Recently I had the pleasure of attending Columbus, Ohio’s 14th annual fashion week and going in, I didn’t have any expectations. Of course, I wanted to be pleasantly surprised, but I was well aware of the fact that I was in Ohio, which isn’t widely considered to be a fashion capital of the world ( I’m allowed to say that because I grew up there). I was pleasantly surprised and learned that Columbus, Ohio is third in the nation (behind New York and Los Angeles) for fashion designers. There is such a large and diverse group of fashion designers and Fashion Week Columbus (FWC) did an incredible job at representing them.
On September 29th, the second to last day of the week, FWC put on their first-ever annual “Curvy Fashion Show”. The president of the Columbus Fashion Council, Lubna Najjar, spoke for a moment before the show started. She said that “fashion was for everyone” and that she was “so lucky” to be able to live and work in a place like Columbus that “treats its small designers and brands so well”. Then the show’s creative director, Moriah Shorts, talked about how she wanted to “create a space in the fashion industry for curvy women” which was very special to her. Then the show began and I honestly have nothing bad to say. It consisted of an array of clothes, some evening wear, some gowns, some street style. All of the models looked stunning and there was such a sense of community in that room and everyone cheered and supported. My only critique is that it should have lasted longer.
On September 31, FWC’s 14th annual Finale Fashion Show took place. The show started with opening remarks from FWC’s founder, Thomas Mcclure, and the new Executive Director, Kiera Chatman. They also spoke of Columbus’s pledge to diversity and sustainability in fashion. They spoke about how FWC and the Columbus Fashion Council are working to create a fur-free fashion space in Columbus. There were six small designers showing at this show. The opening designer, Juan Jose Saenz-Ferreyros is a Peruvian designer who specializes in couture garments and runs two high-end boutiques in Lima, Peru. His designs were colorful and flowy and were a great opening to the show. By contrast, the second designer’s garments were all minimalist, black and white, with a modern flair. This designer was Renae Kotarski with the brand Ana Stasi. Her clothing is also ethically and sustainably made. The third designer, James O White with House of JOW created luxurious heritage pieces that narrate his story and the African culture. The hair and makeup of the models really elevated the entire experience of his showing. The fourth designer, Austin Tootle, took the show to a completely different universe. Tootle is local to Columbus and specializes in lingerie. His designs were revealing and sensual and definitely had all of the older generations in the audience covering their eyes. The fifth designer, Xantha Ward is another Columbus native! Her line focused on repurposed and re-imagined denim and was also ethically sourced and made. Xantha has her own boutique in Columbus if you ever make a visit to the city. Finally, the headlining designer, Prajje Oscar. Prajje is a Haitian-born, Philadelphia-based designer who has been featured in Elle Magazine and was on Project Runway! Prajje’s pieces were elegant yet eclectic.
All of the designs featured on the final runway were shown on a variety of bodies. The models (like the designers) were all different races, ethnicities, sizes, sexualities, and genders. We must applaud FWC for their commitment to diversity, as well as their aspiration for an ethical and sustainable fashion world. I can not wait to see how the fashion scene in Columbus grows alongside the city, and I hope FWC starts to get the recognition it deserves in the fashion world.
Words by Alix Russell-Mann.
Graphic by Trish Pham.