The New Orleans Fashion Council is hosting New Orleans Fashion Week from Sept. 28 through Oct. 5, where emerging designers preview their 2014 Spring/Summer collections.
Held in City Park and various locations around the city, Fashion Week showcases 17 southern designers, who will show off their newly created styles to the public.
New Orleans Fashion Week offers discounts for students who want to attend. Go to nola-fashionweek.com and enter code STUDENTSS14 for 50 percent off ticket price.
Ella Rose: Tuesday, Oct. 1, 9 p.m. at City Park
Ella Rose, originally from Shreveport, La., graduated from LSU in May 2013. While fairly new to the fashion world, Rose has accomplished a lot in the past years. The first dress she ever made was selected to walk the runway at Dallas Career Day in the spring 2012; Rose said it has been an “addiction” ever since.
Rose is currently involved with the New Orleans Fashion Council. She says her favorite part of New Orleans is the unique artistic personalities around the city.
“I absolutely love the people and the artwork of New Orleans. There are so many different perspectives. I have respect for anyone willing to get out there and show it off, whether on the street or in the galleries around town. It’s just incredible how inviting New Orleans is to expression,” Rose said.
As Rose prepares for her second New Orleans Fashion Week, she is excited and nervous.
“Last season I was seriously scared to death to show my collection. But this season, I definitely am still scared but I have a little more confidence in who I am as a designer and where I want to go with my designs,” Rose said.
On the runway, Rose said to expect “light airy colors, plenty of floral, girly silhouettes and a more mature palette. You might also see a little bit of alligator, too.”
Christopher John Rogers: Friday, Oct. 4, 6 p.m. at City Park
Christopher Rogers, a fashion design student at the Savannah College of Art and Design, said he brought his collection to New Orleans because of “eclectic” culture of the city.
“I’m constantly inspired by my New Orleans friends and the way that they compose their ensembles – their mix of the casual and the formal and experimentation with textiles is always interesting,” Rogers said.
He said he began showing his collections with friends in his sophomore year of high school, but has been exclusively designing collections himself since the spring 2012. Although currently in design school, Rogers said he is mostly self-taught.
On the runway, Rogers said to expect a color palate of navy, slate blue, lemongrass and silver mixed with some golds and pinks to keep everything relatively cohesive. There will be a few graphic prints and some custom dyed pieces.
Melanie Potter can be reached at [email protected]
More designer biographers to come in the Oct. 4 issue.
