During our Spring 2024 season, OFW’s former producer, Brook Hudson, along with Owner and Director of Develop Model Management, Alyssa Dilts, launched a brand-new program inside of Omaha Fashion Week to support designers as they move through the seasons of our showcases. The Investor’s Circle is a public funding pool where anyone can donate any amount that will go directly into the pockets of our designers. Each designer who receives a grant gets $500 to help them with the cost of anything that pertains to the success of their collection. In our first round of funding, we raised nearly $7,000, which led to 13 grants given out to designers.
We asked a few of last season’s grant recipients how it impacted their work and how they felt about the new program. Here’s what they said…
What did the Investor's Circle grant help you achieve that would have been more difficult to do without or that you otherwise would not have been able to?
Elon: The grant that I received allowed me to elevate my designs to the next level. I was able to use the money for supplies and better quality fabrics.
Kyle: The infusion of capital into my collection allowed me to order materials that made my collection designs match what eventually hit the runway.
Photography | Heather and Jameson, Designer | ELU by Elon
What did receiving the Investor's Circle grant mean to you as a designer?
Elon: To me, it felt like others really see me as a designer and are willing to invest in me, and to hold me to a higher expectation of achievement.
Kyle: Receiving my grant from the OFW also meant that members of the circle believed in my vision. That support helped in addition to the monetary assistance.
Photography | Heather and Jameson, Designer | K.E.Y. Designs
How does a program like the OFW Investor's Circle help change accessibility to fashion shows for designers?
Elon: I think this program really allows designers to explore themselves creatively. We all create designs that we don’t end up loving, so this program allows us to flourish in tweaking some pieces to give it the WOW factor!
Kyle: There are always costs in participating in an opportunity like OFW. Even if you are a designer who is able to thrift the majority of their materials, a grant helps a designer get their vision to the Omaha runway and to share it with our fashion community.
We could not have made such huge impacts on these designers without each and every one of you who contributed to the grant pool. Thank you so much to all who have helped us implement this new program, we cannot wait to see where it takes our community!
This season we are proud to share that we have 7 grants to give to our designers. Stay tuned to find out who they are and what they’ll do with their $500!
Cover Photo | Wyatt Fangman