NFW 2019 To Present Four Nights of Runway Shows at OZ Arts Nashville

Thanks to all that joined us for our Nashville Fashion Week 2019 Kickoff Party last night at Union Station Hotel! We were excited to announce the first details of our 2019 programming to a sold-out crowd and to hint at many more announcements to come. 

The ninth annual Nashville Fashion Week will take place Tuesday, April 2 through Saturday, April 6 in partnership with OZ Arts Nashville. Our second year at OZ Arts will feature an additional night of runway shows for a total of four full nights of fashion. For the first time, local designers will be spread throughout the week rather than being featured in one Nashville Designer Showcase. This is in direct response to our audience's growing interest and support of local designers. The week will conclude with the Fashion Forward Gala on Saturday night to celebrate the unique impact our seven award receipients have made on the Nashville fashion community.

“Our mission since day one has been to educate local and national audiences about Nashville’s growing fashion community and we are all experiencing the results,” said Nashville Fashion Week managing partners/co-founders Connie Cathcart-Richardson and Marcia Masulla. “Nashville Fashion Week and the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund have helped raise awareness of our creative talent by showcasing 173 designers and hundreds of local businesses with an investment of over $1 million in the local fashion community over the past eight years. We had to search for local designers early on that were ready to show and now we have enough experienced designers that our audience knows and supports to fill an entire week. It's our privilege to support Nashville’s fashion-forward and entrepreneurial talent with this volunteer led and run event. We could not continue to do this year after year without the financial support of our ticket holders and dedicated sponsors.”

Forty-five 2019 Nashville Fashion Week sponsors were acknowledged at the Kickoff Party, six of which have been supporters since 2011 and another eight for a minimum of five years. Nashville Fashion Week is fully funded with the support of our sponsors and ticket holders. Please support all of our sponsors listed HERE. 

More details on the Influencer Brunch, Men's Style Event, Learning Labs, Shop Nashville and other special events leading up to and during Nashville Fashion Week will be announced over the next month.

TWENTY 2019 DESIGNERS ANNOUNCED

Twenty designers will have the opportunity to showcase their collections at Nashville Fashion Week 2019. Please check out our participating designer bios HERE.

Tuesday, April 3 

• A Lady of the Lake (Nashville, TN)

• Ola Mai (Nashville, TN)

• Shea Steele (Brooklyn, NY)

• Splashed by DKG (Birmingham, AL)

• Van Hoang (Nashville, TN)

Wednesday, April 3

• Lily Guilder (Nashville, TN)

• Love & Osker (Birmingham, AL)

• Ona Rex (Nashville, TN)

• Paulie Gibson (St. Louis, MO) 

• Rank & Sugar (Nashville, TN)

Thursday, April 4

• Article X (Nashville, TN)

• Barbara Bultman (St. Louis, MO)

• Britache' by Bri (Sunrise, FL)

• Laura Citron (Nashville, TN)

• Truly Alvarenga (Nashville, TN)

Friday, April 5

• Amanda Casarez (St. Louis, MO)

• Any Old Iron (Nashville, TN) 

• Ashe Cain (Nashville, TN)

• Justin Mark Richards (Nashville, TN)

• Lagi Nadeau (Chicago, IL)

“We are delighted to showcase nine of Nashville’s leading designers, five returning favorites from across the country and six new designers discovered through our designer application process,” said Richardson and Masulla. “It’s so rewarding to watch the growth of our designers from year to year. The quality and number of designer applications and interest from around the region continues to increase each year as well."

AMAX TALENT + NFW 2019 MODEL SEARCH FINALISTS 

You can't have a runway show without models! Three finalists have been selected from thousands of applicants for the 2019 AMAX Talent + Nashville Fashion Week Model Search. Chaney Trosper, Kirstin Brower and Sara Lowe will each receive beauty makeovers from Love Salon Nashville before having the opportunity to meet with agents and scouts from top agencies around the world during the upcoming AMAX showcase.

"We had a remarkable group of applicants again this year and are excited to have the opportunity to work with Nashville Fashion Week to find and develop unique and diverse models with high fashion potential from the Nashville area for the global marketplace," said Ginny Maxwell, Director of Scouting & Development at AMAX Talent.

The winner will have the opportunity to walk the NFW runway, as well as win a $1,000 contract with AMAX Talent, a photo shoot with local fashion photographer Ramiah Branch and a gift bag from Love Salons. The AMAX + NFW Model Search has been a launchpad for many successful modeling careers since its inception in 2012. 

Tickets for Nashville Fashion Week 2019 are now available to purchase at NashvilleFashionWeek.com. Individual ticket prices are $50 for general admission and $75 for seated tickets. The four-night Runway Pass is $200 for general admission with VIP access and $300 for preferred seated VIP tickets. The All Acess Pass includes front row VIP tickets to all four nights of ruway plus a ticket to the Fashion Forward Gala. Gala tickets are $250 with tables of 10 available for $2,500. All proceeds benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. 

For more information on the schedule, designers, a full list of sponsors, party pics and to purchase tickets, visit NashvilleFashionWeek.com. Click HERE to see the Hi-Fi Media Co. photo booth antics from the Kickoff Party.

NFW Kickoff Party 2019

UNION STATION HOTEL TO HOST NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK 2019 KICKOFF PARTY ON FEBRUARY 5 

Happy New Year! Join us for the Nashville Fashion Week 2019 Kickoff Party on Tuesday, February 5 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at Union Station Hotel for the first of many big announcements to come. Guests will enjoy two drink tickets courtesy of Maison Noir Wines with delicious light bites provided by our host.

Formerly a bustling 19th-century train station, Union Station now stands as a beacon of the new and nostalgic Nashville. Enjoy a unique experience in a setting that is infused with all the heart of classic Nashville and the soul of modern-day Music City.

We will announce the runway lineup, introduce our designers, AMAX + NFW Model Search finalists, confirmed sponsors and community partners, and share other exciting details about NFW 2019. All proceeds from Nashville Fashion Week benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund supports the next generation of fashion industry professionals with ties to Middle Tennessee by providing a financial award and resources for experiential professional development opportunities to assist in career advancement within the fashion industry. Van Hoang  was selected as the 2018 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Recipient in November from the largest and most varied application pool to date. Past NFFF recipients include Maria Silver, Brett Warren, Eric Bornhop, Ceri Hoover, Elise Joseph, Lauren Leonard and Julianna Bass.

Nashville Fashion Week 2019 will take place April 2-6 in collaboration with OZ Arts Nashville. Four nights of runway shows will be followed by the 5th Annual Fashion Forward Gala and Awards honoring Andrew Clancey, Margaret Ellis, Claudia Fowler, Margo Price, Linda Roberts, Sofie Rovenstine and Olia Zavozina. Early bird tickets are on sale now at $200 per person with tables of 10 for $2,500 through January 31. Individual tickets will be $250 starting February 1.

Tickets to the Nashville Fashion Week Kickoff Party are $30. A limited number of tickets are on sale now. Don't miss out!

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.

And the 2018 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Recipient is...

NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK ANNOUNCES THE 2018 NASHVILLE FASHION FORWARD FUND RECIPIENT AND 2019 PARTNERSHIP WITH OZ ARTS NASHVILLE

Thank you to all that joined us for our 2019 Nashville Fashion Week Launch Party last night at OZ Arts Nashville! We were excited to announce our 2018 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipient with plans for our 2019 city-wide celebration of Nashville's thriving fashion and retail community to an enthusiastic and sold-out crowd.

MEET THE EIGHTH ANNUAL NASHVILLE FASHION FORWARD FUND RECIPIENT

We are proud to announce fashion designer Van Hoang as 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.

The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennesseee 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.

“I am incredibly honored to be the recipient of this years Nashville Fashion Forward Fund," said Hoang. "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 is a designer based in Nashville, TN. She has a B.F.A. in Fashion Design & Merchandising from O’More College of Design as well as an M.A. in Design for Sustainability from Savannah College of Art & Design. Her aesthetic is modern yet timeless, versatile, and functional. She is interested in the intersection of sustainability, fashion, and technology and how those fields can work together to innovate solutions and break down barriers to create a more sustainable fashion system. Hoang's mission is to offer an alternative to fast fashion that many have become accustomed to. In the past she created one-of-a-kind gowns with intricate craftsmanship and couture techniques. However, she recently launched her namesake high-end ready-to-wear line that is handmade in Nashville and hopes to build a company with sustainability, quality, and community as it’s core values. Hoang showed on the Nashville Fashion Week runway in 2015.

“Talent and commitment was seen in every one of the 18 applications this year and our committee was thrilled to read the record number of applications and be introduced to so many creative voices in our community" said Amy Fair, Vice President, Donor Services at the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. "In the end, it was Van’s incredible presentation and vision for how the experience of traveling to the Copenhagen Fashion Summit would enhance her commitment to sustainable fashion and allow her to begin to build an international network of like-minded individuals interested in the intersection of fashion, sustainability, and technology.”

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.

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.

SAVE THESE DATES!

Nashville Fashion Week will take place April 2-6, 2019 in collaboration with our strategic partner OZ Arts Nashville. The fifth annual Nashville Fashion Forward Gala will also take place at OZ Arts on January 19. 

“We are so thrilled to have OZ Arts Nashville as our strategic partner and our home for all of our runway shows again this year,” said Nashville Fashion Week co-founders/managing partners Connie Cathcart-Richardson and Marcia Masulla. “OZ Arts has been a long time friend and supporter of NFW and together we will continue to take Nashville Fashion Week and our creative community to the next level.” 

“OZ Arts is proud of its ongoing partnership with Nashville Fashion Week,” said OZ Arts President and CEO Tim Ozgener. “I believe fashion is one of Nashville’s most dynamic creative industries. Helping showcase this industry and its designers while supporting the growth of Nashville’s creative class just makes sense for us at OZ Arts Nashville.”

Cathcart-Richardson and Masulla are excited to showcase the accompishments of Nashville's established designers as well as new emerging designers found through the NFW application process on the runway at OZ.

“Our mission from day one has been to educate local and national audiences about Nashville’s thriving fashion industry. Nashville Fashion Week and the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund have helped raise awareness of Nashville’s vast creative talent by showcasing over 130 designers and hundreds of local businesses with an investment of over $1 million in the local fashion community over the past eight years," Cathcart-Richardson and Masulla said. "We look forward to fostering Nashville’s fashion-forward and entrepreneurial talent for many years to come with this volunteer led and run event.”

Nashville Fashion Week was founded in 2010 as an all-volunteer led and run event spotlighting Nashville’s growing fashion community with a sustainable focus of philanthropic support of the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Nashville Fashion Week features local, regional and national designers and industry professionals in an array of creative events throughout the week to encourage both Nashvillians and visitors to explore the city’s diverse fashion and retail spaces through promotions, partnerships and educational workshops.

Tickets to the Nashville Fashion Forward Gala will go on sale November 26 at NashvilleFashionWeek.com.

ONLY 10 MORE DAYS FOR DESIGNERS TO APPLY TO SHOW AT NFW '19

WHO'S NEXT? APPLY NOW FOR AMAX + NFW MODEL SEARCH 2019 

NFW Launch Party 2018

NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK 2019 LAUNCH PARTY AT OZ ARTS NASHVILLE

Join us for the Nashville Fashion Week 2019 Launch Party on Thursday, November 15 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at OZ Arts Nashville at 6172 Cockrill Bend Circle. Be among the first to hear announcements about the ninth annual Nashville Fashion Week and celebrate all that is to come. Guests will enjoy two libations provided by Maison Noir Wines and Tito’s Handmade Vodka with delicious small bites from The Juice Bar.

Dates for the 2019 event will be announced with details about the 2019 Nashville Fashion Forward Gala, Emerging Designer and AMAX Model Search application process, plus a few surprises. All proceeds benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. 

All Launch Party guests are also invited to attend “Ghosted”, the OZ Arts TNT event curated by Tony Perrin, following the party at 7 p.m courtesy of OZ Arts Nashville, our NFW partner. Perrin, a Nashville-based dancer, fashion/costume designer, graphic/print designer and owner/designer of Lock and Key jewelry, will investigate the unique, process-revealing creative collaboration of what it means to be "Ghosted" through live and pre-recorded performance of music and movement created by composer Aaron Walters and choreographer David Flores; large-format photography by Anna Haas of dancers David Flores, Erin Kouwe & Perrin himself wearing his own jewelry; and a series of shadow boxes jewelry displays. Tickets for this event have a $25 value and additional TNT tickets are available for purchase at OZArtsNashville.org.

The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund supports the next generation of fashion industry professionals with ties to Middle Tennessee by providing a financial award and resources for experiential professional development opportunities to assist in career advancement within the fashion industry with proceeds from Nashville Fashion Week each year. Past recipients include Maria Silver, Brett Warren, Eric Adler, Ceri Hoover, Elise Joseph, Lauren Leonard and Julianna Bass.

Tickets to the NFW Launch Party are $35. A limited number of tickets are on sale now at NashvilleFashionWeek.com