Nashville Fashion Week Announces Runway Show Locations With A New Runway Pass For All Three Nights

NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK ANNOUNCES RUNWAY SHOW LOCATIONS WITH A NEW RUNWAY PASS FOR ALL THREE NIGHTS

Locations for Nashville Fashion Week 2017 are set and tickets are on sale for all events. The seventh annual five-day event will kick off on Tuesday, April 4 with the Nashville Designer Showcase and close on Saturday night with the fourth annual Nashville Fashion Forward Gala and feature sixteen designers throughout the week. Many other events will be held city-wide throughout the week to showcase all aspects of Nashville’s thriving creative fashion community.

Nashville Fashion Week opens with the Nashville Designer Showcase in collaboration with Oz Arts Nashville on Tuesday, April 4 at Oz (6172 Cockrill Bend Circle). NFW alum Amanda Valentine, Any Old Iron and Ona Rex and Truly Alvarenga will be joined on the runway by Cavanaugh Baker and Minxx. Oz will spotlight the creative process behind each designer’s collection. The evening will end with the official NFW Opening Night Party in the Oz Lounge and Patio overlooking the Sculpture Garden. Oz is an inspiring destination for world-class innovative contemporary art experiences that supports the creation, development and presentation of significant performing and visual art works by leading artists whose contribution influences the advancement in their field. The Nashville Designer Showcase is sponsors by William Edge Salon and Opry Mills.

"I'm elated to be back for a third year with Nashville Fashion Week! It's been such an honor to showcase my work each year on the runway, as I could not be more proud to be representing my hometown", says Ona Rex designer and native Nashvillian Ashley Balding. "As our city has grown and changed massively in the recent years, there remains a fantastic community of creatives and leaders of whom I'm so appreciative to be a part of. I can't wait to see all the hard work of our city and beyond!" 

Designers Andrew Gallivan, Lily Guilder Design, Madness Is, Nasheli Juliana and Splashed by DKG were selected from hundreds of applications to show their collections on Wednesday, April 5 at the Emerging Designer Runway Show on the Veranda at the historic Union Station Hotel (1001 Broadway). Guests are invited to celebrate with the designers at the official After Party following the show at the hotel. Union Station, a 100-year old railway station, is a shining gateway of the past, blending modern convenience with warm, historical elegance. The Emerging Designer Runway Show is sponsored by The Mall at Green Hills.

"Participating in Nashville Fashion Week is a great honor. I am proud to be from a city that supports its local artists and American businesses!", Andrew Gallivan said. Gallivan now lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Fauxgerty, Lagi Nadeau, Michael Drummond, Patrick Assaraf and Shea Steele will share the runway at the Ready-to-Wear Runway Show with musical guest singer/songwriter Erin McCarley on Friday night, April 7 in the Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) Lobby (10 Music Square East). BMI is the bridge between songwriters and the businesses and organizations that want to play their music publicly. As a global leader in music rights management, BMI serves as an advocate for the value of music, representing nearly 12 million musical works created and owned by more than 750,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers. 

"I love when the arts come together to celebrate. I've always had a love affair with the art of fashion and am thrilled to be a part of this year's NFW," McCarley said.

Menswear designer Patrick Assaraf from Canada will be presented by Levy’s Clothing. Patrick said "For me, Nashville is the new city of music and fashion. Nashville is attracting young and creative people into their spectacular city with so much to offer. It is a pool of talented people all in one place and they keep coming every day."

"From Oz, a contemporary art facility, to the history of Union Station and musical roots of BMI, Nashville Fashion Week continues its legacy of finding unique locations that celebrate the creativity of Nashville to host our events. Nashville Fashion Week has popped up in a variety of settings over the years,” said Mike Smith, one of three Nashville Fashion Week co-founders. "Whether high above the city at The Pinnacle at Symphony Place to historic locations such as The Arcade and The Parthenon or with the Tennessee State Capitol as our background, our guests know that they are going to experience something fresh and exciting.”

Details for this year’s Nashville Fashion Forward Gala, Shop Nashville Week, Thursday's Photography + Art event, Educational Experiences and a new Blogger Brunch will be announced separately.

This year Nashville Fashion Week has added a new Runway Pass to the menu of ticket options available for events throughout the week. The $150 ticket provides access to all three nights of runway shows on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday with the option of a $50 upgrade for guaranteed seating. All Access Passes, individual night tickets and Nashville Fashion Forward Gala tickets are available for purchase at NashvilleFashionWeek.com. 

All NFW ticket holders get FREE admission to the Frist Center for the Visual Arts from April 3-16 featuring the exhibit of iconic fashion photographer Irving Penn: Beyond Beauty with proof of purchase. 

Proceeds from all Nashville Fashion Week events benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, an endowed fund established to support the next generation of fashion industry professionals with ties to Middle Tennessee by providing a financial award and resources for experiential professional development opportunities.