NFW Learning Labs

NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK ANNOUNCES SIX EDUCATIONAL LEARNING LAB EXPERIENCES

Nashville Fashion Week is excited to announce six distinct fashion-focused Learning Labs that will take place April 2 - 7. Nashville Fashion Week is 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. Please make plans early to attend at least one of these special events.

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CULTURE: Life Off the Runway with Amanda Valentine & Ayana Ife

Monday, April 2 | 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Location: ONEC1TY | 8 City Boulevard, Suite 402, 37209

Admission: $30, includes light bites and refreshments.

Enjoy a conversation between Project Runway designers Amanda Valentine and Ayana Ife on their perspective of their shared reality television experience and the realities of being a working designer post-show. Learn how they manage and build their brands while finding the balance of sharing personal values, voice and perspectives within the current climate of the world. You're sure to hear some hilariious and stressful tales from all of the madness that happens before and after the show.

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CREATE: Margaret Ellis Jewelry Intro to Metalsmithing | Make Your Own Pearl Bangles

Tuesday, April 3 | 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Location: 209 10th Avenue South, Suite 309, 37203

Admission: $250 Individual Ticket includes instruction, materials and your own personal set of ME Pearl Bangles (retail value $440). 

Learn to make your very own set of classic ME bronze pearl bangles with the assistance from one of Nashville's most respected local businesses. Margaret Ellis Jewelry utilizes strong shapes and textures to bring new relevance to classic handcrafted designs. Precious metals, individually select pearls and stones form modern and timeless works of art designed to be worn for years to come. ME owner/designer Mclaine Richardson and master metalsmiths will help you find your inner creativity and inspiration through the art of jewelry design. Ticket price includes admission and all materials needed to create your a Set of 6 with 2 Pearl Bangles with your choice of pearl color (white, blue, peach, black or brown) at the Margaret Ellis Studio in historic Cummins Station. 

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PHOTOGRAPHY: Behind the Lens with Brett Warren & Zachary Gray

Wednesday, April 4 | 11:30 - 1:00 p.m.

Location: ONEC1TY | 8 City Boulevard, Suite 402, 37209

Admission: $30 Individual ticket, includes lite bites and refreshments (bring lunch if you like)

Join fashion photographers Brett Warren and Zachary Gray for a unique learning lab in which they will discuss their body of work, individual journies as photographers both in Nashville and beyond, and the twists and turns that led them to their current adventures. Brett and Zachary will also discuss their use of research in order to develop concepts for personal and client shoots, as well as the importance of looking far outside your craft in order to uncover untapped inspiration. Bring your lunch, questions, thoughts, and a notepad for a ton of tips, resources, and a few dad jokes.

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BEAUTY: Runway to Real Way at The Cosmetic Market

Thursday, April 5 | 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

Location: The Cosmetic Market | 4015 Hillsboro Pike, Suite 107, 37215

Admission: $40 Individual Ticket, includes lite bites and refreshments.

Get personalized one-on-one training from the pros at The Cosmetic Market on how to achieve beautiful runway beauty looks such as winged liner, contouring, colored shadow, etc. that will have you runway ready every day. Enjoy refreshments and leave with a swag bag full of beauty products. All participants will receive 20% off any purchase too.

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BUSINESS: Social Media | Vanity vs. Effectiveness with Her Data Method

Friday, April 6 | 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Location: ONEC1TY | 8 City Boulevard, Suite 402, 37209

Admission: $30 Individual ticket, includes lite bites and refreshments (bring lunch if you like)

Do you have thousands of followers on social media who keep liking all of your posts but don’t buy a thing? Defining your target customer(s) first will help you know where you should be focusing your energies online. This lunch (bring your own) and learn is designed to help you strengthen your brand. 

Shannon Ware and Melody Jennings Bowers, of the Virtual Collective, created Her Data Method to educate business owners on the value of data, and more importantly, how to collect it. Her Data Method is a series of online courses that teach business owners how to build a data collection framework to help them make smart, data-driven decisions tailored to their business.

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INFLUENCE: Navigate the Influencer Space with Happily Grey + CLIQUE media | Moderated by Designer Chrissy Fogerty of Fauxgerty

Saturday, April 7 | 1 - 3 p.m.

Location: ONEC1TY | 8 City Boulevard, Suite 402, 37209

Admission: $30 Individual ticket, includes light bites and refreshments.

This is your chance to listen, learn and ask experts on how to win at the influencer game. Mary Lee, founder and face of influential style platform Happily Grey, Rachel Zeilic, V.P. of Talent at Clique media and Chrissy Fogerty, founder and designer of sustainabilty-focused brand Fauxgerty will share their experiences as designers, creative directors and entrepreneurs. These powerhouse women will discuss influencer marketing from the brand's perspective, the do's and don't for influencers, how to pitch and negotiate deals, how to get booked on a recurring basis by brands and the analytics that brands are looking at during this jam-packed session. 

“I could not be more excited to be part of this Learning Lab, highlighting women with powerful and authentic voices in their field.”  - Chrissy Fogerty, founder of Fauxgerty

NFW Learning Labs are presented by Fauxgerty, Middle Tennessee State University Textiles, Merchandising and DesignONEC1TY and The Westin Nashville.

ONEC1TY believes Nashville’s innovation community is strengthened through individuals who are passionate about their craft, collaborating with others who support and challenge the status quo. It is so exciting to be a partner with Nashville Fashion Week and to host Learning Lab content and discussion integrating the culture building and entrepreneurial business successes of our so many creative minds in Nashville.” – Ryan Doyle, General Manager ONEC1TY

ONEC1TY is a dynamic new urban community being developed on Nashville’s West Side, in the university and health innovation corridor adjacent to Centennial Park. The project consists of a mix of uses, including workspace, residences, hospitality and retail within a walkable, urban neighborhood designed for LEED Neighborhood Development Gold designation. This district is designed around creating a unique new home for the region’s most progressive thinkers, the most innovative minds in technology, and a community hungry to obtain a sustainable lifestyle. The site is transforming vacant and underutilized structures into a new, vibrant mixed-use neighborhood that integrates seamlessly into the existing urban fabric and serves as a center of active lifestyles, enjoyment of the arts and the business of our creativity class.

Feast on Fashion

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FEAST ON FASHION

The countdown has commenced and everything about Nashville Fashion Week 2018 is ELEVATED! Join us Tuesday, April 3 through Saturday, April 7 at OZ Arts Nashville for a style-filled week. Opening night features the crowd favorite Nashville Designer Showcase, followed by the Ready-to-Wear Runway Show on Wednesday, Emerging Designer on Friday and the Finale Runway Show on Saturday night. The new ELEVATED VIP experience, a musical performance and premium food and drink for both guests and crew insure that everyone will experience the best of fashion, food and entertainment during the five-day event produced in partnership with OZ Arts Nashville.

“We are delighted to be partnering with some of the city’s most beloved brands to create a luxe and memorable experience for our guests,” said Nashville Fashion Week managing partners/co-founders Connie Cathcart-Richardson and Marcia Masulla. “Guests that purchase the ELEVATED Access Pass will not only be guaranteed premium seats and an elevated experience, but they will also be supporting our fashion community in a big way. All proceeds from Nashville Fashion Week benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.”

The Nashville Fashion Week All-Access Pass has been upgraded to the ELEVATED Access Pass this year. Patrons will enjoy an engaging experience in a designated area hosted by Nashville Lifestyles Magazine and Bon Vivant with stylish touches from CORT Furniture and FLWR Shop. The $350 ELEVATED Access Pass includes:

        - Experience Bissinger's Handcrafted Chocolatier on Tuesday April 3

        - Eleventy pop-up presented by Oak Hall Nashville on Wednesday, April 4

        - Art Installation presented by OZ Arts Nashville of OZ Arts founder and artist, Cano Ozgener’s, work with a special commemorative

         gift on Saturday, April 7

  • All Nashville Fashion Week ticket holders also receive FREE admission to the Frist Center for the Visual Arts from April 2-14 featuring the Nick Cave: Feat exhibit with proof of purchase. 

KICK OFF THE WEEK WITH ESCONDIDO

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Escondido will be our musical guest during the Nashville Designer Showcase on opening night, Tuesday, April 3. Jessica Maros and Tyler James, both long time Nashville songwriters, recorded their debut album in a single day and released it in 2013 to critical acclaim. The duo's David Lynch approved sound became the soundtrack to multiple films & TV shows including HBO's Girls and led to appearances on TBS’s CONAN and ABC’s Nashville. The band has toured with the likes of Lord Huron, The Lone Bellow, and The Staves, and recently completed their third album with producer Rob Schnapf, known for his work with Elliott Smith, Kurl Vile, and Beck.

“We couldn’t be more excited to wrap our national tour at Nashville Fashion Week this year,” said Escondido artists Jessica Maros and Tyler James. “It has been inspiring to watch the community here grow and thrive over the last decade, and we can't wait to see all the talented designers' hard work on the runway. We are also looking forward to sharing some songs off our new album Warning Bells on opening night."

All guests will have the opportunity to enjoy NFW's curated hospitality progam that includes G CateringMaison Noir Wines and signature drinks made with Tito’s Handmade Vodka by Bar Alliance Nashville. Nashville Fashion Week designers, models, crew and volunteers will be fueled by catering courtesy of Vui's KitchenJuice BarPostmates and coffee from local roaster Red Bicycle.

“G’s Catering is very excited to be a sponsor and partner for these wonderful events for the Nashville Fashion Week,” said Guy Haskins, owner of G Catering. “We are eager to showcase our creativity to Nashville’s fashion industry.” 

All tickets, including the ELEVATED Access Pass, are available for purchase at NashvilleFashionWeek.com. Ticket proceeds benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. For more information about the ELEVATED VIP experience, designers, sponsors, and all other details, visit NashvilleFashionWeek.com.

NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK ANNOUNCES WEDNESDAY NIGHT DESIGNER LINEUP AND PLANS TO HOST OUR FIRST MEN’S STYLE EVENT

Nashville Fashion Week Announces Wednesday Night Designer Lineup and Plans to Host Our First Men’s Style Event

Our eighth annual five-day event will kick off on Tuesday, April 3 with the Nashville Designer Showcase in partnership with OZ Arts Nashville followed by three more nights of runway shows on Wednesday (Ready-to-Wear), Friday (Emerging Designers) and Saturday (Finale) nights; as well as special ELEVATED events, Shop Nashville Week, and Learning Labs throughout the week. The new Men’s Style Event and sold-out Blogger Brunch are designed to generate excitement for the upcoming week of fashion events that showcase many aspects of Nashville’s thriving creative fashion community. More specific details on all events will be announced over the next few weeks.

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The Ready-to-Wear Runway Showcase will feature five diverse designers on Wednesday, April 4 at OZ Arts Nashville from all across the country. 

“I'm really proud to see how progressive, creative, and alive Nashville is and has been for some time! And, of course the Nashville Fashion Forward fund too. I’m very happy to be here debuting AW18 with Nashville Fashion Week and Jamie Nashville. It feels good to be home,” said Julianna Bass, first recipient of the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund in 2011.


JOIN US FOR OUR FIRST MEN'S STYLE EVENT

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The Men’s Style Event is the first men’s fashion-focused event hosted by Nashville Fashion Week. The evening will feature a fashion presentation by Oak Hall Nashville, of Italian brand Eleventy, and an installation by Edward’s Shoes, locally-made men’s custom dress-shoes, on Tuesday, March 27 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m at 505 Nashville. Co-hosts Brian Barry, publisher of Nashville Lifestyles Magazine and Tim Ozgener, CEO of OZ Arts Nashville will welcome guests to 505, the tallest residential building in Nashville. Guests attending the event will enjoy light bites from Virago, signature drinks created by Bar Alliance Nashville and tastings of Pennington Distilling Co.’s new Davidson Reserve four-grain Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Parking will be provided by Parking Management Company. A limited number of tickets are available for $60 each at NashvilleFashionWeek.com.

“Fashion in Nashville is growing, and I love how it combines the old and the new,” said Barry. “Stores likes Levy’s, which is more than 160 years old, are just as ‘well-suited’ to handle Nashville’s menswear needs like newcomers Oak Hall and Alton Lane. There are also so many great fashion industry professionals in this city that we work with at Nashville Lifestyles, and I am fortunate to be able to work with great talents every issue.” 

Tim Ozgener is optimistic about this year’s partnership between Nashville Fashion Week and OZ Arts Nashville. “I’m so glad to be part of this year's Nashville Fashion Week,” said Ozgener. “I have always loved the creative, artistic and FUN aspects of fashion. This event will combine all three for an unforgettable experience.”

Tickets and Elevated Access Passes for the Men’s Style Event, Nashville Designer Showcase, Read-to-Wear Showcase and Emerging Designer Showcase are available for purchase at NashvilleFashionWeek.com. All NFW ticket holders get FREE admission to the Frist Center for the Visual Arts from April 2-14 featuring the Nick Cave: Feat exhibit with proof of purchase. All proceeds benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

2ND ANNUAL NFW BLOGGER BRUNCH

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Brunch and network with your favorite local influencers at the second Nashville Fashion Week Blogger Brunch on February 24 from 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. while enjoying an incredible view of downtown Nashville from L.A. Jackson at the Thompson Nashville. It's the perfect spot to make new friends, nibble brunch bites and plot your plans for Nashville Fashion Week.

Meet and shop the sneak peek Pop Up of designer | 2017 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipient Black by Maria Silver's new collection before it hits the NFW runway in April.

Enjoy the Bloody Mary Bar from Tito's Handmade Vodka, a Braid and Beard Bar from Scouts Barbershop, the Nashville Smile Bar photo booth and a live feed from i106.7. Walk away with a bag full of goodies and a chance to win a prize from Regions Bank

A limited number of tickets are now on sale for $30. All proceeds benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

Hosts:
Alicia Searcy | Spashionista
Ashley McClellan Houston | Nashville Wifestyles  
Brooke Webb | KB Styled 
Cara Valentine | In the Red
Emmanuel LeGrair | EJLeGrair 
Emily Bache & Abigail Breslin | The Wanderlust Girls
Jami-Lyn Fehr | Jamilyn.co 
Jasmine Sweet | Jasmine Sweet 
Melissa Watkins | Fabglance 
Polly Patel | FLIKISS 
Senni Alina and Olivia Rose | Alina & Rose

The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Recipient Is...

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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.”

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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. 

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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.