The Northwest Arkansas corridor is a prime area to develop a strong fashion industry, says Robin Wallis Atkinson, the guiding force behind Northwest Arkansas Fashion Week Spring 2018.
"This area is so culturally rich. We've got Crystal Bridges, great music halls, great theater establishments, but nothing catering specifically to the fashion industry -- not just fashion designers, but stylists, and people interested in photography ... even people interested in the high-end experience of a fashion show. It turns out, there's a real appetite for it here."
FYI
Fashion Week
Schedule
5-8 p.m. March 28 — Shopping Night Out
6:30 p.m. March 29 — Boutiques at The Record, 104 SW A. St., Bentonville
6:30 p.m. March 30 — Designers at The Record, 104 SW A. St., Bentonville
2 p.m. March 31 — Fashionably Arkansas panel, Crystal Bridges Museum, Bentonville
6:30 p.m. March 31 — Designers at The Record, 104 SW A. St., Bentonville
INFO — nwafw.com
For four days -- March 28-31 -- the region's designers will send their creations strutting down the catwalk with proceeds helping support the nonprofit organization The Arkansas Arts and Fashion Forum.
"Fashion Week has a couple of main goals," Atkinson says. "The goal of the nonprofit is to provide opportunities and production funding for designers based in the state of Arkansas. We're trying to nurture a design community here, and Fashion Week is dedicated to providing opportunities to all the professionals involved in the fashion industry. We work with boutique owners, hair stylists, makeup artists, models, videographers and photographers -- anyone interested in the production side of fashion. We want to provide them with an opportunity to get involved, get the experience, stretch their creative muscles -- really provide a next-level cultural experience that focuses on fashion."
In addition to the fashion shows, a panel of industry professionals will talk about the future of fashion design in Arkansas on March 31 at Crystal Bridges. Participants include Atkinson, the University of Arkansas' Laurie Apple, Hubbard Clothing Co. owner Donny Hubbard, designer and "Project Runway" contestant Korto Momolu and Lauren James CEO Lauren Stokes. The panel will be moderated by CJRW's digital strategist and account executive Anna Branch.
"We'll talk about what the different elements of fashion are in Arkansas, where we are in terms of an industry, what are the hurdles we have to jump as far as supporting and developing a fashion industry," says Atkinson.
Atkinson says the nonprofit arm of the venture did not receive its official tax status until November, but, now that it has, the mission of the organization will begin to move toward a more educational angle.
"You'll see a lot more programming come out that is devoted to the burgeoning fashion industry here," she continues. Local designers can apply for "Runway Grants" that cover the production side of the runway show. "[Designers] pay for the production of clothing, we pay for the show production -- hair, makeup, models. We really put a lot of work into making sure these designers get their looks out on the runway -- each season, we've dedicated between $15,000 and $20,000 for production for designers. The reason we do this is because, when I took over, I realized that if the designers in Arkansas had to pay to show, you wouldn't get any shows -- the industry here is not developed enough for designers to be able to support themselves designing full time, not to mention the added cost of trying to produce a runway show.
"Our goal is to expand educational programming like this year-round. We should be doing workshops on a monthly basis -- hopefully, that will roll out in summer of 2018. We would love for not only designers but the public at large to learn more about the art of fashion, and how fashion can be considered an art as well as a commercial enterprise."
NAN What's Up on 03/25/2018