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Despite the Pandemic, RVA Fashion Week Returns This Week

Greta Timmins | October 5, 2020

Topics: Beauty Has No Limits, coronavirus, COVID-19, Dillards, Evolve, James River Cellars, Runway2Life, RVA Fashion Week

The delay is over. Originally scheduled for April, RVA Fashion Week 2020 is taking place throughout this week, with a mixture of virtual and in-person events to give the river city a much-needed dose of glamour.

RVA Fashion Week will return this week, beginning Monday October 5, with a mixture of online content and some modified in-person events. The event was originally supposed to be held in April, and was later postponed to May before being moved to October. 

One brand that will host a show is EVOLVE, which began out of Richmond in 2017 and had their first show last year. It was at their show last year that one of the directors of RVA Fashion Week saw the collection. 

“We believe that fashion is meant to be a community where creatives can come together to make something that has never been seen or done before,” said Emma Mannis, who founded the brand with her college friend Amanda Villafana. “Being a part of [RVA] Fashion Week was the perfect way to celebrate that.”

Photo via Evolve/Facebook

EVOLVE’s collection focuses on self love, and is titled “Beauty Has No Limits.” Taking place from 4-7 PM on Sunday, October 11 at James River Cellars, it features models of all shapes, sizes, ages, races, gender identities, and backgrounds. 

“Our inspiration behind this collection was to tell the story of a woman trapped by society’s perception of beauty and who she is meant to be in her own eyes,” Manis said. “We wanted this to be an example to womxn everywhere that you can start your evolution when you are ready to own who you are, as we were able to do with the support of each other’s friendship throughout the past two years.” 

Another organization working on a show for RVA Fashion Week is Runway2Life, a mental health organization that works to facillitate conversation on mental health and suicide awareness, as well as providing resources and education, by combining these dialogues with beauty and fashion. 

“We hope that our involvement with RVA Fashion Week helps us continue to bring awareness about our organization and what it offers,” said Jackson Scott, Co-Director of Runway2Life. “The more people that know we are here and are a community resource for those that may be struggling or in crisis, the better. Right now, more and more people need a safe place, and we are here to provide that for them.” 

Photo by Michael Hostetler, via RVA Fashion Week/Facebook

While much of the preparation for the events were completed online, the week itself will not entirely be virtual, and will instead adapt with safety measures around the pandemic. In addition to hosting a Global Live Stream on their YouTube channel Friday, October 9 at 7:30 PM, Runway2Life is also collaborating with Neechic for an in-person fashion show at 2 PM on Tuesday, October 6 at Dillard’s in Stony Point Fashion Park.

“After all the heaviness that 2020 has brought, we are excited to create a space of joy, positivity and inclusion where everyone feels like they belong,” Manis said. 

RVA Fashion Week begins tonight, Monday October 5, with an invite-only launch party coordinated by Posh PR. Beginning tomorrow, Tuesday October 6, the week will feature a mixture of virtual and socially-distanced in-person events. For a full list of events taking place during RVA Fashion Week 2020, visit the RVA Fashion Week website.

Top Photo: Runway2Life, via RVA Fashion Week/Facebook

On A Mission to Empower Women, Two Midlothian Natives Launch Online Boutique, Evolve

Sarah Honosky | March 23, 2018

Topics: Evolve, online womens boutique, RVA fashion

This spring, online boutique Evolve brings stylish,  affordable women’s fashion to Richmond. Co-founders Colleen Hegarty and Emma Manis began the clothing line with a mission of empowering women, separating their brand from current clothing trends that often promote unattainable standards of beauty.

“Both Colleen and I have always found the standards and expectations of women in the fashion industry to be unrealistic,” said Manis. “So, we wanted to create something that would break free of those standards and give the beauty back to those who had it taken away from them in the past.”

Image may contain: 1 person, standing

Though mannequins were originally fashioned to the average waist of an American female, modern mannequins and models have waists more than six inches smaller than the average woman, distorting the perception and body image of 90 percent of women all over the world. Manis and Hegarty said that defying this misconception is the central mission of their company. “A woman should have the freedom to do and to be whatever she wants, and we want our clothing and our lifestyle to empower all women to embrace everything that they are, regardless of what society expects of us.”

Image may contain: 1 person, sitting and outdoor

The Midlothian natives met in high school, but didn’t become business partners until recently. This September, the duo collaborated on a project and realized they had the chemistry and inspiration to start a business. While Manis handles business/styling aspects, Hegarty is the force behind creative directing, model scouting, and social media.

Even on a progressive local scene, and though the consumer base is majority female, the fashion industry is still disproportionately run by men, particularly in roles of leadership. Hegarty and Manis spearhead a women-led company, creating and styling fashion by and for women.

Hegarty and Manis

“We’ve both had our fair share of experiences being working women in male-dominated industries, and breaking the mold of male-run companies is something that really excites us,” said Manis. “At the end of the day, we want to give women the tools they need to feel empowered to take on every single day with confidence in themselves and their ability to change the world.”

Evolve’s products feature bright colors and clean lines, from glittery rompers to a burgundy button-down dress in corduroy, along with crop tops, vibrant tops, and skirts, and pants. Hegarty said they have seen a lot of traffic around this season’s major trends–like star prints, bold colors, and deep necklines.

Image may contain: 1 person, smiling, standing

“We’re loving all of the fun prints and tassel trims this Spring/Summer season,” said Hegarty.  “Our big focus has definitely been on vacation and resort wear that can also double as everyday looks, whether you are shopping in the city or driving down the California coast.”

Evolve currently carries She & Sky, Sole Mio, and LUX LA, with pieces ranging from $25 to about $70. 

Their minimalistic, polished looks are showcased on their instagram, a platform they use not only to promote their pieces, but to connect with their Richmond customer base. They launched their “IT” Girl Program in January, an effort to get women involved and feeling confident.

“[We feature] a different evolve girl each month. We look for key figures that we feel demonstrate what it means to be an evolve girl – strong, intelligent, and beautiful women from all walks of life,” said Hegarty. “Whether you’re a college freshman joining a sorority, a blogger babe, or just your typical boss girl, we want to see you rocking your evolve style that makes you feel confident and strong.”

Image may contain: 1 person, smiling, indoor

In their first pop-up, Evolve debuted their spring and summer collections at Lou Stevens “Glam Squad”  on West Broad Street during RVA’s First Fridays this month.

“There was definitely a lot of craziness and running around on prep day,” said Hegarty. “But everything came together and it was so amazing getting to see so many women walk away with something they loved and felt good in.”

Evolve is planning on hosting another pop-up at Lou Steven’s “Glam Squad” on April 6. You can also find them at Wear RVA on May 10.

Photos By: Evolve

 

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