Some people visit The Big Apple and bring back ‘I (heart) NY’ T-shirts, first-rate designer knock-offs or farcical tales of the subways. But, not Angela Barrow. When the senior fashion design student attended Anna Sui’s and Alice Roi’s runway shows at New York Fashion Week in March, she decided to bring the extravaganza home. Thus marked the birth of Richmond Fashion Week.
“I just got the epiphany,” said Barrow, who interned three years ago with designer Sui. “Richmond has never had a fashion week, so I thought, why not do it.”
She wasted no time in getting the event up and running. In fact, the aspiring designer said she began planning with friend and Bizarre Market creator Anna Virginia the day she returned from New York. VCU students completely and independently organized the week’s events.
Although producing an event such as this one has been a dream of hers for a long while, Barrow stated, “I never thought I’d be able to pull it off.”
While she believes the city has potential to sustain a strong fashion scene, Barrow has realistic expectations for Richmond Fashion Week, which she hopes will bridge the gap between art, fashion and music.
“It’s definitely not going to compete with L.A and New York for a long, long time, but this is a start,” she said.
Starting Monday, May 9, arts and fashion events will invade happening venues around the city, including Plant Zero, Nanci Raygun and Nonsuch.
The week kicks off with a screening of “Afro-Punk,”at Nanci Raygun. The documentary chronicles race within the punk rock lifestyle. The movie’s director, James Spooner, speaks on Tuesday.
Wednesday’s fashion show, “Worn Again,” gives 35 local designers a chance display their creativity in turning trash into fashion when they present recycled garments.
Virginia said the “designers pick up their clothes and have 10 days to make garments out of them.”
She and Gary Shiflett, senior illustration, drawing and visual studies major, conceived the fashion show as a way to raise money for the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation through the Spokes campaign. Following the show the garments will be auctioned off with proceeds going to charity.
On Thursday, fashion and art meet at the Catalyst 15 fashion show that features the work of 23 local designers (19 of them are VCU students), as well as artists. Dubbed “Zwei,” German for two, Catalyst 15’s fashion show is sure to be a highlight of the week. Last year’s show premiered to a sold-out crowd of 350 people and Barrow, its organizer, expects no less this year.
“Zwei” represents a culmination of all the hard work students put forth in organizing the show. Students handled every detail down to selecting models, securing venues and soliciting sponsors.
Come Friday, “10×10,” a limited edition T-shirt sale, will showcase the work of local T-shirt designers. Saturday, the last day of Richmond Fashion Week, is sure to put a smile on the face of people who have yet to go spring-shopping and have a small budget, as well. The clothing drive allows guests to swap their clothing with one another and donate whatever they have left over.
As for plans to make Richmond Fashion Week an annual event, Barrow said that she plans to leave Richmond in August.
“I’m graduating and moving on,” she said. “Hopefully someone will carry on.”
Virginia hopes bring back the extravaganza, next year. “We’re hoping for a big turnout this year,” she said, adding that organizers will be looking for ways to improve the show for next year.