BUILDING AN ECOSYSTEM:
NASHVILLE FASHION IS MOVING FORWARD
It's been a very productive few weeks. Last week, Nashville Fashion Week hosted and collaborated with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) President, CaSandra Diggs and CFDA Connects Consulting Director Elliot Carlyle to align and build the foundation for a viable fashion industry ecosystem in Middle Tennessee.
Nashville Fashion Week has invested over $1.4 million into Nashville's fashion community over the past twelve years. This was accomplished with the heart and hustle of an all-volunteer led and run organization that has relied solely on sponsors and ticket sales to produce events and activations while providing experiential opportunities to nine Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipients through The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.
Fashion is one of the most influential drivers of culture, a beloved art and entertainment form, but we have not taken advantage of the fact that it is also one of the largest economic forces in the world. Now is the time for Nashville to change that.
The Nashville Fashion Week team, including new Nashville Fashion Forward leadership team member David Fischette of Go West Creative, invited and met with a curated group of community leaders, elected officials and organizations at W Nashville on Wednesday, May 4. The focus of the event was to present a proposed new direction for Nashville Fashion Week and to lobby for the Nashville fashion industry securing resources and financial support to build the foundation for a fashion industry ecosystem.
The following community and industry leaders attended the event with commitments to continue the conversation on how to support moving Nashville fashion forward. The individuals highlighted below in pink made statements to the group in support of the mission of moving Nashville fashion forward:
Office of Mayor John Cooper
- Courtney Pogue - Director of Economic & Community Development
- Mrs. Laura Fitzgerald-Cooper
Metro Nashville Council Members
- Kyonzte Toombs, District 2
- Jeff Syracuse, District 15
- Freddie O’Connell, District 19
- Joy Styles, District 32
Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation
- Heather Middleton, SR Vice President Of Marketing
Nashville Chamber of Commerce
- Hannah Holmes, Manager of Member Value
- Victoria Quigley, Director of Small Business Growth
Supermodel, Entrepreneur, Artist, & Activist
- Karen Elson
- Bonnie Dee Bowden - Karen Elson, Inc.
Launch TN
- Ashley Currie, Marketing & Communications Director
BrainTrust
- Sherry Deutschmann, Founder & CEO
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
- Amy Fair, Vice President of Donor Services
OJAS Partners
- Lizzy LeBleu, Real Estate Advisor
oneC1TY
- Caitlin Arnold, Marketing & Development
Middle Tennessee State University
- Rick Cottle, Associate Professor of Fashion & Apparel
- David Foster, Director of Marketing & Communications
Vanderbilt University
Deanna Meador, Director of Entrepreneurship, Wond’ry - Vanderbilt’s Innovation Center
Go West Creative
- David Fischette, CEO & Chief Creative
Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Recipients
- Megan Prange, Prange Apparel (2019)
- Maria Silver, Black by Maria Silver (2017)
Nashville Lifestyles
- Alison Abbey, Editor In Chief
- Brian Barry, Publisher
Tennessean
- Sherah Ndjongo - Business Reporter
In addition, both Kelly Helfman, Commercial President of Informa Markets Fashion - Organizers of MAGIC, and Fern Mallis, the creator and founder of New York Fashion Week and long-time Nashville Fashion Week advisor, shared their support through written statements. MAGIC Fashion Events also made a significant monetary contribution to support the vision of moving Nashville fashion forward. The gathering was a pivotal moment for the future of Nashville Fashion Week and for Nashville's fashion industry. Followup meetings and planning are in the works. The Nashville Fashion Week email list will receive updates as progress ensues.
View photos from the Meeting HERE.
The conversation was continued at an in-person fundraising event and live stream recording of Moving Fashion Forward - A Conversation with NFW + CFDA featuring CFDA President, CaSandra Diggs and NFW Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Marcia Masulla on Thursday, May 5. The interactive and engaging program included a dynamic customized Nashville Fashion Week branded set with high-level professional production presented in partnership with Go West Creative. Guests also enjoyed savory bites from The Pink Hermit of The Hermitage Hotel and refreshments from Tito's Handmade Vodka and Love & Exile Wines while they mingled prior to the recorded conversation.
Screen the conversation from your laptop or mobile device at NashvilleFashionWeek.com.
View photos from the Conversation HERE.
Thank you for your continued support and feedback as we plan to make an impact for the future of fashion in Nashville together. Stay tuned! #WHYNFW