RVA Fashion Week Archives

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.”

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

A Common Thread: The Story Behind Richmond Fashion Brand Stitch By Chanel

Lauren Hepburn | February 7, 2020

Topics: Chanel Green, clothing, clothing design, modeling, richmond va, RVA, RVA Fashion Week, sewing, small businesses in RVA, Stitch By Chanel, womenswear

Starting a womenswear brand from scratch is a difficult challenge, but it’s one that has led Stitch By Chanel to reach great heights in only a few years.

Chanel Green, a native of Henrico County and a Varina High School graduate, had never intended to start a clothing company — until she realized that her hobby and favored family pastime could actually become a real business. That realization, which took place two years ago, is what led to the establishment of her custom-order womenswear brand, Stitch By Chanel.

Growing up in suburban Virginia was a far cry from the experiences of her mother and grandmother. Many years ago, Chanel’s grandmother set out on a mission to support her children from afar, leaving Trinidad for London in search of work. She eventually had the opportunity to bring her twelve children overseas and reunite with them. Although they held onto their differences, one thing remained consistent through the generations: the family tradition of creating clothing. This is where our story starts.

*Chanel Green of Stitch By Chanel (Photo via Stitch By Chanel/Facebook)*

While living and growing up in London, Chanel’s mother participated in pageants as well as modeling. This meant that looking fabulous on a regular basis was a must, but it had to be done on a budget. High-street shops weren’t an option. Luckily, Chanel explained, “[My grandmother] had taught my mom how to sew … my mom made her own dresses.” Because of the countless hours her grandmother had invested in teaching her children the intricacies of sewing and the skills that turn sketches into actual garments, Chanel’s mother was able to make things work for herself.

Chanel herself learned how to sketch, sew, and create her own garments from family members who passed the trade down through the generations as a way of connecting creatively. “My grandma always did it out of passion, my mom always did it out of passion,” she says. “[My mother] taught me how to knit, she taught me how to sew, she taught me so many different things.”

While the family history of designing definitely existed, Chanel couldn’t always perceive the path to starting her own clothing company. But after graduating from high school and spending 10 years working in the corporate banking world, she got tired of the limitations her chosen career had imposed on her. She was ready for something bigger and better; she was finally ready to create. Lessons she had learned from both her mother and grandmother taught her what to do. “The biggest lesson that they have taught me is that this has to be done,” said Chanel. ”We have to create this.”

Creating mood boards, selecting fabrics, and constructing clothing for Stitch By Chanel has allowed Chanel to discover parts of her personality that she wasn’t familiar with before. “When you find the things that actually complete you, and it’s your actual self, I feel like you constantly find a new version of ‘you’,” she says. “Creating and sewing has been an outlet for me. It has created a space that allowed me to find myself.”

Although she’s successfully pursuing her dreams now, she wasn’t always optimistic. “Being a business owner, you fail so many times, but nobody ever tells you that failure is success. People only tell you that failure is failure,” says Chanel. “Getting overwhelmed with failure is not something that anyone ever tells you how to handle.”

After the task of designing and managing her own business started to leave her feeling drained, Chanel had to make a decision: get back up, or throw it all away. While the possibility of failure will always be present for business owners, Chanel didn’t let it bring her down, focusing on her main motivation to keep pursuing her dreams — the creation of a family legacy.

“There’s also not a lot of African American women in the fashion industry,” she says. ”A lot of the time, that lane (of opportunity) is diminished.” Even as more and more artists and creators of color are given opportunities in mainstream creative spaces, there is still a ton of work to be done, and Chanel wants to make sure she does her part.

In the spring of 2019, Stitch By Chanel made its debut on the catwalk at RVA Fashion Week, Central Virginia’s biggest annual presentation of fashion created by local and national brands. Since then, her focus has been on creating custom pieces for clients, as well as reworking vintage items and breathing new life into older clothing.

“There’s a lot of things you think are supposed to happen in the first year that just don’t,” says Chanel. “It takes time … I’m in the process of finalizing all of the branding details, getting the business plan finalized … Having a store and creating a place where people can come and not only see Stitch By Chanel but actually feel Stitch By Chanel is definitely going to be the next step.”

Find Stitch By Chanel online at stitchbychanel.com and on Instagram @stitchbychanel.

Top Photo via Stitch By Chanel/Facebook

2019 RVA Fall Fashion Weekend In Photos

RVA Staff | October 21, 2019

Topics: ABLE by Amanda Campbell, Blas Couture, Creation Lords, Dominion Energy Center, Fall Fashion Weekend, Falln, Harrell's Menswear, Ka'Mala, Leve, MK Vendetta, Runway2Life, RVA Fashion Week, The Courtyard by Marriott, Tough Cookie

RVA Fashion Week’s annual Fall Fashion Weekend took place the second weekend of October, and photographer Nick Brown was on hand to document the sights for RVA Magazine.

An October weekend brought premier runway fashion to Richmond, as RVA Fashion Week presented its 6th Annual Fall Fashion Weekend, beginning Thursday, October 10 with a designer preview and wrapping up Sunday, October 13 with the main event, the Fall Designer Show, featuring over a dozen designers.

Action was intense throughout the weekend, and photographer Nick Brown was on hand to document it all. Friday evening’s 3rd Annual Runway2Life was an event put on by the nonprofit Runway2Life, which seeks to raise awareness and encourage conversation around the subject of mental health and suicide prevention.

*Creation Lords, Day To Night. Photo by Nick Brown*

Saturday featured an outdoor fashion show and dance party at The Courtyard by Marriott Richmond Downtown, located on East Cary St. in Shockoe Slip. This Day To Night party featured music by DJs Caasim and Markus Gold, and presentations by Creation Lords, Ka’Mala, and many more.

The weekend came to a close with the main event, which took place at the Dominion Energy Center’s Rhythm Hall from 5-9 PM on Sunday. Over a dozen designers took the opportunity to present their fall fashion lineups in the best possible light.

*Tough Cookie, RVAFW Fall Designer Showcase. Photo by Nick Brown*

RVA Fashion Week will return with their Spring 2020 showcase beginning on April 27. Until then, check out the highlights captured by photographer Nick Brown throughout 2019’s Fall Fashion Weekend.

*Falln, Day To Night. Photo by Nick Brown*

*Ka’Mala, Day To Night. Photo by Nick Brown*

*Leve,* *RVAFW Fall Designer Showcase. Photo by Nick Brown*

*MK Vendetta,* *RVAFW Fall Designer Showcase. Photo by Nick Brown*

*ABLE by Amanda Campbell,* *RVAFW Fall Designer Showcase. Photo by Nick Brown*

*Harrell’s Menswear,* *RVAFW Fall Designer Showcase. Photo by Nick Brown*

*Blas Couture,* *RVAFW Fall Designer Showcase. Photo by Nick Brown*

Top Photo: Runway2Life, by Nick Brown

Get Ready: RVA Fashion Week 2019 Takes Over Richmond This Week

Benjamin West | April 22, 2019

Topics: Black Iris, Gather, Network of Enterprising Women, RVA Event Space, RVA Fashion Week, Stony Point Fashion Park, The Renaissance, Tim Reid, WEAR RVA

Back for an amazing 11th time, RVA Fashion Week will bring all the glamorous runway action your little heart desires to a variety of venues around town. Here’s our full rundown of what’s in store.

Converging on Richmond this week for six days of colorful runway shows, intriguing industry-minded panel discussions, and invaluable networking opportunities for the creatively inclined, the 11th RVA Fashion Week kicks off Monday, April 22.

Masterminded by a ragtag group of VCU students more than a decade ago, the week of events maintains a DIY work ethic to this day, and boasts a heart, soul, and body of volunteer workers. Their effort plays an important role in the community; one previously unknown model who walked the local runway just last year was recently featured on the cover of Vogue Japan, according to a press release.

Read on for a day-by-day rundown of all the festivities which will rage on across the city until Sunday, April 28. Trust us, you’re not going to want to miss any of this.

Fashion Funhouse Networking Event
April 22, 6- 9 p.m.
Location unknown

Not much is known about the dark acts transpiring behind the closed Funhouse doors — as David Foster Wallace might have urged us to ask: for whom is the funhouse fun? OK no, we’re just kidding — but this event is invite-only, a networking get-together for industry professionals, photographers, bloggers, and the like, according to our sources. Probably a schmooze-fest, but an exciting one, no doubt. Holding that golden ticket? Let us know how it goes.

“Model Behavior” Panel
April 23, 6- 8:30 p.m.
Gather

The first real event of the week for us laypeople, the Model Behavior panel will cover everything about, as the cheeky wordplay of the title suggests, professionalism in the modeling side of the fashion industry. Expect networking and self-branding tips, what to wear to a model call — you know, before you get chosen and put the real stuff on — and all the Q’s and A’s you can hope for.

WEAR RVA Pre-Show Event
April 24, 4:30- 8:30
The Shoppes at The Renaissance

This event is really just a pregame for the real event — the WEAR RVA Fashion Show — but it’s sure to be a hootenanny nonetheless. Officially branded a “sip + shop experience,” which we think is incredibly cute (in a good way), the evening will include shopping from featured designers, boutiques, and local businesses; booze catering by Belle Isle Moonshine; and DJing by Rhythm of Love. What’s more, tickets go directly to The Network of Enterprising Women’s (NEW) scholarship fund, so what’s not to love?

Designer Download panel
April 24, 6- 9 p.m.
Venture X

Do you dream in silk and lace? Wake up in the mornings surrounded by Micron pens and brimming sketchbooks? This panel, crafted just for aspiring designers, is definitely for you! Like “Model Behavior,” “Designer Download” will tread the ground of professionalism and personal branding, but we’ll also get words and stories from some of the best: designers who have succeeded against all odds in markets such as film, designing for celebrities, international publications, and more.

Check out the panel lineup online, and prepare your questions for the Q and A. Terms like “monumental success” and “against all odds” are being thrown around on the website, so you know you aren’t going to want to miss this one.

2nd Annual WEAR RVA Fashion Show
April 25, 6:30- 8:30 p.m.
The Renaissance

This one’s really special. Local high school-aged girls strutting the catwalk in local boutiques’ hottest summerwear. Everything goes to the NEW scholarship fund, which, according to the RVA Fashion Week website, resulted last year in five different scholarships for local ladies. Feel good with your complementary “swag bag” and get a tad tipsy at the cash bar. Support the scene, people. It’s all going down at WEAR RVA.

Day to Night Fashion Show
April 26, 5- 9 p.m.
Stony Point Fashion Park

Day to Night — we’re not entirely sure what this means, but it sounds stellar. Or another daytime-equivalent term. But, we’ve just got to say — this one’s free; jam-packed with features from designers including Haus of Klyde, Runway Couture, Stitch by Chanel, High Maintenance LLC, and many more; and there’s going to be food and shopping popups all over the place. Yeah. Need we say more?

Fashion Freedom: Day Party & Runway Presentation
April 27, noon- 5 p.m.
Courtyard by Marriott

Are late nights and evening shenanigans just not really your thing? Not a twentysomething anymore? Tend to crawl into bed with an Agatha Christie paperback at the stroke of 9? Well, you’re in luck, because the Fashion Freedom Day Party & Runway Presentation not only starts and ends a reasonable time, but it’s packed with more than enough fun for one person, or even all your fashion enthusiast friends at once. Here’s the lowdown: food, drinks, music, streetwear-inspired runways, and a contest for you — yes, you! Unleash your inner Tyra Banks and come dressed in your favorite outfit; you might be crowned “Best Dressed” before you make it home at that oh-so-sweet reasonable hour.

Tim Reid’s Cultural Fashions Showcase
April 27, 5- 7 p.m.
RVA Event Space

Masterminded by actor and Virginia native Tim Reid (That 70’s Show, WKRP In Cincinnati), and hosted by model and designer Salome, the Cultural Fashions Showcase will bring together models and designers from all over the world, and will be filmed for international distribution. Proceeds benefit Reid’s nonprofit, which assists young people looking to break into the entertainment industry. WTKR gave us a little sneak peak last month, so check that out if you haven’t already.

Dapper Luq presents An Evening at Black Iris
April 28, 5- 10 p.m.
Black Iris

Maybe the perfect way to bring RVA Fashion Week to a close, An Evening at Black Iris is everything this wide-ranging week of events has to offer bundled into one classy little shindig. Come on, where else are you going to find networking opportunities, body painting, and a fashion showcase in the same space as a cigar lounge? It’ll be interactive. It’ll be fun. And there’ll be way too much going on to concisely list here. Just go — you’ll be glad you did.

Photos via RVA Fashion Week/Facebook

Photos: The Best of RVA Fashion Week 10th Anniversary Show

Bruce Allen | May 1, 2018

Topics: fashion, RVA fashion, RVA Fashion Week

This past week Richmond saw some of the city and surrounding area’s best designers, models, designers, producers, choreographers, and stylists at RVA Fashion Week‘s 10th Anniversary. From designer showcases during the week, to the main runway event on Saturday, Fashion Week has continued to show the diverse and unique designs that talented fashion designers and boutiques create. This year’s runway show, held at The Jefferson Hotel, saw the latest creations and lines and brands from emerging designers including 707, Destiny Howard, Tailor, House of LaPosh, Tangee’s Closet, toFREEyourSTYLE, Dreamin’ Diamonds, Iconic7, Angelia’s Couture, and Trunk Up.

RVA Mag was on the scene last Saturday night to capture the models walking the runway, and below you can find some of the best looks RVA Fashion Week had to offer:

Photos By: Bruce Allen

Making of a Model: Heloíne Moreno, From Brazil to Richmond

Megan Wilson | April 12, 2018

Topics: Brazil, fashion, Heloíne Moreno, Miss Brazil USA, model, RVA fashion, RVA Fashion Week

When Heloíne Moreno left her hometown of Bauru, Brazil, locals mourned. The striking young woman had quickly risen from anonymous local daughter to highly sought-after fashion model. Now she was heading to the far-off city of Richmond, Virginia, to take the next step in her new career.

Before she got her break, she had lived with her mother and grandmother in a small house. She helped with bills by working as a go-go dancer at nightclubs like Labirinthus, which led to her first modeling gig, promoting the popular gay dance club.

Originally printed in RVA #32 Spring 2018, you can check out the issue HERE or pick it up around Richmond now.

Then she helped out backstage during a fashion show for a friend who owned the Óbvio Boutique. “I remember at the end of the show, a lot of her friends asked why I wasn’t modeling,” Moreno said. “Next season I was a model and was featured in a magazine. I just loved that.”

Moreno had been studying English and Portuguese, and had a side job translating for local tourism companies. Modeling wasn’t a passion, but she was curious, and she knew she wanted to go to the United States. She found a job as an au pair for a single mom here in Richmond and set out.

“I started modeling on the side a few months after living here,” she said. “I did a photo shoot for my birthday and things started picking up. I got really interested in learning more.”

Moreno researched her chosen career by watching episodes of America’s Next Top Model, which she described as one of the most practical and significant resources. She built a portfolio, learned the poses, and made a few connections. Then she went to New York. There, she spent three months with her portfolio going from casting call to casting call, walked in a few fashion shows, and signed with an agency. But she kept her apartment in Richmond.

When I got signed, I learned and understood more about who I am as a model,” Moreno said. “New York modeling is very high fashion, super tall and skinny. I can’t grow more. I was frustrated in the beginning. I learned I needed to be happy with who I am.

Moreno took the experience and connections back to her studio apartment in Richmond, where she kept receiving casting calls from all over the country. Moreno also found work here, and walked her first local show at Carytown Fashion Feeds the Byrd in 2014.

“There’s definitely growing opportunity here for fashion,” she said. “Competition is a sign. There are competing fashion shows, new boutiques, and new models. Competition spurs growth.”

Moreno has worked with local boutiques including Fab’rik, Trunk Up, and Tailor, as well as designers including Tangee’s Closet, TJ Sewer, and Victoria Lynn Designs. She also works with national brands who have a local presence, like Bebe and Lily Rain. If there’s a show to walk in Richmond, she tries her best to do it.

Most of her work isn’t local, but she calls Richmond a good home base, especially with access to the train. Since 2012, her modeling career has taken her to New York, Salt Lake City, and Hawaii. Her specialty is glam modeling, which mostly means lingerie and bikinis.

“Sometimes I get criticized because I’m in a bikini contest again,” she said. “Because I keep trying to show who I am, I got to go to Hawaii, Salt Lake City. It’s all paid and I love to travel.”

She’s found success in competitions and pageants, notably winning the crown of Miss Brazil USA in 2014.

“Then I started knowing about other contests and submissions I could make,” she said. “It was and is all about networking — who you know. Then, I started getting published in magazines and now I’m in at least 20 of them.”

She recently placed second in Maxim’s Finest competition, among a field of thousands. She’s set her sights on a $50,000 prize from Jet Set Magazine for her next event. In the first round of public voting, she’s held strong in first place. The competition ends April 11. She asks local supporters to vote for her daily at jetsetmag.com/model-search.

While Moreno travels for these competitions and photo shoots, she works closely with a list of Richmond-based photographers for her photo submissions. Her favorite photographers in Richmond include Glen Dandridge (GD shoots), Michael Hostetler (Michael Hostetler Photography), and Bobby Stephis (Nothingman Photography). Dandridge took the photos that secured Moreno’s runner-up position in the Maxim contest.

Keep an eye out–chances are that you’ll be seeing Moreno in a lot more magazines, especially since her first cover in late 2017 on Implied Magazine. And if you’re in Richmond, you can see her in person this April when she walks in RVA Fashion Week.

Photos By: Allison Macewen