Tenth NFFF Recipient: Haley Maddox 2022

NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK ANNOUNCES
THE TENTH NASHVILLE FASHION FORWARD FUND RECIPIENT 

We are excited to announce Haley Maddox, co-owner and designer of MaddLove Bridal as our 2022 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipient. A committee from The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee selected Haley from a diverse group of experienced fashion industry applicants based on specific criteria set by the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund co-founders. We will honor and celebrate Haley during our April 2023 festivities.

Haley Maddox has been working in Nashville since 2017 after studying fashion design at The Art Institute of Indianapolis and several internships in the bridal industry. She has worked as a production manager for Olia Zavozina and most recently at Workwear Outfitters where she was involved in fabric development, technical design and merchandising, to gain experience in all areas of the fashion business before pursing her dream of building her own brand.

“I feel so honored to be this year’s recipient of the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund. My plan is  to attend the Global Fashion Summit where I will soak up every bit of knowledge about sustainability I can get. I think there is a sense of responsibility for all of us in the fashion industry to understand how we harm our planet. It is important to me that my line uses new awareness and innovation to ensure I remain intentional with my environmental impact. That is why I am so excited for this opportunity to learn and grow!” - Haley Maddox, MaddLove Bridal

Haley has always aspired to have her own line and is in the process of launching MaddLove, a new-age bridal line, in 2023 with Adrienne Love. Adrienne is the owner of The Wedding Studio, the bridal boutique that Haley interned at during college that first sparked her love for the bridal industry. Adrienne currently has four store locations in Indiana and Kentucky with plans to expand to Nashville. What was once a lofty idea between a new bridal boutique owner and her bright-eyed intern is now becoming reality. They are combining the skills of a successful entrepreneur and the industry knowledge of a creative designer to create MaddLove, which is a play on their last names; Maddox and Love. 

The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee is an endowed fund that supports the next generation of fashion industry professionals with ties to Middle Tennessee by providing an annual financial award and resources for experiential professional development opportunities to advance the career of select local talent with demonstrated experience in a fashion-related field based on pre-established criteria.

“The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Award represents an investment in the creative and inspired individuals looking to expand the perspectives that will contribute to their personal growth and the growth of their role in the fashion industry. Haley joins a terrific and ever growing list of talented individuals who’ve put their vision to paper for a compelling experience that inspired the Award selection panel.”  - Amy Fair, Vice President of Donor Services, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee

Previous Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipients include manufacturer Megan Prange, apparel designers Van Hoang, Maria Silver, Eric Bornhop, Lauren Leonard Phelps and Julianna Bass; fashion photographer Brett Warren; accessory designer Ceri Hoover; and Elise Joseph, brand strategist and creative director.

The establishment of the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund in 2010 by the co-founders of Nashville Fashion Week was inspired by the professional development provided by the Council of Fashion Designers (CFDA) through programs such as the CFDA/VOGUE Fashion Fund. The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund is a component fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee that is funded with charitable donations and proceeds from Nashville Fashion Week. The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund ensures that Nashville Fashion Week is not just a signature high-profile event to celebrate creativity, but also an ongoing, sustainable focus for philanthropic support of our community.

NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK 2019 ENDED WITH A BANG!

NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK 2019 ENDED WITH A BANG!

We did it! Everything about Nashville Fashion Week 2019 was BOLD. We presented four nights of diverse runway shows featuring twenty local and regional designers with our partner OZ Arts Nashville; five Learning Labs, including the live broadcast of our first Sustainable Summit moderated by Fern Mallis; fifty interactive Shop Nashville events all across town; the party of all after parties at Dream Nashville. We had hundreds of models and volunteers, with more supportive and engaged sponsors than ever along with thousands of attendees. We could go on and on about all of the goodness, but we invite you to view the gorgeous images captured by our talented visuals team at NashvilleFashionWeek.com and follow the hashtag #whynfw on social media to see for yourself. Thank you for our biggest, brightest and boldest year yet!

---

We ended year nine with a very special evening at OZ Arts Nashville that put the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund front and center. Our fifth annual Nashville Fashion Forward Gala and presentation of the Fashion Forward Awards was the perfect punctuation to celebrate and support the resolute, entrepreneurial spirit of our Nashville fashion community following the week-long festivities.

Amos Events and Bright Events designed a BOLD and colorful environment with the perfect touches from Please Be Seated and Oshi Floral Design. Colorful cocktails curated by Titos Handmade Vodka and immersive experiences from CraftCourse and Hi-Fi Media engaged the guests while they mingled. Local artist Tess Ernlenborn was center stage creating live art that utilized the colors pre-selected by our guests. Two of her beautiful paintings were then auctioned off to benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

Guests enjoyed a delicious dinner by G Catering, wine from Love and Exile and spirits from Titos Handmade Vodka, Beefeater London Pink Gin and Jameson Black Barrel.

Nashville Fashion Week co-founders, Connie Cathcart-Richardson and Marcia Masulla welcomed the guests and thanked sponsors and volunteers before turning it over to Amy Fair from The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee to share the mission of the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund. Eric Adler (2015), Maria Silver (2017) and Van Hoang (2018), previous Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipients each shared in their own words what their award has meant to them to the fashionable crowd.

Guest host Nikki Burdine, anchor of Good Morning Nashville, WKRN, took the mic to emcee the evening and announce the Fashion Forward Awards to this year's recipients. Congratulations to Andrew Clancey (Rising Star), Margaret Ellis (Humanitarian), Claudia Fowler (Fashion Forward), Margo Price (Style Icon), Linda Roberts (Legacy), Sofie Rovenstine (Face of Fashion) and Olia Zavozina (Point of View)! Click HERE to watch each of their gorgeous videos and the Gala photo above for their bios.

2019 is a year that Nashville Fashion Week will not soon forget, however, who's ready for our 10th Anniversary? Planning begins in weeks and we want you to be a part!

---

One More Way To Support the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund...

SAVE THE DATE! The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee’s The Big Payback is May 2! The goal of this 24-hour, online giving event is simple – inspire Middle Tennesseans to come together, show their pride in their communities, and contribute to support the life-changing work of local nonprofit organizations. This is a great way to show all of Nashville just how much the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund means to you and our fashion community.

The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund is an endowed fund established in 2011 to support the next generation of fashion industry professionals with ties to Middle Tennessee by providing a financial award and resources for experiential professional development opportunities. All proceeds from Nashville Fashion Week benefit the Fund.

Fashion designer Van Hoang is our 2018 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipient. A selection committee from the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee selected Hoang from a diverse group of experienced fashion industry applicants.

"I am incredibly honored to be the recipient of this years Nashville Fashion Forward Fund. This award will enable me to attend the Copenhagen Fashion Summit which is a global conference about sustainability in fashion and this opportunity will allow me to learn from top leaders in the field. I hope to bring this knowledge back to Nashville and turn ideas into action.” - Van Hoang, 2018 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Recipient

Previous Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipients include apparel designers Maria Silver, Eric Bornhop, Julianna Bass and Lauren Leonard Phelps; fashion photographer Brett Warren; accessory designer Ceri Hoover, and Elise Joseph, founder of Goodwin.

Do You Have Your Tickets?

NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK IS JUST FIVE WEEKS AWAY! DO YOU HAVE YOUR TICKETS YET?

Tickets are selling fast! The Influencer Brunch, scheduled for March 16 at Ellington’s Mid Way Bar & Grill at the Fairlane Hotel, and the Men's Style Event at the Dream Nashville Hotel  on March 27 will set the stage for Nashville Fashion Week, April 2-6. Year nine of Nashville Fashion Week will feature four nights of runway shows featuring twenty local and regional designers in partnership with OZ Arts Nashville. The week will end with a big celebration on April 6 at the 5th Annual Fashion Forward Gala. You don't want to miss a thing!

Tickets to all of these events are now on sale at NashvilleFashionWeek.com.

• Influencer Brunch $30

• Men's Style Event $30

• Individual Runway Tickets - $50 General Admission (Standing Room Only) | $75 Seated

• Runway Passes - $200 General Admission (Standing Room Only) and VIP access | $300 Premium Seating for four nights of Runway and VIP access

• Fashion Forward Gala - $250 per person/$2500 for Table for 10

• All Access Pass - $500 Premium Seating with front row priority for four nights of Runway, VIP access, and a Fashion Forward Gala ticket

NFW Learning Labs and the Shop Nashville schedule will be released soon.

Nashville Fashion Forward recipients Eric Adler Bornhop 2015, Maria Silver 2017 and Van Hoang 2018 with their model muses. Photographed by Daniel Meigs. Models: Ashley Fisher, Bentley Caldwell and Clare Baldridge, AMAX Talent. Beauty: Joselyn Maness and Janelle Wood, AMAX Creative. Location: Wilburn Street Studio.

YOU'RE INVITED TO THE 5TH FASHION FORWARD GALA ON APRIL 6

The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee invites you to celebrate and support the entrepreneurial spirit of Nashville’s creative arts and fashion community with Nashville Fashion Week and our partner OZ Arts Nashville at the Fifth Annual Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Gala on Saturday, April 6 at OZ Arts Nashville. This is the fourth year that Nashville Fashion Week will present its Nashville Fashion Forward Awards at the Fashion Forward Gala to recognize community leaders that have made an impact on the Nashville fashion industry. Join us in honoring Andrew Clancey, Margaret Ellis, Claudia Fowler, Margo Price, Linda Roberts, Sofie Rovenstine and Olia Zavozina.

Enjoy a delicious dinner from G Catering, wine from Love and Exile Wines and spirits from Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Beefeater London Pink Gin and Jameson Black Barrel  in vivid space designed by Amos Events with BOLD touches by Bright Events, Please Be Seated and Oshi Floral Design to create the perfect ambiance for this immersive evening. CraftCourse and Hi-Fi Media have planned innovative experiences for our guests that will be a BOLD punctuation to the Nashville Fashion Week experience. Artist Tess Erlenborn will live paint two pieces to be auctioned at the end of the night to benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund. Dress boldly and colorfully. This is going to be a night to remember! 

Reserve your seat/table with ticket purchase by March 27 at NashvilleFashionWeek.com. All proceeds from Nashville Fashion Week benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. 

The Fifth Annual Fashion Forward Gala to Close Nashville Fashion Week

THE FIFTH ANNUAL FASHION FORWARD GALA 
TO CLOSE NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK

We have some BIG news...Santa brought us an early gift with a BOLD addition to our upcoming Fashion Forward Gala plans. We can’t say it out loud yet, but it's definitely worth waiting for. The Gala will move from it's previously announced date to Saturday, April 6 at OZ Arts Nashville. 

The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee invites you to celebrate and support the entrepreneurial spirit of Nashville’s creative arts and fashion community with Nashville Fashion Week and our partner OZ Arts Nashville at the Fifth Annual Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Gala on Saturday, April 6 at OZ Arts Nashville. The Gala will close out Nashville Fashion Week as it has since 2014.

This is the fourth year that Nashville Fashion Week will present its Nashville Fashion Forward Awards at the Fashion Forward Gala to recognize community leaders that have made an impact on the Nashville fashion industry. This is the first year that award recipients have been announced prior to the event as a way to ensure that they receive the attention that they deserve over the months leading up to Nashville Fashion Week. Many more details about these talented people and their contribution to our fashion community will be shared with you after the first of the year.

Special holiday pricing of $200 per ticket has been extended through January 31. Individual tickets after January 31 will be $250 and tables of 10 for $2,500. Reserve your seat/table with your ticket purchase by March 27 at NashvilleFashionWeek.com.

The ninth Nashville Fashion Week will be held April 2- 6 in partnership with OZ Arts Nashville. All proceeds from Nashville Fashion Week benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Please contact Nashville Fashion Week to discuss available sponsorship opportunities for all NFW events.