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.

CELEBRATE WITH NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK

CELEBRATE WITH NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK

When we say ELEVATED, we mean it! We've got a jam-packed schedule with close to 100 events planned next week and we look forward to celebrating with you! Nashville Fashion Week 2018 officially kicks off on Monday, April 2 with the first of our Learning Labs and quickly ramps up with over fifty "Shop Nashville Week" events, five more Learning Labs, Fashion Talks with Fern Mallis and Anna Sui, designer Pop-Ups and four nights of runway shows featuring twenty-four designers with musical guests Escondido and Karen Elson at OZ Arts Nashville throughout the week. There is literally something for everyone!

ELEVATED Access Passes have SOLD OUT! Only a few standing room tickets remain for the Nashville Designer and Emerging Designer Showcase and the Ready-to-Wear and Finale Show seated tickets featuring Anna Sui are going fast! And whatever you do, don't miss the NFW Fashion Talks with fashion legends Fern Mallis and Anna Sui at Union Station Hotel on Friday afternoon!

BEAUTY: Runway to Real Way at The Cosmetic Market is SOLD OUT! But, tickets are still available for five other NFW Learning Labs - CULTURE: Life Off the Runway with Amanda Valentine & Ayana Ife, CREATE: Margaret Ellis Jewelry Intro to Metalsmithing | Make Your Own Pearl Bangles, PHOTOGRAPHY: Behind the Lens with Brett Warren & Zachary Gray, BUSINESS: Social Media | Vanity vs. Effectiveness with Her Data Method and INFLUENCERS: Navigate the Influencer Space with Happily Grey + CLIQUE media | Moderated by Designer Chrissy Fogerty of Fauxgerty. Don't miss out on these unique educational opportunities!

And then there is the big question...What are you going to wear to all of these marvelous 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!

All NFW ticket holders get FREE admission to the Frist Center of the Visual Arts April 2 through 14 featuring the Nick Cave: Feat exhibit with proof of purchase.

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. 

SHOP NASHVILLE WEEK 2018

NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK PRESENTS SHOP NASHVILLE WEEK 2018

Nashville Fashion Week is excited to announce a full week of special shopping events beginning Tuesday, April 3 through Sunday, April 8 at a wide variety of Nashville-area retailers and businesses across the city. Shop Nashville Week is a city-wide celebration designed to encourage and support the local retail and maker community through promotions, in-store appearances and events that activate creative and interactive ways to drive consumers to Nashville businesses. In addition to our participating retailers, we've also added a curated selection of NFW designer Pop Up Shops at Union Station Hotel and Third Man Records as well as a special online shopping opportunity through StyleBlueprint Nashville this year.

StyleBlueprint Nashville, one of the fastest-growing online lifestyle brands in the U.S., anchored by daily articles that support independent businesses that connects women to all facets of our community, will feature select designs from Nashville Fashion Week designers at SB Shop, their curated marketplace, from now through April 16. Any Old Iron, Ona Rex, Lily Guilder, Truly Alvarenga, Julianna Bass, Lagi Nadeau, Splashed DKG will be introduced to over 100,000 StyleBlueprint readers through this unique shopping platform. 25% of all sales will benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund. Be sure to sign up for their daily emails.

SHOP NASHVILLE WEEK PARTNERS

Twenty-five participating retail partners will host fifty of their own unique events, trunk shows and promotions during Nashville Fashion Week that benefit the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee through donations and proceeds from event sales. Shop Nashville Week 2018 is sponsored by WhoWhatWayne. 

WhoWhatWayne.com is the exploration of Creative Catalyst and Brand Hunter, Wayne A. Headley. As a fashion pioneer who has directed fashion ventures for over 40 years, Wayne carries extensive experience in international imports, brand management, marketing, retail sales and event production. Wayne's latest endeavor involves deciphering the code of introducing international brands from Japan, Spain, Holland and several other countries into the North American market. Follow Wayne as he travels the globe exploring WHO and WHAT brands will be the 'Next Great American Story in Fashion.'

NFW 2018 Shop Nashville Retail Partners:

ABLE
Alton Lane
Any Old Iron
Ceri Hoover
The Dress Theory
Emerson Grace
FLIP
H. Audrey

HatWRKS
Jamie Nashville
Keep Shop
Lemon Laine
Levy's
Lily Guilder
Margaret Ellis Jewelry

Nordstrom
Oak Hall
Posh
The Private Label
Stacey Rhodes Boutique
Tribe Kelley
UAL

NFW DESIGNER POP-UP SHOPS

Union Station Hotel will host Nashville Fashion Week Designer Pop-Up Shops on Thursday, April 5 and Saturday, April 7 from 12-4 p.m. in their lobby at 1001 Broadway. Meet and shop Nashville Fashion Week designers Any Old Iron, Black by Maria Silver, Lily Guilder and Ola Mai on Thursday, April 5. Nashville designer Truly Alvarenga and emerging designers Amanda Casarez, Barbara Bultman, Splashed by DKG and Yellowcake Shop will pop-up on Saturday, April 7.

Nashville Fashion Week special guest and Saturday night Finale Runway Show designer Anna Sui has also partnered with Third Man Records for the Anna Sui x Third Man Records Pop Up on Friday, April 6 - Sunday, April 8 from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. at 623 7th Avenue South. 

Step inside Jack White's Third Man Records to peruse a collaborative pop-up shop featuring the fashion and beauty creations of iconic New York fashion designer Anna Sui, alongside Third Man's usual lush vinyl selection. Meet and greet with Anna at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

"I’ve always been a gigantic fan of everything Jack White does - not only is he a musical genius, but he also has quite the flair for interior decoration!  I love the yellow and black interiors of his offices, warehouses and boutiques (where I’m proud to say, I design the sales staff uniforms!).  Third Man Records graciously invited me to host a pop-up shop in their store during Nashville Fashion Week (where I’m presenting my Spring 2018 Summer of Love inspired runway collection)!  There will be selected items straight from the catwalk…capes embroidered with peacocks and roses, shimmering celestial print caftans, London Souvenir dresses, daisy jacquard hot pants, Peruvian blanket shawls, bleach-patterned sun and moon t-shirts, flower-power pin sets, calico journals, my popular Fantasia perfume (with its unicorn topped flask), plus a selection of my colorful cosmetics, and my latest book - commemorating my traveling World of Anna Sui museum retrospective.  I’m also designing a custom Anna Sui + Third Man collaboration Nashville T-shirt!" - Anna Sui

"Anna Sui is an American icon, and the similarities between the world she has created through fashion and the world Jack White and Third Man Records have created through music are impossible to ignore. We both aim to take you on a journey, expose you to the unexpectedly beautiful and the beautifully unexpected, foster a love affair with tangibility, and inspire you to let your mind live in a state of constant exploration, reorganization, and reformation. Both brands challenge the idea that one's outward identity and tastes should be an unmovable object to hang your hat on: Third Man is vehemently genreless — we'd just as soon put out early 20th century demotika field recordings as a White Stripes record; Anna Sui's clothes are spectacularly idiosyncratic, each speaking for itself and telling its own story regardless of the wearer's context. The fact that the creative forces behind both companies were born and raised in Detroit is truly just the tip of the iceberg. All this is to say, we couldn't be more thrilled to host Anna and her incredible wares at our Nashville space, and our women's uniforms are thrilled to meet their maker in person." - Katie Studley, Marketing, Third Man Records

Nashville designer Amanda Valentine and St. Louis designer Chrissy Fogerty of Fauxgerty will also host Pop-Up Shops  during their NFW Learning Labs at ONEC1TY. Amanda Valentine & Ayana Ife will present Culture: Life Off The Runway on Monday, April 2 from 5-7 p.m.. Chrissy will moderate the Happily Grey + Clique Media Influence: Navigage the Influencer Space on Saturday, April 7 from 1-3 p.m. Tickets for both events, as well as the four other Learning Labs are available at NashvilleFashionWeek.com.

Featured Shop Nashville Week events include:

• Any Old Iron, Emerson Grace, Jamie Nashville, Lemon Laine, Levy’s, Lily Guilder Designer Showroom, Oak Hall and Stacey Rhodes Boutique will each host NFW runway designer trunk shows. Stop by to meet the designers and shop their looks from the runway.

• Emerson Grace will donate a portion of Thursday sales to the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund.

• Support NFW alumni designers at Ceri Hoover, The Keep Shop (Jamie & The Jones) and Posh (MadnessIs) throughout the week. Margaret Ellis Jewelry is hosting an out-of-studio trunk show at Nina Kuzina Gallery Thursday through Saturday.

• Shop more Pop Ups and designer Trunk Shows at The Dress Theory, H. Audrey, Levy's and Posh.

• Menswear special events at Alton Lane, Levy's and Oak Hall.

• Full service professional styling opportunities at Nordstrom and The Private Label.

• Fun beauty-focused events at ABLE and Lemon Laine.

• Take advantage of special discounts at UAL, an eight year NFW supporter, at all three Nashville locations Tuesday through Friday. HatWRKS will offer a discount on all of their women and men's hats simply for mentioning NFW all week!

• Register to win a new pair of sunglasses at Ceri Hoover. Sunnies will be given away to the first 25 customers at Posh in both locations on Friday. 

• Feast on fashion with refreshments served at ABLE, Ceri Hoover, Emerson Grace, Nina Kuzina Gallery, Oak Hall, Tribe Kelley, UAL and many more. A food truck will also be at FLIP!

• And please continue to shop and support our loyal NFW retails sponsors William Edge and The Cosmetic Market.

Visit NashvilleFashionWeek.com to view the full Nashville Fashion Week 2018 schedule including detailed event descriptions for each of Shop Nashville's participating retailers and to purchase tickets to all of the official NFW events planned throughout the week.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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 Design, ONEC1TY 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.