WOW 8 years of OFW ~ We can't believe it either! We are already busy planning our upcoming Spring 2015 Showcase taking place March 10 - 15, 2015 at the Omar Bakery Building, located on 43rd and Nicholas Street!Tickets go on sale Jan. 12, 2015!
We are sooo EXCITED to announce our Spring Showcases Designer Line-up selected to show Fall/Winter 2015 collections during the next season of OFW presented by SAC Federal Credit Union. The lineup of 22 designers includes 13 newcomers, six high school students and eight out of state designers, coming from North Carolina, Iowa and South Dakota, all with Nebraska roots.
Nineteen of the 22 designers will compete for nightly prizes during designer showcases on March 12-14. The top designer from each nightly showcase will receive a $500 cash prize from SAC Federal Credit Union. Winners will be selected by the seven-person OFW selection panel. “Three of the 22 designers are high school students who will do capsule collections during Student Night on March 10,” said OFW Producer Brook Hudson. “This was a very diverse group of applicants. We are seeing a higher percentage of designers from markets outside of Nebraska and more student designers – several of whom were inspired to apply after attending our Fashion Camp last summer,” said Hudson.
There are always a few fun highlights from our designer interviews that stand out. Declared, the brand developed by Omaha native Amy Lynn Straub, worn by celebrities and featured in Nylon Magazine will be on the OFW runway. Evening wear designer, Kate Walz and children’s wear designer, Jessica Lynn Collins are both expanding their brands to new markets. Kate is just returning from showing her collection in Paris, and Jessica will soon show her collection on a runway in Florida. Gothic seems to be an emerging theme for next season, with several designers drawing their inspiration from architectural elements like stained glass windows.
The applicant pool included 27 designers who were narrowed down to the 22 who were selected. Designers applied and pitched their ideas to a panel of industry experts brought together by OFW last week. The experts scored each designer and provided feedback that OFW organizers used to make final selections. The designer line up for each show night will be announced in early January.
High Schoolers
- Elda Doamekpo, AFIELDA, Evening Wear
- Caleb Hanner, LeRoy Designs, Evening Wear (showing on Student Night) Sydney Moore, Avante Gard (showing on Student Night)
- Grace Neary, Grace62 Designs, Ready To Wear (showing on Student Night)
- Molly O’Brien, Molly Elizabeth, Ready to Wear
- Kate Walz, Evening Wear
Runway Newcomers
- Judy Bales, Avante Gard
- Alejandra Buenrostro, Ready to Wear
- Alison Coet, Evening Wear
- Amande Dreesen, Dendinger, Evening Wear
- Andrea Hurtt, Amaryillis Designs, Ready to Wear
- Alyssa Koory, Ready to Wear
- Declared, Ready to Wear
- Erin Tepper, Ezradella, Ready to Wear
Veterans
- Jessica Collins, Jessica Lynn, Children’s Wear
- Jillian Fellers, Bridal
- Crystal Hobson, Ready to Wear
- Jessica Lynn, Jacklynn, Bridal
- Hannah Olson, Hannah Caroline Couture, Ready to Wear
- Whitney Rorah, Whitney Rorah Designs, Evening Wear
- Katie Thompson, Katie Thompson Clothing, Ready to Wear
- Monica Winslow, Monika Spook, Ready to Wear
Spring Event Schedule:
- Tuesday, Mar. 10: Student Night exclusively featuring High School designers on the runway. Blocks of complimentary tickets will be available for student groups in January.
- Wednesday, Mar. 11: Methodist Cancer Survivor Show, featuring 80 cancer survivors modeling looks from local boutiques. Part of proceeds benefit the Inner Beauty Salon at Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center.
- Thursday, Mar. 12: Designer Showcase I (prize awarded to top designer)
- Friday, Mar. 13: Designer Showcase II (prize awarded to top designer)
- Saturday, Mar. 14: Designer Showcase III (prize awarded to top designer)
- Sunday, Mar. 15: Hair and Makeup Showcase (prize awarded to top styling team)
Images from last Spring's Showcase!
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On the inside, Omaha Fashion Week is a talent incubator that seamlessly connects designers, stylists, photographers, artists and models through nurturing platforms and engaging opportunities. On the outside, Omaha Fashion Week is Midwest’s premier fashion event; spotlighting fashion innovations and celebrating creative excellence.