“50 seats left!” exclaims RVA Fashion Week (RVAFW) Executive Producer Jimmy Budd at Monday night’s Networking Social Kickoff. He was referring to the tickets left for Saturday night’s fashion showcase at the Jefferson Hotel.
Proceeds from ticket sales will go toward supporting Neighborhood Housing Services of Richmond, a nonprofit that works with low-income families preparing to purchase affordable homes. Budd describes RVAFW’s partnership with the NHS as pivotal because it helped with securing title sponsorships that have allowed most of the other RVAFW events to be free.
One of the free events is tonight’s Ethical Fashion Showcase at Maymont Nature Center, which Soliel Paden, RVAFW model coach and coordinator, is most excited about. She coordinated the show with Richmond fashion designer Kamala Bhagat. “We were really interested in drawing in new social crowds in Richmond, and we wanted to draw off the fact that people are more socially conscious and can relate to the theme of ethical fashion consumption.”
Another partnership is with Stony Point Fashion Park, where two free events will be held — one on Friday, the “New to RVA” Designer Showcase, and the other on Sunday, RVAFW Pop-Up Showcase, a pop-up in which “RVAFW will essentially become a store within the mall for the day,” says RVAFW Fashion Director Jameson Deloatch.
Models Tazj Boykins and Shelly Ackah participated in the Dress for Success Central Virginia’s Fundraiser Fashion Show last night at Lou Stevens Glam Squad on Broad Street in the Arts District. All proceeds from this "Project Runway"-esque fashion show went toward supporting the nonprofit’s mission to empower women entering or reentering the workplace through clothing and job-readiness programs.
When asked to describe this week, male model Mitchell Holoman uses the words “regal, dramatic and Richmond.” The use of Richmond as an adjective seems to signify that the city is developing a style all its own.
For more details on RVA Fashion Week, visit rvafashionweek.com.
