NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK ANNOUNCES OUR TWELFTH
NASHVILLE FASHION FORWARD FUND RECIPIENT
Thank you to the enthusiastic crowd that joined us at Bal Harbour Shops Access Pop-Up for our 2025 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Award Announcement Party last night! Guests enjoyed light bites from Bal Harbour Shops own signature restaurant, The Whitman, and signature cocktails courtesy of Tito's Handmade Vodka and Perfectly Cordial. We were honored to also welcome remarks from NFFF recipients Julianna Bass Brea (2011) and Rhea Daniels (2023), who reflected on the impact of the award on their work and growth. Special thanks to SnapBack Returns for sponsoring the this exclusive event. We hope to have more opportunities for us to gather next year.
We are excited to announce Trishawna "Tiki" Quincy, the founder of Tikivision Style Lab, as the 2025 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipient. A committee from The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee selected Tiki from the largest and most diverse group of experienced fashion industry applicants yet, based on her impressive submission that adhered to specific criteria for the experiential award established by the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund co-founders in 2010.
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.
“Tiki’s fashion experience has covered much ground, but what stood out in her application was her commitment to mentoring and creating community for the next generation during her last decade in Nashville. In her own words: ‘I learned early that creativity flourishes in supportive community environments.’ No words have been more aligned with the spirit of Nashville Fashion Week and the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund since their inception in 2011."
- Amy Fair, Senior Director of Philanthropic Partnerships, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
In 2024, Tiki established Tikivision Style Lab, a sewing and design education studio offering private lessons with ambitious expansion plans centered around education and community-building. Her vision encompasses comprehensive sewing and design education across YouTube,Instagram, and TikTok, making skills accessible to diverse learners. She aims to showcase Middle Tennessee's creative talent by featuring local experts in educational projects, foster authentic community connections through storytelling and in-person events, and develop a signature online sewing school with original patterns. Her ultimate goal includes establishing a digital platform that transitions to streaming or network television, amplifying Middle Tennessee's fashion industry and art scene. Through her work, Tiki bridges traditional craftsmanship with modern media, creating pathways for creative expression while preserving essential skill for future generations.
"I am deeply honored to be the 2025 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipient! Over the years, I've watched so many of my peers receive this award, and to now be recognized among them is truly humbling. Leaving the Sewing Training Academy to start my own business just over a year ago was both a huge and intimidating step, and this award feels like a validation of the big vision I carry within me. Sometimes the first step toward a dream is simply speaking it aloud—so thank you, Nashville Fashion Forward Fund, for believing in my big, crazy dreams alongside me!"
– Trishawna "Tiki" Quincy, Founder Tikivision Style Lab
Tiki is a Nashville-based sewing and fashion educator with a decade of transformative impact in sewing and design education. Raised in her mother's fabric store in Newman Grove, Nebraska, Tiki spent childhood summers sewing outfits and learning family sewing secrets from her mother, an accomplished dressmaker and teacher. This fostered an early passion for fashion design that would shape her entire career trajectory.
Tiki earned a Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design from the University of Nebraska and a Master's from the prestigious Domus Academy in Milan, providing her with both technical expertise and an international perspective. Her professional experience includes design roles with major brands such as Columbia Sportswear, Jantzen Swimwear, and Forever 21, where she honed her skills in commercial fashion development. After a decade of computer-based design on the West Coast, Tiki yearned to return to hands-on craftsmanship. She relocated to Nashville to pursue her true calling: teaching and mentoring the next generation of sewists.
In 2015, Tiki partnered with Catholic Charities to establish the Sewing Training Academy (STA), a workforce development program for industrial sewing. Under her leadership, STA evolved from a single course into a comprehensive one-year program training hundreds of students in essential trade skills. Beyond technical instruction, STA fostered a supportive community where students found mentorship, friendship, and shared purpose. Her vision for experiential learning culminated in 2022 with a small-batch production facility providing students with invaluable real-world work experience. While STA fulfilled her passion for education, mentoring students toward entrepreneurial ventures ignited Tiki's desire to pursue her own creative business.
"We’re continually amazed by the passion and purpose we see from Nashville’s creative community each year. We’re so excited to celebrate Tiki Quincy as this year’s Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipient and look forward to watching her bring her vision for Tikivision Style Lab to life. Her work beautifully embodies the spirit of moving Nashville fashion forward—bridging creativity, community, and innovation."
- Marcia Masulla, Managing Director & Co-Founder + Connie Cathcart-Richardson, Co-Founder, Nashville Fashion Week | Nashville Fashion Forward Fund
Previous Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipients include our 2024 award winner, Rhea Daniels of Papierdoll Factory- a statement accessory brand; apparel designers Haley Maddox, Van Hoang, Maria Silver, Eric Bornhop, Lauren Leonard Phelps and Julianna Bass Brea; manufacturer Megan Prange, fashion photographer Brett Warren; accessory designer Ceri Hoover; and Elise Joseph, brand strategist and creative director.
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 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 ensures that Nashville Fashion Week is not just a high-profile event to celebrate creativity, but also an ongoing, sustainable focus for philanthropic support of our community for years to come.
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