NFW Kickoff Party January 22 Presented by Graduate Nashville

GRADUATE NASHVILLE TO PRESENT NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK 2020 KICKOFF PARTY ON JANUARY 22 

Happy New Year! Join us for the Nashville Fashion Week 2020 Kickoff Party on Wednesday, January 22 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at Graduate Nashville, 101 20th Avenue North, for the first of many big announcements to come over the next few months. Guests will enjoy one drink ticket courtesy of Tito's Handmade Vodka with delicious light bites provided by our host in the Hippodrome Ballroom.

Surround yourself in Music City history and legend at this funky new floral jewel box located in the heart of Midtown. The playful, luxe guest rooms channel Nashville's innate charm. The light and bright lobby is punctuated with a dash of Opry opulence and one very large anchor. 

Nashville Fashion Week 2020 will take place March 31 - April 4 in collaboration with Oz Arts Nashville. We will introduce our runway designers and schedule at the Kickoff Party with some other exciting details about our 10th Anniversary plans including our "We Are Nashville Fashion" campaign. All proceeds from Nashville Fashion Week benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. 

The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund supports the next generation of fashion industry professionals with ties to Middle Tennessee by providing a financial award and resources for experiential professional development opportunities to assist in career advancement within the fashion industry. Megan Prange, owner and creator of Prange Apparel was selected as the 2019 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Recipient in November from the largest and most varied application pool to date. Past NFFF recipients include Van Hoang, Maria Silver, Brett Warren, Eric Bornhop, Ceri Hoover, Elise Joseph, Lauren Leonard and Julianna Bass.

Tickets to the Nashville Fashion Week Kickoff Party are $30. A limited number of tickets are on sale now. Don't miss out!

2019 NFFF Recipient & 2020 Dates & Model Search

NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK ANNOUNCES
THE 2019 NASHVILLE FASHION FORWARD FUND RECIPIENT,
2020 DATES, THEME AND MODEL SEARCH LAUNCH DETAILS

WE ARE NASHVILLE FASHION!

Thank you to the enthusiastic and stylish crowd that joined us at Hutton Hotel for our 2020 Nashville Fashion Week Launch Party last night! We were excited to announce our 2019 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipient with exciting preliminary plans for the 10th Anniversary of our city-wide celebration of Nashville's thriving fashion and retail community. It was fitting that we celebrated our ten year launch at Hutton Hotel since the location is where we initially launched NFW in 2011 and 2020 is also the hotel's 10th anniversary.

Nashville Fashion Week will take place March 31- April 4, 2020 in collaboration with our strategic partner OZ Arts Nashville for the third year in a row. The theme of the 10th Anniversary year is "We Are Nashville Fashion". A focus on diversity and inclusion will be the focus for the programming and planning ranging from the AMAX + NFW Model Search and Learning Labs to the runway shows. This theme will also be at the forefront in the upcoming visual campaign and communications that will showcase the diverse contributors from the community who have supported and promoted the growth of Nashville fashion over the past decade.

"Nashville Fashion Week and OZ Arts are both dedicated to shining light on the exceptional artists and creative professionals who call our city home. It's a very synergistic partnership that OZ is proud to be part of, and I look forward to watching the fashion industry's continued impact on our creative community." - Tim Ozgener, President & CEO, OZ Arts Nashville

Ginny Edwards Maxwell from AMAX Talent, also announced that the 2020 AMAX + NFW Model Search will be open for the first time in its nine year history to aspiring models of all ages and sizes in an effort to find the best of the best. Applications will be accepted from November 19 - December 31 at NashvilleFashionWeek.com.

"In the last few years, we have seen more clients requesting models in a greater range of sizes and ages. We are thrilled to be expanding the model search for 2020 in the hopes of finding potential stars to represent brands both locally and internationally. I am committed to doing whatever I can to help move the modeling industry forward in terms of diversity." - Ginny Edwards Maxwell, Director of Scouting & Development, AMAX Talent

Nashville Fashion Week was founded in 2010 as an all-volunteer led and run event spotlighting Nashville’s growing fashion community with a sustainable focus of philanthropic support of the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. 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 Co-Founders and Managing Partners, Connie Cathcart-Richardson and Marcia Masulla are eager to celebrate year ten with the Nashville creative community.

"Nashville Fashion Week and the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund have helped raise awareness of Nashville’s vast creative talent by showcasing close to 140 designers and hundreds of local businesses with an investment of over $1.3 million in the local fashion community over the past nine years," said Connie Cathcart-Richardson and Marcia Masulla. "We look forward to continuing to foster Nashville’s fashion-forward and entrepreneurial talent for many years to come with this volunteer led and run event.”

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MEET OUR NINTH ANNUAL 
NASHVILLE FASHION FORWARD FUND RECIPIENT 

We are proud to announce Megan Prange, owner and creator of Prange Apparel as our 2019 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipient. A committee from The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee selected Prange from a diverse group of experienced fashion industry applicants based on specific criteria set by the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund co-founders.

"I am beyond thrilled to be this year’s Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipient! I first learned about Nashville Fashion Week seven years ago and since then have been a huge believer in the amazing opportunities if offers to everyone who participates in it every year. I am honored to be a part of it and am incredibly grateful for the opportunity the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund will allow me." - Megan Prange, Owner & Creator, Prange Apparel

Megan Prange started Prange Apparel six years ago in response to the demand from independent designers and boutique owners for small batch production. At the time, Megan was doing freelance pattern and sample work for local designers when she noticed the struggle they were having scaling their businesses. They couldn’t keep up with the demand by sewing everything themselves.

She decided to go out on a limb and open a small batch manufacturing business. She started off with just three home sewing machines and a few interns.

Six years later, Prange now has a full-scale business that employs twenty-five full time employees, has over 30 industrial machines and a client base that spans from coast to coast.

“The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Award represents an investment in the creative and inspired individuals looking to expand the perspectives that will contribute to their personal growth and the growth of their role in the fashion industry. Megan joins a terrific and ever growing list of talented individuals who’ve put their vision to paper for a compelling experience that inspired the Award selection panel.” - Amy Fair, Vice President of Donor Services, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee

The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee 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 to advance the career of select local talent with demonstrated experience in a fashion-related field based on pre-established criteria.

Previous Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipients include apparel designers Van Hoang, Maria Silver, Eric Bornhop, Julianna Bass and Lauren Leonard Phelps; fashion photographer Brett Warren; accessory designer Ceri Hoover, and Elise Joseph, brand strategist and creative director.

The establishment of the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund in 2010 by the co-founders of Nashville Fashion Week 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 is a component fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee that is funded with charitable donations and proceeds from Nashville Fashion Week. 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 of our community.

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THE CELEBRATION CONTINUES
ON SATURDAY AT DREAM NASHVILLE!

Hurry, Only 10 Seats Are Left...

Feast on fashion by supporting the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and three of our most recent Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipients on Saturday, November 16 at Dream Nashville! Make your reservation now for the Fashion Show Brunch at Stateside Kitchen featuring presentations with Fund recipients Eric Adler, Black by Maria Silver and Van Hoang. There will be one seating at noon where you may order lively libations and tasty offerings from Stateside's sumptuous brunch menu. The participating designers will also have items available to purchase at their pop-up shops in the Back Bar during the event. Your $10 ticket reserves your seat at brunch and one complimentary Absolut Juice signature cocktail. Seating is limited to 60 spots and are going fast! All ticket proceeds benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK 2019

CELEBRATE WITH NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK!

Nashville Fashion Week 2019 is going BOLD! We've got a jam-packed schedule with seventy-five events planned next week and we look forward to celebrating with you! Nashville Fashion Week 2019 officially kicks off on Monday, April 1 with Nashville's first FREE fashion-focused Sustainable Summit moderated by Fern Mallis at oneC1TY and quickly ramps up with close to fifty Shop Nashville events, four more Learning Labs, four nights of runway shows featuring twenty local and regional designers in partnership with OZ Arts Nashville, our official NFW After Party presented by Dream Nashville and we close out the week with the 5th Annual Fashion Forward Gala. And don't forget about the Men's Style Event this Wednesday night at Dream Nashville with an After Party for guests at Snitch! There is literally something for everyone! 

Get your tickets at NashvilleFashionWeek.com now! Our Friday night runway shows are SOLD OUT and the other nights are selling fast! Make plans now to support your favorite designers and be introduced to new ones. You are going to be blown away by these BOLD collections!

NFW Learning Labs are designed to showcase the local fashion community by providing a platform to engage, learn and connect and each of these unique educational experiences do just that.

SUSTAINABILITY: Join us on Monday, April 1 at oneC1TY for our Sustainable Summit, an interactive event that will include Nashville's first fashion-focused discussion on sustainability. Our panel of industry leaders - Chrissy Fogerty, Fauxgerty; Barrett Ward, ABLE; David Prentice, OnPoint Manufacturing and fashion designer Van Hoang, our 2018 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipient - will share their insights on how to turn ideas into action and experiences with sustainability. Get your ticket to this FREE event while they last!

MARKETING: Digital Marketing Without Losing Your Mind at emma is SOLD OUT! But, tickets are still available for CREATE: Margaret Ellis Jewelry Intro to Metalsmithing | Make Your Own Stack Rings on Wednesday, April 3; and BEAUTY: Behind the Runway with The Cosmetic Market, and BUSINESS: Feast on Fashion with AMAX Talent presented by Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse - How To Land An Agent on Saturday, April 6 . Don't miss out on these unique educational opportunities!

And then there are the parties… Dream Nashville is presenting the Official Nashville Fashion Week After Party on Friday, April 5 from 10:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. This is sure to be the party of the year!

This is #WHYNFW! 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. Reserve your tickets or table for 10 by Wednesday, March 27th!

You've got all of your tickets, so now the big question is "What are you going to wear to all of these fashionable events"? Click HERE for full details on every Shop Nashville event that will take place next week. Nashville Fashion Week is a great excuse to go shopping! We can't wait to see you at the shows!

All proceeds from all Nashville Fashion Week events benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund is 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. 

NFW Men's Style Event at the New Dream Nashville Hotel

Nashville Fashion Week to Host Second
Men’s Style Event at the New Dream Nashville Hotel

Last year Nashville Fashion Week premiered a new Men's Style Event to enthusiastic stylish attendees and we expect even more from year two! The 2nd Nashville Fashion Week Men’s Style Event, presented by Jameson Black Barrel, will take place in the Parlour Bar at the new Dream Nashville Hotel on March 27 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Co-hosts Brian Barry, publisher of Nashville Lifestyles Magazine and Emmanuel LeGrair, founder of The Commonwealth will welcome guests to a stylish evening filled with R & B by soul artist Bentley Caldwell, hot shaves and other services from Scout’s Barbershop, a gift card from Macy’s, delicious bites from Dream and one signature cocktail from Jameson Black Barrel with a cash bar available after that. Levy’s Clothier, recognized by Esquire's Best of Class Gold Standard Men's Specialty Store, and NFW alum designer Eric Adler, who is also our 2015 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipient, will host on-site pop-up style presentations for the ultimate shopping experience. Mercedes-Benz Collection will also be on site to share more about their premium monthly subscription service and an exclusive NFW offer (see below for details). A limited number of tickets are available for $30 each at NashvilleFashionWeek.com.

“Scout's Barbershop is excited to be a part of the full sensory experience of Nashville Fashion Week's Men's Event where we'll be offering free neck shaves, beard trims, styles and pomade bar.” - Brooke Allison, Scout’s Barbershop

"Once again, Levy’s is proud to participate in Nashville Fashion Week. We are excited to present the fashion forward designs by the iconic brand Hudson Jeans at the Men's Style Event this year. Levy’s has a lot in common with Hudson. At 164 years, Levy’s is youthful in its mindset and modern in its execution.  We are both about pushing boundaries in our field and we both have the desire and work ethic of being the best in our respective industries."  - David Levy, President of Levy's Clothier of Men and Women

“As always we are thrilled to be a part of Nashville Fashion Week, but we are especially excited to participate this year since the theme of NFW is “BOLD". To be included among such a talented group of designers and fashion influencers is quite an honor.” - Eric Adler Bornhop, Eric Adler Clothing

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Mercedes-Benz Collection is the
Presenting Sponsor of the Official NFW VIP Experience

Nashville Fashion Week is thrilled to announce Mercedes-Benz Collection as the presenting sponsor of Nashville Fashion Week's VIP EXPERIENCE!

Mercedes-Benz Collection is a premium subscription service that gives you access to multiple Mercedes-Benz vehicles per month. To learn more and for plan information, pricing and contract terms, visit collection.mbusa.com. For a limited time, friends of Nashville Fashion Week can receive 50% off (value $247.50) the activation fee by entering the promo code ‘NFW2019’ into the Mercedes-Benz Collection app. Offer expires May 31, 2019. 

The ninth annual Nashville Fashion Week will be held April 2-6 in partnership with OZ Arts Nashville. The VIP EXPERIENCE is available to all Runway and All Access Pass holders. Tickets to all Nashville Fashion Week events are now available at NashvilleFashionWeek.com. All proceeds benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.  

NFW 2019 To Present Four Nights of Runway Shows at OZ Arts Nashville

Thanks to all that joined us for our Nashville Fashion Week 2019 Kickoff Party last night at Union Station Hotel! We were excited to announce the first details of our 2019 programming to a sold-out crowd and to hint at many more announcements to come. 

The ninth annual Nashville Fashion Week will take place Tuesday, April 2 through Saturday, April 6 in partnership with OZ Arts Nashville. Our second year at OZ Arts will feature an additional night of runway shows for a total of four full nights of fashion. For the first time, local designers will be spread throughout the week rather than being featured in one Nashville Designer Showcase. This is in direct response to our audience's growing interest and support of local designers. The week will conclude with the Fashion Forward Gala on Saturday night to celebrate the unique impact our seven award receipients have made on the Nashville fashion community.

“Our mission since day one has been to educate local and national audiences about Nashville’s growing fashion community and we are all experiencing the results,” said Nashville Fashion Week managing partners/co-founders Connie Cathcart-Richardson and Marcia Masulla. “Nashville Fashion Week and the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund have helped raise awareness of our creative talent by showcasing 173 designers and hundreds of local businesses with an investment of over $1 million in the local fashion community over the past eight years. We had to search for local designers early on that were ready to show and now we have enough experienced designers that our audience knows and supports to fill an entire week. It's our privilege to support Nashville’s fashion-forward and entrepreneurial talent with this volunteer led and run event. We could not continue to do this year after year without the financial support of our ticket holders and dedicated sponsors.”

Forty-five 2019 Nashville Fashion Week sponsors were acknowledged at the Kickoff Party, six of which have been supporters since 2011 and another eight for a minimum of five years. Nashville Fashion Week is fully funded with the support of our sponsors and ticket holders. Please support all of our sponsors listed HERE. 

More details on the Influencer Brunch, Men's Style Event, Learning Labs, Shop Nashville and other special events leading up to and during Nashville Fashion Week will be announced over the next month.

TWENTY 2019 DESIGNERS ANNOUNCED

Twenty designers will have the opportunity to showcase their collections at Nashville Fashion Week 2019. Please check out our participating designer bios HERE.

Tuesday, April 3 

• A Lady of the Lake (Nashville, TN)

• Ola Mai (Nashville, TN)

• Shea Steele (Brooklyn, NY)

• Splashed by DKG (Birmingham, AL)

• Van Hoang (Nashville, TN)

Wednesday, April 3

• Lily Guilder (Nashville, TN)

• Love & Osker (Birmingham, AL)

• Ona Rex (Nashville, TN)

• Paulie Gibson (St. Louis, MO) 

• Rank & Sugar (Nashville, TN)

Thursday, April 4

• Article X (Nashville, TN)

• Barbara Bultman (St. Louis, MO)

• Britache' by Bri (Sunrise, FL)

• Laura Citron (Nashville, TN)

• Truly Alvarenga (Nashville, TN)

Friday, April 5

• Amanda Casarez (St. Louis, MO)

• Any Old Iron (Nashville, TN) 

• Ashe Cain (Nashville, TN)

• Justin Mark Richards (Nashville, TN)

• Lagi Nadeau (Chicago, IL)

“We are delighted to showcase nine of Nashville’s leading designers, five returning favorites from across the country and six new designers discovered through our designer application process,” said Richardson and Masulla. “It’s so rewarding to watch the growth of our designers from year to year. The quality and number of designer applications and interest from around the region continues to increase each year as well."

AMAX TALENT + NFW 2019 MODEL SEARCH FINALISTS 

You can't have a runway show without models! Three finalists have been selected from thousands of applicants for the 2019 AMAX Talent + Nashville Fashion Week Model Search. Chaney Trosper, Kirstin Brower and Sara Lowe will each receive beauty makeovers from Love Salon Nashville before having the opportunity to meet with agents and scouts from top agencies around the world during the upcoming AMAX showcase.

"We had a remarkable group of applicants again 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.

The winner will have the opportunity to walk the NFW runway, as well as win a $1,000 contract with AMAX Talent, a photo shoot with local fashion photographer Ramiah Branch and a gift bag from Love Salons. The AMAX + NFW Model Search has been a launchpad for many successful modeling careers since its inception in 2012. 

Tickets for Nashville Fashion Week 2019 are now available to purchase at NashvilleFashionWeek.com. Individual ticket prices are $50 for general admission and $75 for seated tickets. The four-night Runway Pass is $200 for general admission with VIP access and $300 for preferred seated VIP tickets. The All Acess Pass includes front row VIP tickets to all four nights of ruway plus a ticket to the Fashion Forward Gala. Gala tickets are $250 with tables of 10 available for $2,500. All proceeds benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. 

For more information on the schedule, designers, a full list of sponsors, party pics and to purchase tickets, visit NashvilleFashionWeek.com. Click HERE to see the Hi-Fi Media Co. photo booth antics from the Kickoff Party.