fell in love with Los Angeles and realized that this was where I belonged.
From that point on, moving to LA became part of my game plan. Ten years later, with my Bachelor’s Degree in hand, I finally made the move—and just a couple of years after arriving, I started Metal Babe Mayhem.

Pricing:

• Save 15% at MetalBabeMayhem.com with VOYAGELA15
• In September, save 20% at MetalBabeMayhem.com with Promo Code: METALBABEIS20

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.metalbabemayhem.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/metalbabemayhem/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MetalBabeMayhem
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MetalBabeMayhem
• Other: https://bio.site/metalbabemayhem

Image Credits
Silent 13 Studios
Enrique Sanchez Photography
Dave Safely ModernPics.com