NFW + Altuzarra - POSTPONED to October 22 & 23

"I am so honored to be able to participate in Nashville Fashion Week and have the
opportunity to connect with the fashion community in Nashville. I believe that fashion
is a universal language that brings people together and I am excited to be a part of
an event that fosters collaboration and celebrates creativity."
- Joseph Altuzarra

Founded by creative director Joseph Altuzarra in 2008, Altuzarra is a luxury women's ready-to- wear and accessories brand.

Joseph's seductive aesthetic combines modernity, femininity, and an unapologetic sexiness. Anchored in artisanal craftsmanship, and a curiosity about the world, the collection is informed by Joseph's own multicultural background and upbringing. The Altuzarra brand speaks to the power, fearlessness and sensuality of the modern woman’s wardrobe

Joseph Altuzarra is a luxury womenswear designer and is widely recognized as one of the most talented and lasting of his generation.

Born in 1983, Joseph was raised in Paris by a Chinese-American mother and French father. His multicultural upbringing and avid interest in different facets of culture–ranging from film to literature to craft–are key influences throughout his work.

Since the launch of Altuzarra in 2008, Joseph has received numerous accolades for his work, from inclusion in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and Business of Fashion’s BoF500 to the Swarovski Award for Womenswear Design.

In 2014, Joseph was named by the Council of Fashion Designers America as the Womenswear Designer of the Year and, in 2017, the Accessories Council’s Designer of the Year.

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If your brand or company is interested in being an official Nashville Fashion Week event or programming sponsor, please reach out to us at marcia@nashvillefashionweek.com. Proceeds from NFW events directly benefit the The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee - 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. ALL experienced fashion industry professionals, including designers, photographers, stylists, models, hair and makeup artists, retailers, content creators, etc., are encouraged to apply for this award to further their career in our local fashion industry.

Established in 2011 by the co-founders of Nashville Fashion Week, the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund is a component fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Award recipients are selected by a committee of the Community Foundation board based on pre-established criteria inspired by the Council of Fashion Designers (CFDA)/VOGUE Fashion Fund to advance the career of select local talent with demonstrated experience in a fashion-related field. Applications are accepted each fall with the recipient announced in January. Ticket proceeds from Nashville Fashion Week benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund.

NFW Day Party

NFW TO MAKE BIG ANNOUNCEMENTS & CELEBRATE SUSTAINABLE BRANDS AT 1 HOTEL NASHVILLE

Last week's Electric Runway was ELECTRIC in every way! Nashville Fashion Week’s momentum of embracing that "Fashion Is More Than A Week" continues on Sunday, April 30. Join us at Harriet's Rooftop for the NFW Day Party from 12 – 2 p.m. at 1 Hotel Nashville, 710 Demonbreun Street.

Meet, mingle, sip and shop the pop-ups of Astrid & Aurora, Black Sheep Goods, Her Personal Style Vintage and The Luxury Label Nashville. These Nashville brands are recognized for their sustainable and ethical business practices. NFW Day Party attendees can meet the owners and shop their wares during this event.

Guests will be among the first to hear major NFW announcements for fall and meet Haley Maddox, our tenth Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipient. 

Attendees will also enjoy a complimentary signature Woodford Reserve bourbon or Herradura tequila cocktail with delicious veggie rolls and hot chicken bao buns from Harriet's. Nashville Smile Bar will capture the moment while DJ LA FORCE of QDP is sure to keep things lively. All proceeds from the NFW Day Party will benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

Tickets to the NFW Day Party are $30. A limited number of tickets are on sale now at NashvilleFashionWeek.com.

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. Previous recipients include Megan Prange, Van Hoang, Maria Silver, Brett Warren, Eric Adler, Ceri Hoover, Elise Joseph, Lauren Leonard and Julianna Bass.

1 Hotel Nashville opened in July 2022 as the first mission-driven luxury hotel in Downtown Nashville. Nestled in the heart of downtown Nashville, directly across from the Music City Center and within walking distance of the Country Music Hall of Fame, the property’s 215 rooms, including 61 suites with expansive city and skyline views, offer a level of service and comfort unrivaled in the region. A verdant ivy-covered façade and native landscaping evoke nearby natural attractions, from the bustle of the Cumberland River to the Smoky Mountains and the Natchez Trace. The urban retreat also includes 6,000 square feet of sustainable luxury meeting and event spaces as well as three distinct food & beverage outlets: 1 Kitchen, a sustainably sourced farm-to-table restaurant by Culinary Director and Top Chef alum Chris Crary; Harriet’s Rooftop, en elevated nightlife venue; and Neighbors, a café offering seasonal, fresh, picnic-fare showcasing ingredients from local purveyors. To recharge the mind, body, and spirit, guests can enjoy specially crafted treatments at Bamford Wellness Spa and Anatomy fitness center. For more information, please visit 1Hotels.com/Nashville. 

Woodford Reserve is crafted at the historic Woodford Reserve Distillery, tucked in the heart of thoroughbred country in Versailles, Kentucky. A National Historic Landmark, the Woodford Reserve Distillery represents craftsmanship with a balance of historic heritage and modern practices. Woodford Reserve is a product of the Brown-Forman Corporation, a premier producer and marketer of fine quality beverage alcohol brands including Jack Daniel’s, Finlandia, Korbel, Tequila Herradura, Old Forester, Sonoma-Cutrer and Chambord. Please enjoy your bourbon responsibly. To learn more about Woodford Reserve, visit us woodfordreserve.com or check us out on Facebook. 

MAGIC Nashville

Leading fashion trade event MAGIC is Music City bound with a round up retailers won’t want to miss!

The highly anticipated debut of MAGIC Nashville is almost here, bringing an exclusively curated assortment of women’s trend, young contemporary, modern sportswear, footwear, accessories, and home, gift & beauty brands to shop May 16-17 at the Music City Center. See what’s in store, from brands and designers to education and entertainment, it’s all here as you explore the full MAGIC Nashville lineup.

Bringing a preview of MAGIC into a new, and emerging market, MAGIC Nashville showcases a curated assortment of brands and products at price points from accessible to moderate with top selling categories including women’s sportswear, young contemporary, and trend apparel, as well as footwear, accessories brands. Delivering the experience MAGIC is known for with a Nashville twist, new and influential retailers – from boutique and specialty stores to big box, online, and key regional retailers - explore the latest trends, discover margin-building products, and connect with a new community of established and emerging players. All local retailer buyers are encouraged to attend!

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REMINDER: THE AMAX + NFW 2022 MODEL SEARCH APPLICATION IS OPEN TO ASPIRING MODELS OF ALL SIZES, GENDERS AND AGES 16+ THROUGH JUNE 3

The AMAX + NFW 2022 Model Search is open to all aspiring models to apply for a coveted opportunity through June 3. For the first time since the launch of this partnership in 2012, AMAX Talent will choose ten winners from all sizes and genders who are age 16 +.

Model Search finalists selected by AMAX Talent will have an opportunity to meet with their model scouts at a live casting in June. All ten of the selected winners will receive a modeling contract and development resources with AMAX Talent.

Applications will be accepted at NashvilleFashionWeek.com through June 3. No experience is required. Only models NOT represented by other agencies are eligible to participate. Please direct all Model Search inquiries regarding applications, logistics and more to ModelSearch2022@AMAXTalent.com.

Nashville Fashion is Moving Forward

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

Live Stream: A Conversation on Moving Fashion Forward

Today is the day! Please join us tonight for the live stream of Moving Fashion Forward - A Conversation with NFW + CFDA at 6:40 p.m. CST featuring CFDA President, CaSandra Diggs and NFW Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Marcia Masulla.

This engaging program, presented in partnership with Go West Creative, will focus on the next steps in building a viable fashion industry ecosystem in Middle Tennessee and beyond. It will also be available to watch on the Nashville Fashion Week Facebook page (CLICK HERE) and recorded to watch on our website post event.

CaSandra Diggs is an innovative thinker with a strong understanding of organizational and business operations. CaSandra is a veteran to the organization and fashion industry, having joined the CFDA in 2001. She served as CFDA’s Chief Administrative and Financial Officer before being named CFDA President in 2020. As President, she is charged with developing strategy and making decisions that further the CFDA’s purpose to champion, educate, and support its membership and the fashion industry-at-large.

"Nashville is an amazing cultural destination that lends itself to the equitable, sustainable, and commercial tenants of fashion. The community is poised for building a thriving fashion economy that creates opportunities for both entrepreneurs and professionals who desire to be a part of an enormously creative and innovative industry. CFDA with its Connects, regional program, is excited to join with Nashville Fashion Week and support its fashionable evolution to business trade leader. " - CaSandra Diggs, President, Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)

The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. (CFDA) is a not-for-profit trade association founded in 1962, whose membership consists of 477 of America’s foremost womenswear, menswear, jewelry and accessory designers. The mission of the CFDA is to strengthen the impact of American fashion in the global economy. Nashville Fashion Week was selected in 2021 by the CFDA as one of twelve regional organizations nationwide that were invited to join and benefit from their new CFDA Connects initiative.

It's not too late to join us tonight for the networking mixer and live-recording of Moving Fashion Forward - A Conversation with NFW + CFDA from 6 - 8 p.m. at The Studio Collection at Go West, 528 Rundle Avenue.

The conversation will be followed by a Q & A opportunity for audience members to participate. Only a few $30 tickets remain. Proceeds will benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

Light bites will be provided by The Pink Hermit at The Hermitage Hotel with refreshments from Tito's Handmade Vodka and Love & Exile.

We look forward to seeing you there!