NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK PRESENTS THE 2017 FASHION FORWARD AWARDS AT THE FOURTH ANNUAL FASHION FORWARD GALA
Nashville Fashion Week ended year seven with the fourth annual Nashville Fashion Forward Gala and presentation of the Fashion Forward Awards at Track One on Saturday, April 8. The 2017 Gala, co-chaired by Kimberly Lewis and Gen Sohr, was created to celebrate and support the resolute, entrepreneurial spirit of the Nashville fashion community following the week-long festivities and that it did!
AmosEvents created a dreamy indoor garden party with 2016 NFF recipient Brett Warren’s larger than life fashion photographs centerstage. Butch Spyridon, President of the Nashville Convention and Visitor's Corp, Natalie Chanin, founder of Alabama Chanin and fashion photographer Brett Warren served as keynote speakers of the gala with Shelly Colvin performing two musical selections for the fashionable sold out crowd. The Nashville Fashion Week co-founders, Connie Cathcart-Richardson, Marcia Masulla and Mike Smith presented the awards with sponsors Margaret Ellis Jewelry, PictureBooth.co and Tito's Handmade Vodka.
Recipients of the 2017 Nashville Fashion Forward Awards are:
FASHION FORWARD AWARD | Barrett Ward, FASHIONABLE
Barrett Ward is the founder and CEO of FASHIONABLE, a fashion company with a mission of creating sustainable business opportunities for women. Their products, which include handmade jewelry, premium leather, apparel, and woven goods, are created by women who have overcome extraordinary circumstances, ranging from prostitution to addiction to a lack of opportunity due to poverty. Currently, over 300 women are employed globally because of FASHIONABLE, in areas including Nashville, Ethiopia, Peru, and Mexico.
NASHVILLE STYLE ICON | Sandra Lipman
Native Nashvillian Sandra Lipman is well known across the community as a tireless advocate for community organizations and non-profits. She has strategized and chaired some of Nashville’s most important charitable events over the years, including the Junior League’s Showhouse, Iroquois Steeplechase, Symphony Fashion Show, the first Power of the Purse luncheon for the Women’s Fund of the Community Foundation, the first Frist Gala for the Frist Center, Symphony Ball, Ballet Ball, Cheekwood’s 50th Swan Ball and many more.
LEGACY AWARD | David & Ellen Levy, Levy’s Clothier
David Levy is fifth generation owner of Levy's, founded in 1855 by his great-great grandfather. He joined the company in 1977 after the passing of his father, Ralph Z Levy, Sr. Having grown up in the business, it was only natural that he would lead the company into the 21st century. Levy's has been named continuously to the Gold Standard list of outstanding men's specialty stores since 2001 and been a presenting sponsor of NFW since 2011.
RISING STAR | Renae Currey | Lucy Pop Salon
Sponsored by Tito’s Handmade Vodka
Renae is a Nashville native and a professional hair and makeup artistwith a special emphasis on translating fashion and runway beauty trends into wearable hair and make up looks for clients in the salon. She started Lucy Pop Salon in 2010, where she continues to work with clients and lead a staff of 18. Her freelance work has been featured in publications like Porter Magazine, Nylon Magazine, and Teen Vogue, and she is an educator for the fashion focused, luxury hair care brand, Kevin Murphy.
POINT OF VIEW AWARD | Cassie Kelley
Sponsored by PictureBooth.co
Cassie founded her personal blog Womanista.com in 2012 as a way to connect with and empower women while on the road touring with her husband Charles Kelley from Lady Antebellum. Womanista expanded as a media lifestyle brand in 2015 with contributing writers and bloggers and now has over 7 million unique registered users.
FACE OF FASHION | Renee Peters
Sponsored by Margaret Ellis Jewelry
Renee Peters grew up in Nashville, but is now living and working in New York City as a Wilhelmina model and an advocate of sustainable living. She strives to be a role model in all that she does, using her platform for positive change. Her blog Model4GreenLiving seeks to reshape the way people think about environmental issues and to show that it’s cool to care. She uses her social media to send a message of self-love and body-positivity and to encourage mindful, sustainable living. Renee volunteers, is an environmental activist, as well as a budding philanthropist in her free time.
View photographs from the Gala as well as runway shots, back of house sneek peeks and party pics from throughout the week at NashvilleFashionWeek.com.