NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK ANNOUNCES LEARNING LAB TO BE PRESENTED BY THE NASHVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE WB COLLECTIVE POWERED BY WBEC SOUTH
Nashville Fashion Week is designed to showcase and support the local fashion community by providing educational opportunities to engage, learn and connect experientially within the Nashville community. NFW is excited to announce the second of our three FREE 2021 Learning Labs to be presented in partnership with the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and the WB Collective Powered By WBEC South on Thursday, October 14 at the WB Collective Nashville.
The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce is also the presenting sponsor of the NFW VIP Mixer at The Westin Nashville on Tuesday, October 12 prior to the Suiting the Sound: The Rodeo Tailors Who Made Country Stars Shine Brighter panel discussion and Museum Tour presented by the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum. This mixer is for NFW VIP Pass holders only. A limited number of passes are still available at NashvilleFashionWeek.com.
“The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to partner with Nashville Fashion Week as we celebrate the fashion and retail industry’s contributions to our city and the integral role of this creative economy to our region’s economic growth. We applaud NFW for providing a platform where creators can showcase their work and aspiring entrepreneurs can connect with resources and relationships to turn creative outlets into successful businesses. - Haley Hatchell, Director of Small Business and Growth Initiatives, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
TIKTOK, TECH AND TRENDS: THE EVOLVING BUSINESS OF FASHION
Presented in partnership with the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and the WB Collective Powered by WBEC South
Thursday, October 14 | 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Location: WB Collective Nashville
613 Ewing Ave, 2nd Floor Nashville, TN 37203
Admission: FREE ticket with registration
This interactive panel discussion will offer varying perspectives on evolutionary business practices in the fashion and retail industry. This event will also include an opportunity to shop a curated selection of #Nashpreneurs pop-up shops and time to network while enjoying light bites and refreshments provided by Titos Handmade Vodka and Blade and Bow.
The panel will be moderated by Phala Mire, President and CEO of WBEC South. Panelists include Steven Romeo, Founder/CEO, Music City Creative; Trinity Wiles, Co-Founder, Where and Share Inc.; and Anna Caroline Toms, Owner, LA Green Nashville.
Phala Mire, President and CEO of WBEC South, leads the southern regional partner organization (RPO) of the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) providing WBE certification, development and business opportunities in Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and the Florida Panhandle. Phala facilitates business growth, job creation, and access to capital for women business enterprises, while cultivating relationships and advocating for diversity and inclusion in the public and private sectors. She is also responsible for the development of relationships with key community partners and stakeholders. Phala’s most recent accomplishments include launching the Women’s Business Center South in Memphis, TN as part of the historic SBA expansion of 20 WBCs across the country, as well as the Enterprising Women of Color Program, powered by the MBDA, establishing cutting-edge training and creating opportunities for minority women-owned business enterprises.
Steven Romeo is an entrepreneur, artist, and community organizer with a Master of Public Administration. As founder and CEO of Music City Creative, Romeo brought eco-friendly custom apparel to Nashville in 2020. Their hand-screen printing shop and retail store use prosocial storytelling to advance social equity, while its sustainability focused practices push the standard for green apparel. Romeo has created multiple socially conscious brands that give back to the community through education and fundraising. A professional photographer with a passion for entrepreneurship, Romeo believes in using the art of storytelling to support marginalized communities. They are also the founder and CEO of Progressive Threads, an advocacy apparel brand.
As Co-Founder of Where and Share Inc., Trinity Wiles identifies opportunities to improve the retail experience using technology. She leads all R&D efforts with manufacturers and her development team. She comes from a background in tech and fashion. Where and Share develops interactive mirrors for retailers to increase sales and provide a better experience for customers. Trinity and her Co-Founder discovered the fitting room is the highest sales conversion zone yet retailers have no data to capture what customers are trying on or the capabilities to market back to them based on preferences. Where and Share incorporates in-store tech, social media, and eCommerce capabilities to harmonize the in-store and online shopping experience.
Anna Caroline Toms is the owner of L.A. Green in Nashville. The first and original L.A. Green location in Starkville, MS was a huge part of her life throughout high school and college and her favorite local boutique to fill her closet with. Upon graduating, Anna Caroline was given the opportunity to sit down and speak with the franchise owner, Lauren Ann Cooper, about potentially opening a location of her own. The dream of a Nashville store began! Nashville has always had Anna Caroline’s heart, and after lots of time and research, she landed in the Capitol View development in the North Gulch. The store opened in November of 2019.
Pop-up vendors will include Music City Creative, LA Green, Neta's Natural, Kandles by Kierra along with Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipients Prange Apparel + Innovate by Prange Apparel, Black by Maria Silver, Eric Adler Clothing, Van Hoang and others.
“Experience industry education, diverse panel discussions, and networking opportunities during Nashville Fashion Week at the WB Collective, a professional, collaborative environment, built for women executives and CEOs to cowork and connect.” - Katherine Garcia, Director of Operations - WB Collective
Built for women executives & CEOs to cowork and connect, The WB Collective is a collaborative work environment offering professional offices, meeting, and event space, designed to elevate female founders and entrepreneurs with access to resources, opportunities, and support while growing their business. Other benefits of membership include mailboxes and package receiving, office equipment, high-speed internet, common luxury workspaces, convenient kitchen and amenities, and 24/7 building access with secure key fob entry. Currently, the WB Collective has locations in downtown New Orleans and Nashville. The WB Collective is powered by the Women’s Business Enterprise Council (WBEC) South, a regional partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the largest certifier of women-owned businesses in the U.S.
While we are excited to gather both digitally and in person for NFW 2021, the health and safety of our guests, participants and team remains our top priority. A full COVID-19 vaccination or negative COVID-19 test will be required to attend or participate in any Nashville Fashion Week 2021 event
NFW strongly encourages vaccination. For anyone who is not fully vaccinated, a negative COVID-19 test result must be obtained within 48 hours of attending any event. NFW now requires that everyone must wear a mask indoors at all times. This protocol is based on current CDC standards. Any changes to these procedures will be communicated prior to each event
COVID-19 vaccines are now widely available to all Tennesseans ages 12 and up in all 95 counties across our state. Find a location close to you at VaccineFinder.org to insure that you’ve done your part to keep NFW 2021 and our community safe for everyone.
