The idea for the event came from a conversation that Carissa Brown, DFW’s Operations Manager, had with her mentor, Junda Morris-Kennedy.
“She basically told me, ‘Columbus has a fashion week. Cincinnati has a fashion week. Cleveland has one, also. Why not Dayton? We have great talent right here at home, so why not showcase it to the world?” Brown said. “This is strictly a group of volunteers who want to spotlight Dayton’s amazing fashion scene, so people can know that Dayton is a fashion mecca also,” Brown said.
Tuesday’s event starts with a “Fashion for a Cause” Celebrity Runway Show that features Mayor Gary Leitzell, De’lish Cafe owner Jasmine Brown, and a slew of other local personalities at Masonic Temple.
“Maha Kashani, who does Miss Maha in the City, was pretty hard to say no to when she asked me to do it , and I’ve done other fundraisers so I’m excited. I’m very over the top, so expect lots of laughs on the runway,” North said.
Wednesday will be the Fashion in Downtown event at Courthouse Square, where guests can get a feel of what the show will be like. Thursday is the DFW Kids Runway Collective Showcase.
But the main spectacular is happening Friday night with the Emerging Designers/Ready to Wear Showcase at 6:30 p.m. at Dayton Convention Center. The show will spotlight local designers such as Jamila Jones and Tracy McElfresh. Dayton Fashion Week will wrap up Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. with the Grand Finale Showcase at the convention center, which will feature national, local and international designers and models.
One of DFW’s partners, Downtown Dayton Partnership, is happy to represent DFW. “This big event will attract people to downtown and hopefully make them see it as a premier place to live, work and play,” said Kristen Wicker, spokeswoman for the Downtown Dayton Partnership.
For more information, visit www.daytonfashionweek.com.
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