Lauren Leonard is the designer of the line Leona and the 2012 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Winner. |
The 2012 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Winner is
Designer Lauren Leonard
Congratulations to Lauren Leonard, the creative mind behind the fashion line, Leona, for being chosen as the 2012 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund winner. Leonard was carefully selected from an illustrious group of fashion industry professionals that included designers, hair and clothing stylists, photographers, makeup artists and models.
Since Leonard’s debut of her line, Leona, in the spring of 2008, it has quickly gained a faithful following and is sold at more than a hundred of the most discerning and renowned retailers internationally. With celebrity fans like Taylor Swift and Giuliana Rancic, sightings inLucky, Elle and People magazines, and hit television shows Gossip Girl and90210, Leona is becoming one of the fastest growing contemporary labels in fashion today. Best of all, the entire line is created right here in Nashville in Leonard’s studio and has shown at Nashville Fashion Week in the inaugural year of 2011 and then again in 2012.
"I am thrilled and honored to be chosen as the recipient of the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Award! Nashville Fashion Week has been incredibly impactful for our business, and the receipt of this award will only further facilitate our plans for growth," said Leonard. "This contribution will allow me to attend the Premiere Vision Textile Show this fall in Paris. One of our many challenges is finding luxury textile suppliers and design inspiration each season. I have never had the opportunity to visit France or any international textile shows and I know this experience will be inspirational, educational and lucrative for Leona's development. I can't thank the directors and founders of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and Nashville Fashion Week enough for all they have done to support their local fashion talent as well as introduce Nashvillians to fashion originating outside of the city. I am so proud to be a part of this community and to be recognized by these organizations!"
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Looks from the Leona 2012 Spring Ready to Wear collection |
Designer Julianna Bass |
ABOUT THE 2011 NFF FUND WINNER
The initial Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Award was awarded in 2011. The award recipient was Julianna Bass, a Pulaski, TN native and MTSU alumna. Julianna attended the Bread and Butter trade show in Berlin, Germany as her Nashville Fashion Forward Award experience. Her primary goal for the experience was to initiate expansion of her eponymous clothing line into an international market.
Each recipient of The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund is chosen by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. CFMT provides personalized charitable solutions to help you make a difference and enrich the community in ways that matter to you.
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The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund was established in 2011 with funds from the first Nashville Fashion Week to support the next generation of fashion industry professionals with ties to Middle Tennessee and provide financial awards for professional development. The Fund and application process is managed by The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Award recipients are selected by a committee of the Board of CFMT. Applications are accepted in the fall with winners announced early January.
The establishment of the fund was inspired by the professional development opportunities 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.
"What a difference the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund is already making! And what a difference it will continue to make to enhance our region's role as a place which nurtures creative talent and opportunity. As the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund grows with proceeds from Nashville Fashion Week 2012 and future fashion weeks, so will the support available to the next generation of talent inour local fashion industries." -- Ellen Lehman, President of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.