Do You Have Your Tickets?

NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK IS JUST FIVE WEEKS AWAY! DO YOU HAVE YOUR TICKETS YET?

Tickets are selling fast! The Influencer Brunch, scheduled for March 16 at Ellington’s Mid Way Bar & Grill at the Fairlane Hotel, and the Men's Style Event at the Dream Nashville Hotel  on March 27 will set the stage for Nashville Fashion Week, April 2-6. Year nine of Nashville Fashion Week will feature four nights of runway shows featuring twenty local and regional designers in partnership with OZ Arts Nashville. The week will end with a big celebration on April 6 at the 5th Annual Fashion Forward Gala. You don't want to miss a thing!

Tickets to all of these events are now on sale at NashvilleFashionWeek.com.

• Influencer Brunch $30

• Men's Style Event $30

• Individual Runway Tickets - $50 General Admission (Standing Room Only) | $75 Seated

• Runway Passes - $200 General Admission (Standing Room Only) and VIP access | $300 Premium Seating for four nights of Runway and VIP access

• Fashion Forward Gala - $250 per person/$2500 for Table for 10

• All Access Pass - $500 Premium Seating with front row priority for four nights of Runway, VIP access, and a Fashion Forward Gala ticket

NFW Learning Labs and the Shop Nashville schedule will be released soon.

Nashville Fashion Forward recipients Eric Adler Bornhop 2015, Maria Silver 2017 and Van Hoang 2018 with their model muses. Photographed by Daniel Meigs. Models: Ashley Fisher, Bentley Caldwell and Clare Baldridge, AMAX Talent. Beauty: Joselyn Maness and Janelle Wood, AMAX Creative. Location: Wilburn Street Studio.

YOU'RE INVITED TO THE 5TH FASHION FORWARD GALA ON APRIL 6

The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee invites you to celebrate and support the entrepreneurial spirit of Nashville’s creative arts and fashion community with Nashville Fashion Week and our partner OZ Arts Nashville at the Fifth Annual Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Gala on Saturday, April 6 at OZ Arts Nashville. This is the fourth year that Nashville Fashion Week will present its Nashville Fashion Forward Awards at the Fashion Forward Gala to recognize community leaders that have made an impact on the Nashville fashion industry. Join us in honoring Andrew Clancey, Margaret Ellis, Claudia Fowler, Margo Price, Linda Roberts, Sofie Rovenstine and Olia Zavozina.

Enjoy a delicious dinner from G Catering, wine from Love and Exile Wines and spirits from Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Beefeater London Pink Gin and Jameson Black Barrel  in vivid space designed by Amos Events with BOLD touches by Bright Events, Please Be Seated and Oshi Floral Design to create the perfect ambiance for this immersive evening. CraftCourse and Hi-Fi Media have planned innovative experiences for our guests that will be a BOLD punctuation to the Nashville Fashion Week experience. Artist Tess Erlenborn will live paint two pieces to be auctioned at the end of the night to benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund. Dress boldly and colorfully. This is going to be a night to remember! 

Reserve your seat/table with ticket purchase by March 27 at NashvilleFashionWeek.com. All proceeds from Nashville Fashion Week benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. 

We Did It!

NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK + OZ ARTS NASHVILLE 

We did it! Everything about Nashville Fashion Week 2018 was ELEVATED. Four nights of unique runway shows featuring twenty-four designers with our partner OZ Arts Nashville. Six Learning Labs. Fifty-nine Shop Nashville events. Fern Mallis. Anna Sui. A live interview broadcast. Two musical performances. Hundreds of models and volunteers. More supportive sponsors than ever. Thousands of attendees. The list goes on and on. Thank you for our biggest, brightest and best year yet! 

View thousands of beautiful runway shots, back of house sneek peeks, photo booth and event pics from throughout the week at NashvilleFashionWeek.com.

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SAVE THE DATE...FASHION IS MORE THAN A WEEK

The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee invites you to celebrate and support the entrepreneurial spirit of Nashville’s creative arts and fashion community with Nashville Fashion Week and our partner OZ Arts Nashville at the Fifth Annual Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Gala on Saturday, September 15 at OZ Arts. We have moved the Gala and Fashion Forward Awards to the fall to put more emphasis on the Fund and give us another opportunity to celebrate Nashville fashion together.

Here's Another Way To Support the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund - The Big Payback

The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee’s The Big Payback is May 2! The goal of this 24-hour, online giving event is simple – inspire Middle Tennesseans to come together, show their pride in their communities, and contribute to support the life-changing work of local nonprofit organizations. This is a great way to show all of Nashville just how much the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund means to you!

The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund is an endowed fund established in 2011 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.

Anna Sui & Fern Mallis to be Featured Guests at NFW 2018

ANNA SUI AND FERN MALLIS TO BE FEATURED GUESTS AT NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK 2018

From the runways of New York to the backdrop of OZ Arts Nashville, fashion icons Anna Sui and Fern Mallis will share their creative insights and work with Nashville's fashion community and entrepreneurs. Designer, Anna Sui and legendary New York Fashion Week Founder, Fern Mallis, will be our featured guests on Friday, April 6 at Union Station Hotel and on Saturday, April 7 at OZ Arts Nashville.

“We are incredibly honored to be hosting both Fern Mallis and Anna Sui as part of our 2018 program,” said Nashville Fashion Week managing directors and co-founders Marcia Masulla and Connie Cathcart-Richardson. “To have Anna Sui participate in such a meaningful way is tremendous gift to our community especially with her thoughtful ties to both Third Man Records where she designed the uniforms, shares Detroit roots with Jack White and has worked with Nashville’s very own supermodel, Karen Elson, who has been a staple on Sui’s NYFW runways and the muse for her recent collaboration with Macy’s I.N.C. collection. We are also thrilled to reunite and host Fern for her third Nashville Fashion Week. She has been an unwavering mentor of our mission, the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund and has also led the charge to bring Sui to our city.”

Kicking off the weekend will be NFW Fashion Talks with Fern Mallis and Anna Sui taking place at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, April 6 at Union Station Hotel. Sponsored by Union Station Hotel and UAL, the event will include a VIP reception where patrons will have the opportunity to meet and receive a signed copy of Mallis’ book Fashion Lives: Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis. Following the reception, Sui and Mallis will take the stage at 4 p.m. to share insights and personal stories of their expansive experiences in the fashion industry for the main program. Middle Tennessee State University’s School of Textiles, Merchandising and Design will live-stream the conversation during the event and individual copies of Mallis' book will also be available for sale. 

“I’m thrilled to be back at Nashville Fashion Week to see the talented designers along with our special guest, designer Anna Sui, from New York,” said Mallis. “Nashville continues to be one of the coolest cities in the country, inspiring us all with music, food, and style." 

Hailed as the award-winning creator of New York Fashion Week, Mallis has been called an industry titan, doyenne, and The Godmother of Fashion. As the creator and host of premiere conversation series Fashion Icons w/Fern Mallis at New York’s prestigious 92nd Street Y, Mallis assembled an incredible roster of guests for her now signature in-depth interviews, including Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Tommy Hilfiger, Tom Ford, Michael Kors, Diane von Fürstenberg, Polly Mellen, Marc Jacobs, Vera Wang, Oscar de la Renta, André Leon Talley, Bruce Weber, Bill Cunningham, Valentino, Leonard A. Lauder, Tim Gunn, Victoria Beckham, Rosita and Angela Missoni, Alexander Wang, and Christian Louboutin.

SATURDAY FINALE RUNWAY SHOW

The Nashville Fashion Week Finale Runway Show will showcase Anna Sui’s 2018 spring collection on Saturday, April 7 at OZ Arts Nashville. Internationally recognized and beloved by the world’s most influential people, the career of Sui is a classic American success story. With over 50 boutiques in eight countries and her collection is sold in 300 stores in over 30 countries, Sui opened her first flagship store on Greene Street in Soho in 1992. The boutique’s vibrant mix of black Victorian furniture, purple walls, papier-mache doll heads and rock n’ roll posters closely reflects Anna Sui’s decorating style and has been the model for all of her shops. The late 1990s was a time of significant growth for Sui; she embarked upon a hugely successful expansion in the Far East, where she quickly established a huge cult following. She also launched cosmetics, fragrance, shoe and accessory licenses. Her devotion to detail is apparent in every one of her products, which are all intimately connected to her world. Her iconic make-up packaging and fragrance bottle design have even become collectors’ items. This special opportunity is sponsored by the Westin Nashville.

“I’ve been wanting to visit Nashville for a quite some time…legendary home of Country Western Music, the Grand Ole Opry, Hot Chicken, and Manuel: Tailor to the Stars!," said Sui. "In recent years, I’ve been hearing so much about exciting things happening in Nashville.  Many people I know have moved there to take part in the evolving super cool Music Scene.  I’m totally excited to discover it all for myself first-hand…and to present my Spring 2018 runway collection!”

American menswear brands Hickey Freeman Tailors Gold and h American Tailor, both presented by Levy's, will open the Saturday night runway show. 

“As a supporter of Nashville Fashion Week from the very beginning, Levy's is thrilled to be partnering with Hickey Freeman and h for the final evening of runway shows during Nashville Fashion Week 2018,” said Levy’s owners David and Ellen Levy. “Featuring the iconic brand, Hickey Freeman, and the company's rising star of fashion, h American Tailor, it gives us great pleasure to present these two collections made in the USA. Timeless and fashion-forward, just like this great city of Nashville, these collections are a perfect representation of Levy's.” 

Nashville Fashion Week will be held April 3-7 in partnership with OZ Arts Nashville with all proceeds benefiting the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Tickets to these two experiences and other individual events are available at NashvilleFashionWeek.com.

The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Recipient Is...

Thanks to all that joined us for our 2018 Nashville Fashion Week Kickoff Party last night at Noelle! We were excited to announce the first details of our 2018 programming and our 2017 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipient to a sold-out crowd. 

“Our mission has always been to educate local and national audiences about Nashville’s thriving fashion industry,” said Nashville Fashion Week managing partners/co-founders Connie Cathcart-Richardson and Marcia Masulla. “For over eight years, Nashville Fashion Week and the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund have helped raise awareness of Nashville’s vast creative talent by showcasing over 109 designers and hundreds of local businesses with an investment of over $750,000 in the local fashion community. We look forward to fostering Nashville’s fashion-forward and entrepreneurial talent for many years to come with this volunteer led and run event.”

SEVENTH ANNUAL NASHVILLE FASHION FORWARD FUND RECIPIENT NAMED BY THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE

Designer Maria Silver has been named the 2017 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipient. A committee from the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee selected Silver from a group of experienced fashion industry applicants with ties to Middle Tennessee. Silver is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York with a bachelor of fine arts in women's contemporary clothing and costume design. Before founding her fashion line Black by Maria Silver in 2011, Silver worked in various costume design positions on Broadway, then moved to Los Angeles as a design assistant, as well as toured with the cult rock band The Ettes. Black by Maria Silver has been featured in Nylon, Bust, Refinery 29, Elle, and others. More recently, Silver designed for the critically acclaimed Nashville Ballet production 7 Deadly Sins, and in 2017, opened her first storefront in East Nashville. This will be her fifth year showing at Nashville Fashion Week.

"I couldn't be more honored to receive the Fashion Forward Fund award from the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and Nashville Fashion Week,” said Sliver. “The continued support from the Nashville community has been key to my growth. With this award, I hope to explore new ways to improve both my e-commerce presence and brick and mortar storefront, with the end-goal to integrate both in an innovative manner. I believe is the future of our craft and art.”

The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund is 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. 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. All proceeds from Nashville Fashion Week benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund. 

2018 LOCAL & EMERGING DESIGNERS ANNOUNCED

Nashville Fashion Week announced local and emerging designers with additional announcements to follow for two additional nights of runway. Six established local designers will have the opportunity to showcase their most recent collections again at the Nashville Designer Showcase on Tuesday, April 3 at opening night of Nashville Fashion Week:

• Any Old Iron 
• Black by Maria Silver
• Lily Guilder
• Ola Mai
• Ona Rex
• Truly Avarenga

The Emerging Designer Showcase on Friday, April 6 will include ten designers from across the country. These designers were selected from hundreds of applications submitted through the emerging designer application process this year.

• Amanda Casarez (Stafford, VA) 
• Andrew Gallivan (Brooklyn, NY) 
• Ariel, Inc. (Atlanta, GA)
• Barbara Bultman Designs (St. Louis, MO)
• Eileen Kelly (Nashville, TN)
• Justin Mark Richards (Nashville, TN)
• Laura Citron (Nashville, TN)
• Shea Steele (Brooklyn, NY)
• Splashed by DKG (Birmingham, AL)
• Yellowcake Shop (Cleveland, OH)

“We are delighted to showcase Nashville’s leading designers with new designers discovered through our emerging designer application process,” said Richardson and Masulla. “The quality and number of emerging designer applications we receive continues to grow each year as does the community support for our local designers. It’s so rewarding to watch these designers grow from year to year.”

All four Nashville Fashion Week runway shows will take place in one location for the first time ever in collaboration with OZ Arts Nashville on Tuesday, April 3 through Saturday, April 7. 

AMAX TALENT + NFW 2018 MODEL SEARCH FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

The 2018 AMAX Talent + Nashville Fashion Week Model Search finalists selected from thousands of applicants were also announced. They include:

• Francesca Désir
• Aubrey Hill
• Lily Merhoff
• Vienna Rovenstine
• Alyssa Taylor 

The winner will be awarded a $1,000 modeling contract with AMAX Talent, the opportunity to meet one-on-one with top national modeling agents including IMG, Next, Elite and Ford, a professional photo shoot with fashion photographer/2016 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipient Brett Warren, and the opportunity to walk the Nashville Fashion Week runway. The AMAX Talent + Nashville Fashion Week Model Search has been a launch pad for many successful modeling careers since 2012. 

"We had a remarkable group of applicants this year and are excited to have the opportunity to work with Nashville Fashion Week to find and develop unique and diverse models with high fashion potential from the Nashville area for the global marketplace," said Ginny Maxwell, Director of Scouting & Development at AMAX Talent.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Tickets for Tuesday, Friday and the Elevated Access Pass are now available to purchase on the Nashville Fashion Week website. Prices range from $50/$75 for standing tickets, $75/$100 seated tickets, and $350 for the ELEVATED Access Pass. All proceeds benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. 

Nashville Fashion Week Announces 2018 Plans

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.

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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.