ANNA SUI
Anna Sui | New York, NY
2018
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.
AMANDA CASAREZ
Amanda Casarez | Saint Louis, Missouri & Washington, DC
2019 | 2018
The DC and STL based brand, Amanda Casarez, established in 2015, continues to make its mark with its brand signature of street chic with contemporary polish, and unexpected color and texture combinations. This women's advanced-contemporary line is composed of statement making pieces and everyday essentials for head-to-toe-dressing, making it perfect for our everyday muse, the bold and unapologetic woman of today.
ANDREW GALLIVAN
Andrew Gallivan | Nashville, Tennessee & Brooklyn, New York
2018 | 2017
Andrew Gallivan is a clothing brand based in Nashville and Brooklyn, and provides women’s ready-to-wear and custom garments for men and women. Andrew Gallivan produces American made clothing of quality materials, including recycled and deadstock fabrics to reduce carbon footprint. The ready to wear line offers women versatile and fashion forward garments that last multiple seasons.
ANY OLD IRON
Andrew Clancey | Nashville, Tennessee
‘19 | ‘18 | ‘17 | ‘16
2019 Fashion Forward Rising Star Award
Andrew Clancey, designer of Any Old Iron started creating his sparkly designs for men and women three years ago in Nashville. He premiered his first collection at Nashville Fashion Week and has gone on to make clothes for Cher, Jane Fonda, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Ozzy Osbourne, Nikki Minaj and Miranda Lambert to name a few.
ARIEL INC
Ariel Smith | Atlanta, Georgia
2018
Ariel INC has been featured in countless fashion shows such as: Walk Fashion Show (NYFW ’17), Miss-Sis Magazine, The Birmingham Times, Magic City Fashion Week (Birmingham, AL), and CBS46/WGCL-TV Atlanta. She has also worked with rappers: Young Scooter, Waka Flocka Flame, and Future. Ariel INC has done programs for the youth such as charity fashion shows, free fashion design classes for young girls, prom dress giveaways, and mentoring programs to develop their talents and overall goals.
BARBARA BULTMAN
Barbara Bultman | Saint Louis, Missouri
2019 | 2018
Saint Louis Native, Barbara Bultman, earned her BFA at Lindenwood University in 2015, also Couture Designer of the Year at Phoenix Fashion Week in 2016. Barbara Bultman designs, established in 2015, is an independent fashion brand that is made in house. Her designs are structural, detail oriented, edgy a modern day bohemian twist of style. She uses a mixed media of fabrics and unconventional materials to Carey one of a kind textures and prints. It's a revolutionary crossroad of style for the fearless woman. Dare 2 Wear
BLACK BY MARIA SILVER
Maria Silver | Nashville, Tennessee
‘18 | ‘15 | ‘14 | ‘13 | ‘12
2017 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Recipient
2016 Fashion Forward Rising Star Award
Designer Maria Silver graduated from F.I.T. (NYC) in women's contemporary clothing and costume design. After working on Broadway, also in NYC and LA as a design assistant, and touring the world drumming for cult rock band The Ettes, she founded her fashion line, Black By Maria Silver, in 2011. BBMS has been featured in Nylon, Bust, Refinery 29, StyleBlueprint, Elle, and others. More recently, Silver designed for the critically acclaimed Nashville Ballet production 7 Deadly Sins, and in 2017, opened her first BBMS storefront in East Nashville.
DEMESTIK BY REUBEN REUEL
Reuben Reuel | Saint Louis, Missouri
2018
Presented by the St. Louis Fashion Incubator
DEMESTIK by Reuben Reuel is a womenswear brand offering made-to-order dresses and separates. Pairing traditional fabric with classic yet modern designs, Demestik creates bold statement pieces and styles that easily transition from casual everyday wear to special occasion and evening attire. The designs are made using Holland-wax printed cotton also known as Ankara mostly seen in mainstream standard African fashion. Demestik by Reuben Reuel continues to create new classics, luxury and focuses on being a new success in the fashion landscape.
EILEEN KELLY
Eileen Kelly Nieser | Nashville, Tennessee
2018
Handmade in Nashville, Tennessee, Eileen Kelly is dedicated to crafting custom clothing for musicians as well as men and women with bold fashion taste. With a specialized background in western and stage wear from working alongside legendary local designer, Manuel, attention to detail is brought to every garment that is cut and sewn by the designer, Kelly Eileen Nieser. With whimsy, embellishments, and elements of surprise throughout her designs, Kelly strives to elevate the status quo for how musicians dress.
FAHERTY
Mike & Alex Faherty | New York, New York
2018
Presented by Oak Hall Nashville
Growing up surfing in a beach town, we couldn't find high quality clothing that reflected our casual lifestyle. We paid our dues working necessary jobs (Mike in design at Ralph Lauren's RRL/Alex in finance/business strategy in Private Equity) to gain the valuable experience needed to create the clothing company we always wanted: clothes made from premium materials with a focus on unwavering craftsmanship, made for life's greatest moments at the beach and all the times you wish you were there.
FAUXGERTY
Chrissy Fogerty | St. Louis, Missouri & Los Angeles, California
2018 | 2017
At Fauxgerty, we create your favorite silhouettes in a sustainable way, using cruelty-free, vintage and natural fabrics like organic cotton and hemp. All of our pieces are made in ethical factories supporting fair wages in Saint Louis and Los Angeles.
HICKEY FREEMAN TAILORS GOLD & H AMERICAN TAILOR
New York, NY
2018
Presented by Levy's
Hickey Freeman Tailors Gold: Luxury is nothing without the details. Our Tailors Gold label, made in New York, represents our highest standard of craftsmanship. Using the finest fabrics, hand-sewn details and expert construction informed by 118 years of experience, we create a new benchmark for preeminent tailoring.
h American Tailor, clothing for a new generation of men. Crafted in upstate New York where fine American tailoring has been practiced by skilled artisans since 1899. Made for the man who decides for himself: what works, what’s cool, what’s true, what’s him. The man who has no category. The New Establishment.
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.
JUSTIN MARK RICHARDS
Justin Mark Richards | Nashville, Tennessee
2019 | 2018
Justin Mark Richards brings clothing from the stage to everyday life. Clothing that truly expresses who you are as an individual. All handmade never duplicated, Justin’s custom pieces bring rock n roll, country and high fashion together in perfect harmony.
NADEAU | LAGI NADEAU
Lagilelei Nadeau | Chicago, IL
‘19 | ‘18 | ‘17 | ‘16 | ‘15 | ‘14 | ‘13
The Nadeau collection blends high-end sophistication with feminine styling. This distinct style is emphasized by the designer's use of luxurious fabrications mixed with interesting detailing. Nadeau creates high quality pieces made in the USA, for women who have a strong sense of self and style.
LAURA CITRON
Laura Citron | Nashville, Tennessee
2019 | 2018
Laura Citron is a fashion label celebrating maximalist glamour, and based in Nashville, TN since 2016. Laura combines her degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology (NYC) in Apparel Merchandising with years of working with New York’s top luxury vintage apparel retailers. In 2014, she moved to Nashville and opened her own edited vintage clothing boutique, OPIUMvintage. Connecting the past and the present, Laura has now created a label that evokes the fun and eclectic whimsy of decades past with a reimagined vision for a modern world!
LILY GUILDER DESIGN
Caitlin Stolley | Nashville, Tennessee
2019 | 2018 | 2017
Every time a person dons a Lily Guilder piece, they stand taller and feel more confident; a little shift happens in the universe as intrinsic power is realized. More people (and dogs) with Lily Guilder in their closets results in more happiness, sparkle, and strength in our world. Confident people collaborate, innovate, and solve problems. Lily Guilder Design exists to bolster belief in self and community.
OLA MAI
Leslie Stephens | Nashville, Tennessee
2019 | 2018 | 2015
Ola Mai, a Nashville-based and locally produced clothing line designed by Leslie Stephens, was created by the desire to help every woman express herself. Stephens, a Nashville native herself, works to support a positive body image for women with her quality garments, known for their unique elegance. The line takes its name from Stephens’ great-grandmother, Ola Mai.
ONA REX
Ashley Balding | Nashville, TN
‘19 | ‘18 | ‘17 | ‘16 | ‘15
Ona Rex was established in 2014 and seeks to provide unique, luxurious garments to the bold, independent woman. Saturated colors, rich textures, and careful silhouettes invoke a sense of whimsy and strength amidst the chaos of the modern world. Ona Rex is designed and produced in-house in Nashville, Tennessee.
SHEA STEELE | White Rabbit
Shea Steele | New York, New York
‘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.
SPLASHED BY DKG
Daniel Grier & Derek Matthews | Birmingham, Alabama
2019 | 2018 | 2017
Splashed by DKG is a Street-Style brand that exists to make everyday look and feel like a runway. DKG, named after its founder, began in 2013 as a project to reinvent classic denim pieces by adding its bold, signature Splash. Since its debut, DKG has made a Splash on celebrities such as Tamar Braxton, Ty Hunter, Jasmine Burke, Mishon, and Goo Goo Atkins, and featured on WEtv's "Braxton Family Values" and "Cutting it in the ATL." (Derek Matthews left after 2018 to start Love & Osker)
Truly Alvarenga | Pink Elephants
Truly Alvarenga | Nashville, TN
‘19 | ‘18 | ‘17 | ‘16 | ‘15 | ‘14 | ‘13 | ‘12
Truly Alvarenga is known primarily for her one-of-a-kind Couture Garments, wielding an aesthetic that is both florid and unique. Admirers of her style appreciate both the meticulous craftsmanship and the colorful stories that accompany the collections.
YELLOWCAKE SHOP
Valerie Mayen | Cleveland, Ohio
2018
Yellowcake is the signature line of women’s outerwear and accessories designed & crafted by artist and Project Runway alumna Valerie Mayen. Her garments are handmade in the United States with a keen attention to detail, superior construction, and timeless design.
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 - Abigail Bobo, Doug Barry, Heather Byrd, Andy Evinger, Dustin Lewis, Alaina K. Mullin, Gerry Navarrete, Jake Giles Netter, Clint Searcy, Daniel Perry Studios, Studio One and Eric Winton.