SPRINGFIELD – A unique array of fashion designers and brands now take center stage at Springfield’s inaugural Fashion Week.
Attendees can expect an extraordinary lineup of talented designers and brands, showcasing their collections that dazzle with a variety of styles and aesthetics. Main events include a series of runway shows, presentations, workshops, photo shoots and curated experiences, all of which highlight the latest trends in fashion and design.
Fashion Week was created to showcase the region’s emerging and established fashion designers, models and brands, providing a platform for creativity, innovation and artistic expression.
Designers featured include Klothes by K, AVADO, Sheldon Smith, Generational Drip, Ragz 2 Riches, Digital Boombox Network, Gypsy Clothes, Devin Davon, Level Up by India Anderson, Q Demigod, Savonne, SELF INVEST, Josefa da Silva, Sheldon Smith , Soul for Art, Stonington Clothing Co., Claude Russell-SHEIN and Designs by Dani Simone.
Earlier in the week, at Make-It Springfield’s “Sewing 101” workshop and designer bag challenge, Sheldon Smith, Membership and Operations Coordinator, helped attendees learn the basics of the machine. to sew.
“Make-It Springfield is a place for people to come and create,” Smith said. “People bring their own skills to the table and then show what they can do.”
Among the 10 people who signed up for the make your own bag challenge were Wenting Jia and her husband Nels Frye. Jia and Frye said they took part in Tuesday’s designer bag challenge to network and learn more skills.
Jia is the owner of JW Frye, which specializes in recycled eco-friendly materials such as cotton, glass and plastic.
“We are in the final stages of opening a 400 square foot eco-friendly lifestyle and apparel store on the first floor of the MassLive building,” Jia said; MassLive is The Republican’s sister media.
The JW Frye showcase space is supported by the Latino Economic Development Corp. and will be part of a group of Latin women-owned vendors on the first floor.
In Springfield, Jia hopes to make Springfield the home of the JW Frye brand.
“The vision is to make collectibles for shops in Springfield and then ship them to New York,” Jia said.
Jia hopes the skills and partnerships she establishes during Fashion Week will lead to collaborations with local artists to create a city line in Springfield. Eventually, she even hopes to collaborate with celebrities like Snoop Dogg.
Springfield Fashion Week kicked off Tuesday with “Sewing 101” and “Manifesting Your Own Epic Life” workshops, as well as the first Fashion Night Out.
On Wednesday, the Designer Bag Challenge took place at Make-It Springfield, a designer meetup was held at pop-up store PROVEN, and a Fashion’s Finest Photoshoot party was held at Megaland Studios.
Thursday, from 6-9 p.m., a Paparazzi at the Park Fashion Show was followed by a pub crawl at the White Lion Brewing, Dewey’s Jazz Lounge, Del Ray Taqueria and Bar, and more.
On Friday, from 5:30-6 p.m., speed dating will take place at PROVEN, followed by a Mason Square Factory celebration, fashion show, and community block party. The Cosmic Cycles Fashion Show and Block Party will also take place at Ben Swan Way from 6-10pm.
Fashion Week wraps up Saturday, with the Fashion Oasis fashion show at Nixon Studio Rental on Race Street in Holyoke from 7-9 p.m.
Additionally, for Fashion Week only, the PROVEN pop-up store at 813 State St. will feature pieces and merchandise from designers attending Springfield Fashion Week. The store is open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The Springfield Creative City Collective, Mason Square Transformative Development Initiative and Black and Brown Wall Street aim to help professionalize and organize the burgeoning regional fashion industry, said Tiffany Allecia, executive director of the collective.
The Springfield Creative City Collective, which is supported by funding from MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative and TDI Creative Cities Program, awarded Joron Stimage-Norwood, owner of Bartell and Co. and founder of Fashion Week, $1,000 for the initiative , plus over $5,000 in additional funding for various events and experiences throughout the week.
“Springfield Fashion Week is important because it allows the community to uplift each other in non-traditional ways, while displaying alternative talent and interests from our region. Fashion affects us all directly or indirectly, and it’s good to focus on the subject, so that we can all learn, share and grow,” Stimage-Norwood said in a statement.