Akiko
Akiko Cook | Los Angeles, CA
2011
presented by Posh Boutique
A collection inspired by art, vintage prints and embroideries, Akiko Cook’s designs have become favorites with celebrities such as Christina Aguilera, Selena Gomez, Tori Spelling, Amanda Bynes and Ashley Tisdale and are sold in over 200 specialty boutiques and department stores.
AMANDA VALENTINE | Valentine Valentine
Amanda Valentine | Nashville, TN
‘17 | ‘16 | ‘15 | ‘12 | ‘11
Amanda Valentine is a women's ready-to-wear collection created by designer and stylist Amanda Valentine. Amanda competed on Project Runway (Seasons 11 and 13) and has been voted "Nashville's Best Fashion Designer" by readers of the Nashville Scene for the last four years.
While creating collections, Amanda styles wardrobe for numerous rock bands including Twenty One Pilots and infuses her women’s line with edge - and always ease. Bold prints, dramatic color blocking and exaggerated silhouettes make an appearance each collection.
Aman Stovall
Brent Johnson & Mary Catherine Moody | Atlanta, GA
2011
Southern natives Brent Johnson and Mary Catherine Moody’s luxury brand, Aman Stovall, is defined by luxurious Italian fabrications, couture sewing techniques and modern influences. Johnson’s skills in modern tailoring mixed with Moody’s embellishment techniques began the partnership of Aman Stovall.
Ben Sherman
Ben Sherman | London, UK
2011
presented by Posh Boutique
The first company to produce the famous Oxford button-down shirt and the fourth largest men’s casual wear in the U.K., Ben Sherman’s designs feature effortless cool, with the roundel and colors of the British Royal AirForce. The line now also includes belts, bags, footwear and sunglasses.
Betsey Johnson
Betsey Johnson | New York, NY
2011
Betsey Johnson has built her long-standing career in fashion by following her own set of rules. Known for her celebration of the exuberant, the embellished, and the over the top, Betsey has been rocking the fashion industry with her unique and original designs since the 1960s.
Christian Siriano
Christian Siriano | New York, NY
2011
At 25 years old, Christian Siriano is quickly building both a luxury brand and a name for himself in the fashion community. With six collections shown at New York Fashion Week, his work has been worn by everyone from Rihanna to Christina Hendricks. Siriano is Payless’ top selling collaboration, and his collection is sold at Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue and internationally from Russia to Dubai. Siriano was the youngest winner of the hit series, Project Runway, in its fourth season.
Cooper by Courtney Warren
Courtney Warren |
2011
presented by Posh Boutique
Warren has said it is her goal to “create a dress line that makes all women feel sexy and beautiful.” She named all the pieces in the line after her friends and family, a tribute to their support for her work.
Coquette
Brooke Shipley Hagaman | Nashville, TN
2011
Coquette swimwear by Brooke Shipley is a combination of vintage elegance and modern design that comes together to create one-of-a-kind garments that reflect the uniqueness of the women who wear them.
Gado Gado
2011
presented by Posh Boutique
GadoGado is a line of contemporary styles with original prints, unique detailing & versatile pieces, inspired by the rich culture of Bali. The fit is universally flattering & modernly feminine, yet edgy. Based on socially responsible standards, GadoGado is dedicated to creating a “Fashion to Empower” lifestyle, aiding women in 3rd world countries to become self sufficient.
GUSTAVO CADILE
Gustavo Cadile | New York, NY
2011
presented by Gus Mayer
Cadile’s designs are a collection of late day and evening gowns that combine the spirit of Argentine glamour with European sensibility and American style. Celebrities and fashion personalities such as Catherine Zeta Jones, Reese Witherspoon, Queen Latifah, January Jones and Vanessa Williams are wearing his clothes.
JAMIE AND THE JONES
Jamie Frazier & Hannah Jones | Nashville, TN
2012 | 2011
Jamie and the Jones is the brainchild of Nashville designers Jamie Frazier and Hannah Jones. Their collective skill (knitting, crochet, embroidery, beading, and hand painting are all hallmarks)
earned them the Belcourt Theatre’s 2011 nD emerging designer competition and participation in the first-ever Nashville Fashion Week. They have been featured in publications including Nylon and Elle.com and continue to produce their line from their studio inside Local Honey, Nashville’s premiere source for local design.
JULIANNA BASS
Julianna Bass | New York, NY
‘18 | ‘16 | ‘12 | ‘11
2011 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Recipient
Julianna Bass is an American Fashion Designer who debuted her eponymous womenswear collection during New York Fashion with a AW15 runway presentation. Since the collection’s debut, Julianna Bass has received accolades from prominent U.S. and International publications including Vogue (Germany and U.S.), Women’s Wear Daily, and New York Magazine. Bass is a Tennessee native who moved to New York to study fashion and costume design at the Fashion Institute of Technology after completing her design studies at Middle Tennessee State University.
KATHERINE KIDD
Katherine Kidd | Los Angeles, CA
2012 | 2011
presented by Gus Mayer
Striking a balance between the era of 40s and 50s glamour with today’s sophisticated female, Kidd’s designs capture a feminine aesthetic that exudes both old world chic and modern day freshness.
Kidd was raised in the South, but spent summers in Paris. After launching her eponymous label in 2010, Katharine quickly became a red carpet favorite, dressing the likes of Rooney Mara, Rachel McAdams, Kate Beckinsale, Lea Michele, and Emmy Rossum to name a few. Kidd’s designs can be found in high end boutiques across the world as well as her first namesake store that recently opened in Los Angeles.
KEVORK KILEDJIAN
Kevork Kiledjian | New York, NY
2011
presented by Gus Mayer
Kiledjian was born into the world of art and design with a mother inspired by architecture and a father who worked as a couturier for Lanvin. Kiledjian’s latest line maintains the designer’s sensuous, refined aesthetic, infusing the luxurious garments with beauty and strength.
Leona
Lauren Leonard Phelps | Nashville, TN
‘14 | ‘13 | ‘12 | ‘11
2012 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Recipient
presented by Hemline Nashville (in 2011)
LEONA launched in 2008 and is designed by Lauren Leonard. The collection is comprised of luxury wardrobe essentials for the modern woman. In 2013, Leonard was selected as the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipient. LEONA holds offices in Nashville, TN and New York, NY, as well as a retail store in Nashville’s 12 South District.
Loretta Jane
Kelli Cooper |
2011
presented by Hemline Nashville
Loretta Jane by Kelli Cooper is a burgeoning ready-to-wear line emphasizing quality fabrics for a customer with both a playful spirit and a sophisticated eye for fashion.
Melissa Tabor
Melissa Tabor | Nashville, TN
2011
Tabor is a Nashville based women’s wear designer. She studied clothing design/marketing at AIU in Atlanta. She started her line in 2006 in Atlanta and debuted her first Nashville line this past fall.
Norma Clare
Anna Redmon | Nashville, TN
2011
Anna Redmon named her line after her grandmother, and her designs are inspired by vintage looks the original Norma would have loved. The fabrics Redmon chooses often inspire her garments, and she often chooses cloth of a heavier weight and drape, with finished products distinguished by clean lines and shapes.
OLIA ZAVOZINA
Olia Zavozina | Nashville, TN
2011
Olia Zavozina is a designer and manufacturer of high fashion bridal gowns and bespoke menswear. Olia has been designing custom bridal gowns for the last five years and is now launching the Royal Elegance collection for retailers.
ROBERT GRAHAM
New York, NY
2011
presented by Levy's
The Robert Graham brand, for both men and women, is characterized by impeccable quality, exquisite detailing, and a wry, subtle wink of British-inspired humor. It’s an attitude that carries through to the “Knowledge Wisdom Truth” label integrated discreetly into every garment.
SHEA STEELE | White Rabbit
Shea Steele | Nashville, TN
‘19 | ‘18 | ‘17 | ‘12 | ‘11
A Tennessee native currently based in New York, Steele is a textile designer whose collections fuse striking prints, intricate embellishments, and bold color combinations into an exciting juxtaposition of punk and polish.
STEVEN OO
Steven Oo | New York, NY
2011
presented by Project Artisan
Steven Oo debuted his collection as an MFA student at Bryant Park during Fall/Winter 2010 New York Fashion Week as part of the Academy of Art University. He specializes in intricate and structural knits and brings an unconventional approach to traditional knitting.
SYLVIA HEISEL
Sylvia Heisel | New York, NY
2012 | 2011
presented by Project Artisan (in 2011)
Heisel’s clothes embody both classic luxury and high-style global modernism. Sumptuous raw silks in her line, often in acid colors, align with vintage upholstery fabrics, startlingly futuristic textures and ornaments, and other surprises.
T. RAINS
Traver Rains | Los Angeles, CA
2013 | 2012 | 2011
Traver Rains, formerly of Heatherette, recently took some time off to work on his photography, and is now debuting his new line, T. Rains, his cool collection of silkscreened tees, tanks, and hoodies. In keeping with his cowboy style, the collection has a retro western feel, employing 60s pop art and images from his own photography.
Traver Rains, former co-creator of infamous fashion brand Heatherette, has since started his own line, T. Rains. The brand features a wide range of designs from silk-screened tank tops and t-shirts to custom couture dresses. His new line is a combination of influences of his Western roots as a 5th generation horse rancher and his many years of living and designing in NYC.
UNION OF ANGELS
Cindy Bapst | Washington, DC
2011
presented by Stacey Rhodes Boutique
Cynthia Bapst is an international clothing designer whose designs have been seen in numerous publications and runways. Her spring collection is sold in St. Barth, and she is working with well-known record labels in Nashville to dress their artists. Her future project is production of a television series called “Style in the City.”
Headshots and bios were provided by designers in the year that they last showed. Runway photographs were provided by our Official Nashville Fashion Week Photographers - Doug Barry, Heather Byrd, Andy Evinger, Taylor Christian Jones, Ryan Mclemore, Alaina K. Mullin and Eric Winton.