NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK ANNOUNCES 2018 DATES AND NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH OZ ARTS NASHVILLE
Applications now open for 2017 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Award and 2018 Emerging Designer Showcase
Nashville Fashion Week will take place April 3-7, 2018, with all runway shows taking place at OZ Arts Nashville – the first time Nashville Fashion Week shows will be held in a single location.
“We are so excited to have OZ Arts Nashville as a strategic partner and our home for all runway shows in 2018,” said Nashville Fashion Week co-founders/managing partners Connie Cathcart-Richardson and Marcia Masulla. “OZ Arts Nashville has been a long time friend and supporter of NFW having hosted the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Gala twice before. We held our first fashion show there last year and realized the potential of a collaboration between our two non-profit organizations. Together we plan to take Nashville Fashion Week and our creative community to the next level.”
Nashville Fashion Week has historically changed locations throughout the city each night. The 2018 event will take advantage of OZ Arts Nashville’s diverse facilities and resources to produce the unique events that Nashville Fashion Week attendees have come to expect.
“The OZ Arts Nashville team brings great creativity and enthusiasm to every performance we host,” said OZ Arts Nashville President and CEO Tim Ozgener. “We know that Nashville Fashion Week considered many venues and are honored they chose to partner with OZ Arts Nashville.”
The dates for the 2018 city-wide celebration of Nashville's thriving fashion and retail community were announced before a sold out crowd during the 2018 Launch Party at Nicky's Coal Fired restaurant in the Nations near OZ Arts Nashville. Nashville Fashion Week also announced the opening of applications and nominations for The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee’s 2017 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Award and the Nashville Fashion Week’s 2018 Emerging Designer Showcase.
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.
“Nashville Fashion Week initiated Nashville’s fashion storyline way back in 2011. This effort has allowed many other voices to be introduced and included in this ever-expanding creative narrative for our city. Despite all of the changes, Nashville Fashion Week has never wavered from its commitment to celebrate the people and businesses that drive Nashville fashion forward,” said Amy Fair, Vice President of The Community Foundation.
Nashville Fashion Week is founded and directed by a collaboration of fashion, retail and media professionals who have combined their passion and resources to create an all-volunteer led and run event spotlighting Nashville’s growing fashion community with a sustainable focus for philanthropic support of the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.
APPLY FOR THE NASHVILLE FASHION FORWARD FUND
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee is now seeking applicants and nominations for the 2017 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Award. Professionals working in all aspects of the fashion industry from designers and photographers to stylists, models, hair and makeup artists, boutique owners and bloggers are encouraged to apply. Detailed instructions for submission can be found at NashvilleFashionWeek.com.
Originally established in 2011, this endowed fund supports the next generation of fashion industry professionals with ties to Middle Tennessee and provides financial awards and resources for experiential professional development opportunities. Previous recipients include fashion photographer Brett Warren, clothing designers Eric Bornhop, Julianna Bass and Lauren Leonard, accessory designer Ceri Hoover, and Elise Joseph, creative brand consultant, art director and founder of Pennyweight.
Applications must arrive at The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee’s office at 3833 Cleghorn Avenue by 4:30 p.m. CST on November 13, 2017. The award recipient is selected by a committee of the Board of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and will be notified in January 2018.
EMERGING DESIGNER APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN
Nashville Fashion Week seeks emerging designers to spotlight during the 2018 event. Applicants must demonstrate creativity, quality and a broad appeal to a wide range of consumers. If chosen, the emerging designer will have the opportunity to showcase their collection during Nashville Fashion Week 2018. All emerging designers interested in showing their collections are encouraged to submit their application for review.
The deadline to submit emerging designer applications is 11:59 p.m. CST on November 13, 2017. Nominations are being accepted through October 30. Emerging Designers will be notified in December and announced to the public in February at an official Nashville Fashion Week event. You can apply online at NashvilleFashionWeek.com.
Emerging Designer Criteria:
- All emerging designers are encouraged to apply, but preference will be given to those that live in or have connections to Nashville and/or Middle Tennessee
- Each collection must be original designs, debuting at Nashville Fashion Week
- Must be available to show between April 3-7, 2018.
PLEASE NOTE: Nashville Fashion Week does not charge a submission fee to apply or participate. Designers selected are responsible for their own travel and related expenses, and for transporting their collection to Nashville — as well as all costs associated with designing/creating their looks, including shoes, accessories and music for their runway show. No age restrictions or specific experience is required. However, those under 18 will need parent/guardian permission to apply.
ABOUT THE NASHVILLE FASHION FORWARD FUND
The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee is an endowed fund that receives proceeds from Nashville Fashion Week each year. The establishment of 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 signature high-profile event to celebrate creativity, but also an ongoing, sustainable focus for philanthropic support.
The Community Foundation exists to promote and facilitate giving in the 40 counties of Middle Tennessee and beyond. It does this by accepting gifts of any size from anyone at any time and by empowering individuals, families, companies, nonprofits, and communities to respond to needs and opportunities that matter. The Community Foundation works with people who have great hearts, whether or not they have great wealth, to craft solutions that reflect their intentions and goals. For more information, call 615-321-4939 or visit CFMT.org.
ABOUT OZ ARTS NASHVILLE
Since opening in 2014, OZ Arts Nashville, a 501(c)(3) contemporary arts center, has changed the cultural landscape of the city. Housed in the former C.A.O. cigar warehouse owned by Nashville’s Ozgener family, OZ Arts Nashville, under the artistic leadership of Lauren Snelling, brings world-class performances and art installations to the city, and gives ambitious local artists opportunities to work on a grand scale. The flexible 10,000 square-foot, column-free venue, nestled amidst five acres of artfully landscaped grounds, is continually reconfigured to serve artists’ imaginations, and to challenge and inspire a diverse range of curious audiences. OZ Arts Nashville performances are supported in part by the Metro Nashville Arts Commission and Tennessee Arts Commission.
For more information, please visit OZArtsNashville.org.
