Why Richmond Fashion Week Deserves A Spot On Your Bucket List
RVAFW designers and creatives predict Richmond to become next fashion district to look out for
Photo by: JBella Photography
Lookout, world. Richmond Fashion Week (RVAFW) may be on the rise to become the next fashion district, local designers predict.
RVAFW, which aims to highlight the vision, celebrate the fulfillment and continuously expand the potential of Richmond, Virginia’s gifted, diverse fashion and arts community, hosted its 16th annual fashion show spring season, or SS24, this past week from April 22 to 28. This SS24 season did not have a specific theme, but did lean towards luxury wear.
The week kicked off last Monday with an opening ceremony of an accessories showcase held at Vagabond. Models wore and presented jewelry pieces by Maranda Pair of Ginger’s Love and Hope Laramore of Claė.
Photo by: BWimbish Photography
The first fashion show of the week began on Tuesday at the Branch Museum of Architecture and Design on Monument Avenue with an emerging designers’ show presenting up-and-coming fashion designers such as 14-year-old model and actress Eris Audie of Sire 711, LEVE by Amani Daylie and photographer and DASH Talent model scout Noel Calubaquib of Suigens all showcased their collections ranging from Y2K-inspired metallic sets, sultry outfits to futuristic alienist wear.
Calubaquib closed the show with Suigens and created his designs over a three-week span alongside his brother-in-law, Julius Carl L. Rio.
“It really is an honor to do a show for Richmond Fashion Week,” Calubaquib said. “The outfits were done in just three weeks, just only three weeks.”
Suigens’ collection consisted of futurist-minimalist looks such as the brand’s iconic melted heart logo sewed on some runway models’ tops, spiked shoulder padded-tops and a black-and-white checkered hooded gown. Calubaquib said a part of his inspiration for his designs was an admiration for futuristic wear.
“We’re leaning towards the future, so you always think about what we’re going to wear in the future,” the designer and DASH model scout said. “You look at the suit, the huge face masks and helmets. I just thought, ‘maybe that’s the future look.’”
Models Brie Handford of DASH Talents and Alicia Galecka, who both modeled for Suigens, said the long hours of practice on the phlegmatic catwalk were worth it.
“It’s great working with Noel [Calubaquib] on a fashion show. I’ve worked with him in other capacities, but this is his first show, so it’s been really fun, I love my outfit,” said Handford, who wore a black velvety maxi skirt set with a spiked shoulder padded-top. “We practiced our walks, [Calubaquib] sent in videos, examples and it was a really well-prepared show and I really appreciated that.”
“Honestly, just the commitment he [Calubaquib] showed and having all of us [models] come together created such a bond,” Galecka also said of modeling for Suigens. “Just looking around the people around us, and being super confident of the models in front of you and behind you, I feel like we honestly killed it. We put in the practice and time.”
After a midweek break of Wellness Wednesday, where local businesses and panel discussions took place around downtown to promote wellness and a healthy lifestyle for the fashion community, the second fashion show of the season, Flourish by Chanel Nelson-Green of Liznel took place at the Branch Museum on Thursday evening. The audience, mostly dressed in neutral-toned or green colors symbolizing the soil–or foundation–to Liznel’s colorful and bold brand, saw a diverse palette of long-legged models business wear collections ranging from Liznel’s iconic power suits to polka dot tops and sparkly skirts, dresses and outerwear.
Photo by: Julie Adams
“I’m very proud of her for [Nelson-Green] her first solo show,” Travian Vann, a local fashion designer and former mentor to Nelson-Green, said before showtime. “I know it’s going to be great and she’s going to do a good job.”
The long weekend then swiftly began with Creative Suite on Friday night, a networking and photography showcasing event on Saturday night at C’est Le Vin off of 17th Street in Shockoe Bottom. Saturday night was the second annual awards gala at the Hilton Richmond Downtown East Broad Street, where both emerging and established photographers, models and designers were honored with their work in the community.
RVAFW then ended the long week with its finale fashion show at the John Marshall Hotel Ballroom showcasing designs from Jame’t Jackson of Jame’t, Ryan Azia of The Aziancy, David Harrell of the Suit Brother, Mo McGraw of Mo McGraw, Katelyn Mitchell of Christa and Latoya Parham of Luxury Professionals. The night of glitz and glamor and show-goers dressing up to the nines was hosted by 12 News On Your Side anchor and reporter, Jasmine Turner, and DJ and VCU’s assistant professor of design and merchandising, Rudy Lopez. Proceeds from the show went to benefit the Forward Foundation, a foundation assisting working single moms to provide them with financial assistance for childcare.
The fashion event organization never fails to amaze the fashion community in hosting events filled with emerging and returning creatives, vibrant social events and after-parties around downtown.
However, the big question is: Will RVA become the next fashion district?
RVAFW has existed since 2008 and is still relatively young compared to other fashion events like New York Fashion Week, which was founded in 1943 by a publicist, Eleanor Lambert, to showcase world-renowned fashion designers, and Miami Fashion Week, which was founded in 1998 to showcase works from Latin American and Caribbean designers.
Vann, originally from the Hampton Roads area, said the fashion scene in Virginia should be much bigger.
“I know in Virginia, we need these types of communities with fashion designers, that’s one thing that we perform well together and it’d be great if we all make it bigger,” the designer said. “As of now with the future going forward, I see [the fashion community] growing bigger if they [RVAFW] keep up with what they’re doing.”
Calubaquib, who’s been working with RVAFW since 2012, said he also sees Richmond becoming the next fashion district.
“I saw Richmond Fashion Week grow and make some changes. They always try for the best,” he said. “They’re bringing in good designers, there’s a lot of good designers and upcoming designers and models. They’re hard working. I think in five years it’s [Richmond] going to be respected.”
While Azia emphasized RVA will never become the next New York Fashion Week, Azia does predict that Richmond will become the fashion district for emerging designers and talent.
“We know that RVA Fashion Week is kind of an incubator, as well as a platform for them [designers and creatives] to move to another bigger scale,” Ryan Azia, former RVAFW’s creative director and now-co-partner, said. “It kind of grooms them in a way to prepare them for the big shows [in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, etc.]
