Columbus Fashion Week: The Fashion Life that keeps Giving!

Who knew Columbus, Ohio would rank third in the country for the "highest concentration of fashion designers, topped only by New York and Los Angeles"! What is happening in Columbus, Ohio? Apparently something is going very well. I'm really late peeping into the Columbus fashion game. This year marks the 15th founding anniversary of Columbus Fashion Week. Who knew, that the iconic Buckeye Football city would also be filled with talented, creative and conceptual designers? After an early retirement in 2016 from a great college career, I moved to Atl for two short years. I moved back to Cincy, Ohio in 2018 to maintain the lifestyle I had become accustomed to working as a college professor for eighteen years. But upon moving back to Cincy, I discovered rather quickly I had to do something different to maintain my interest and urge for bigger city living. I love the vibe and lifestyle of bigger cities especially after also previously living in Washington, DC, and Denver, Colorado (eight years), but I couldn't financially sustain it. So with a purpose and goal in mind, I began researching for events in nearby cities that would fulfill my strong fashion interest, but with the midwest openess and its modest cost of living.

I like midwest living for many reasons, but because I lived in larger cities, I was looking for the excitement of big city fashion but on a smaller scale when I ran across Columbus Fashion Week, and I couldn't believe my eyes! The fashion designer scene is literally impeccable, flawless, conceptual and beyond creative in their fashion approach. In my experience, I have learned some cities can stifle creative growth if you don't go beyond its cultural borders or group think, limiting your growth to the homgeneity of city culture. While Columbus is a sports town, just like its iconic football fan base, the Columbus fashion game is also well supported by the city's infrastructure, nurturing their local talent of fashion designers that their aesthetic desires and goals can be uniquely tailored to their own aesthetic with the sky being the limit. The ample use of clearly expensive fabric, all textures, colors and weight of fabric (and fabric is expensive these days)used in great design detail tells the fashion designer story and city support of Ohio fashion designers.

For a couple of years, I have wanted to attend the Columbus Fashion Week's annual High Fashion Tea, but missed out on it. I've attended the Friday and Saturday finale shows, but not the High Tea. This year, I jumped on it early and got upfront seats. Now when you attend any fashionable event in Columbus, just know that it is truly an aesthetic treat that makes you want to dress for the ocassion. A little short insight about my passion and interest in fashion. I grew up with fashion and sewing through my mother who introduced me to both, and her mother, Tiny Bell Love who was popularly known for her fashion. She was named one of the best dressed in Cincinnati. Believe it or not, my dad was a very cool fashion dresser too. My mother sent me to Sears'sewing classes and I made a few of my high school outfits. I wanted to be a fashion designer as a teenager and go to Parsons, but my dad said, ah, "Karen, your grades are not good enough you need to get a real job" So, I went to college and got a Fashion Merchandising degree and let that dream go until 2021. A little more about that later.

I attended my first Columbus Fashion Week October 2022 wearing an outfit I had designed and constructed. A full circle moment from a teenager to senior citizen, I came back to my first love: being a fashion designer. I designed this two piece faux leather, baby blue outfit from a sketch I drew. The fabric is from Joanne's in Columbus, Ohio. They have a more diverse selection. After sewing for three short years of designing and fifty years later, I created this outfit, preparing the styling with silver and baby blue heels and wearing it to the High Fashion Tea to kick off Columbus Fashion week. I immediately felt right at home with my avid fashion interest.

This High Fashion Tea lived up to everything I could imagine. It was such an upscale event. I carried this silver bag, and I'm trying to remember where I got this old school,throw back purse, but I don't. I had it in my closet for years. I tend to get rid of many things I don't wear because I don't hoard, but I've had this purse for a long time. I love the silver sleek look of it, and thought it complimented the baby blue.

The presentation of the room layout was very nice and classy, and the food was very tasty! Sorry about the crumbs, I waited too late to take a picture I had already taken bites.

Like I mentioned before the reasons I love Midwest living, the people. They are typically very open and friendly. I met this lovely young lady with the beautiful silver hair. She has attended many of the Columbus fashion events. She loves fashion! We had a wonderful time, sharing things. I knew we would hit it off, when she took a picture of her food, lol!

A couple designer pieces from the phenomenal, Columbus native Jasmine Burton. Her work is phenomenal. The scope, depth and conceptualize of her work was really put on display at the Columbus Fashion Week Finale. That will be for a later blog post. here

A couple pieces from my favorite. I'm biased about this designer: Akili "Jahi" Cooper. I first saw his creative genius at couple years back and was astonished that he started designing so young. He is an amazing person with a pure heart, and loves mentoring young people who are interested in fashion design. I have attended a couple of his events to support his desire to financially help fashion design students. I'm prejudiced. I LOVE Akili! A true Midwestener. He is from Dayton, Ohio, but lives in Columbus. He is so friendly and he somehow manages to see me in the audience and gives me the most amazing welcome! A true Midwesterner. Here are a couple of his works.

A few people who help make Columbus Fashion Week a total top shelf event. Keira Chapman, the Executive Director Columbus Fashon Council. Recently, moving back from New York back to her hometown in Columbus, she took over the role from its founding director Thomas McClure, who founded Fashion Week in 2010. He did an amazing job with Columbus Fashion Week. I was fortunate to attend two of his leadership events before he moved on. To say the least his events were stellar! Keira is doing a fabulous job, and is a very welcoming person.

This young lady, Nia Noelle is everything! She is a Cincy native, who has been residing in Columbus for a very long time. We met at the council's fashion conference. We began talking and admiring one another's outfits, that's where I discovered she was from Cincy. Again, that midwest friendliness and openess. That was the first time we met personally, but I remember her from two years ago. She had on the most fabulous outfit. Meeting her face to face was the icing on the cake. Nia is the program director bringing in top national fashion designers to Columbus fashion week for their finale headliners. This year she brought in national fashion designer twins, Bruce Glen. They were nothing short of amazing.

I can't even begin to tell you how talented and gifted, this brilliant man is...Juan Jose' Saenz-Ferreyros. Words can't even express it, you just have to google him and see for yourself. Juan is a beautiful soul. We met and he treated me like we have known each other for years. He is such a lovely spirit. Juan is from Peru and has lived in Columbus for sometime. All I can do is place his link in this blog post so you can see, but the level of craftmanship is showmanship at best.

This lovely lady is Corine. We met each other in the lobby of the Le Meridan hotel where the High Tea was held and talked for literally an hour. We took pictures together as you can see. That Midwest vibe! As you can see, I truly found a space where I can love fashion, meet beautiful people inside and out and still be Simply Me. to see more of my fashion passion you can clink this link Until the next fashionable time we meet, Yours Truly Simply Me, Karen Marie!