Columbus Fashion Council celebrates 15 years of Fashion Week Columbus

Angela Diaz
Thu, 10 Oct 2024 02:27:26 +0000
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Guests enjoy a previous Fashion Week Columbus event. Credit: Courtesy of Sasha Saberi

Columbus is set to strut its stuff all week long starting Sunday.?

Fashion Week Columbus’ will celebrate its 15th anniversary with various events Sunday through Oct. 19. According to FWC’s website, the seven-day event will include the annual High Fashion Tea — an afternoon fashion runway with tea and pastry offerings —?the Macy’s Fall Runway Show —?a runway show that showcases looks styled by Macy’s “My Stylists” — the Finale Runway —?which will feature designs from Austin Tootle, Ryan Grant, Jasmine Burton, James White and headline designers Bruce and Glen Proctor —?and more.?

Sasha Saberi, president of the Columbus Fashion Council, said he feels excited about this year’s celebration as he reflects on the six years he’s spent on the council.

“We always try to outdo ourselves each year,” Saberi said. “I do think that as I look back, there was our fifth year, our 10th year and our 15th year, which is this year; they have all been very significant years for us.”

Saberi said the grand nature of FWC’s 15th birthday will be echoed throughout the week’s substantial amount of events.

“Without being cliche, it is going to be one of our biggest years,” Saberi said. “We have a full week of programming and fashion shows. We have more runway shows in our 15th year than I think we’ve ever had before. We have more people applying, not just within Columbus, but coming from outside of Columbus, that want to be a part of this Fashion Week, and that’s a big deal.”

This week has been 15 years in the making, as Saberi said FWC has consistently grown —?from working with sponsors to curating fashion events to building up local designers —?to become what it is today.

“I mean, it always starts small,” Saberi said. “We started, before my time, in 2010, and it was just an idea for fashion designers to have a runway to shine on around that time. It was a small venue with maybe 99 people in attendance and a singular event.”

During his time on Columbus Fashion Council’s board, Saberi said he has seen FWC expand to collaborate with national sponsors and brands like Victoria’s Secret and Macy’s.?

Saberi said he’s proud of the popularity FWC has gained over the years.?

“We have a designer who’s done New York Fashion Week, designers that have done Paris and Milan, and some feedback that we often get is that this event has been more organized, more inviting, and they can tell we really care,” Saberi said.

Saberi said FWC’s ultimate goal is to impact everyone who attends, from designers and models to the week’s attendees.?

“One of my favorite memories was actually our 10th year at the launch party on a rooftop,” Saberi said. “As I was looking around, I saw the different backgrounds, and the different styles and the different cultures coming together under one — well, there wasn’t a roof — under one area. That was a moment where I felt like we were doing something important. We were doing something big. We were doing something for the city.”?

Max Dixon, a Columbus Fashion Council board member, said her favorite memory from FWC was having the opportunity to walk as a model in last year’s Finale Runway for Project Runway designer Prajje Oscar.

“It was such an experience that it completely lit a fire in me,” Dixon said. “That moment made me realize I wanted to dive deeper into the local fashion scene and actually help shape it. It’s the reason I joined the Columbus Fashion Council — to help bring even more excitement and opportunities to our city’s fashion industry.”

Dixon said elevating council members is a common goal for the Columbus Fashion Council, but the support also extends further to encompass local designers and brands. She said one of the perks for brands that sponsor FWC is the opportunity they have to create connections with attendees.?

“Whether it’s pop-up shops or VIP lounges, we create spaces for sponsors to connect directly to attendees,” Dixon said.?

Ultimately, Saberi said he invites everyone to engage with FWC, as those who show up can help influence the event’s lasting impact and future evolution.?

“It is the people, the community, that keeps it afloat,” Saberi said. “It’s the people that make change together. There’s no way we could have done any of this by ourselves.”?

More information, including ticket prices for each event, is available on FWC’s website.