Omaha Fashion Week’s upcoming season kicks off in less than a week, and we’re so excited for this year’s Metropolitan Community College Student Night, featuring student collections from Nebraska’s most talented high schools and mentoring programs! Make your OFW experience even more interactive with Metropolitan Community College! Tag your Student Night photos with #MCCatOFW and see them live-projected above the runway, as well as auto-printed at MCC’s hashtag printer station!
PLUS, the runway show will be preceded by a Q&A Panel Discussion from 7:30pm-8:00pm, covering careers in creative industries like fashion, photography, beauty, music, and more! Check out the panel below!
VALERIE ST. PIERRE SMITH
Human nature observer and mischief maker, Valerie St. Pierre Smith is also an award-winning costume designer, artisan and stylist with an eclectic background including stage, fashion, dance, film and themed entertainment. Her design work has been seen across the country at Kennedy Center, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Mixed Blood Theatre, Sea World: San Diego, the National Museum of the American Indian and more. Valerie’s research focus on cultural appropriation and colonialism in fashion and costume design has seen her speak at a variety of institutions and conferences, including Central Saint-Martins Fashion School in London, England and writing for a variety of publications including HowlRound Theatre Commons. Valerie is proud of her White Earth Ojibwe heritage, her USA 829 and is currently the head of costume design at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
AGUSTIN M. DELGADO J.
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Agustin M. Delgado J. is the proud owner of AD DELGADO designs. He is a self-taught, up and coming designer and craftsman. Born in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, Delgado follows traditions of creativity and sewing from his family. As a toddler, he watched his Great Grandmother, a seamstress, hand bead and embroider clothing and accessories for women of greater means than she, as a way of supporting her family. His Great Uncle was a tailor whose influence on Delgado is evidenced within his work. Delgado won the Emerging Designer Omaha Fashion Cup for his Spring collection, “Enchanted Dreams” in March 2018, and returned as a Featured Designer in August 2018 with his Fall collection, “Enchanted Nights”, receiving standing ovations and rave reviews for both collections. Delgado endeavors to create art in the form of wearable garments that reflect the individual and unique personalities of his clients. He is convinced that the outer beauty of a person is a reflection of the beauty that lies within. It is Delgado’s desire that, in addition to making beautiful clothing, he can inspire each client to be the best they can be. He is currently working on his third collection, “Queen of the Night”.
GRANT REID
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Originally from Glasgow, Scotland, Grant Reid now lives happily in Omaha, Nebraska. He started his own photography business in 2002 shooting weddings, events, family portraits and commercial projects. His background is in fashion from which he’s attained a Masters in Fashion from Domus Academy in Milan, Italy. Natural, candid and relaxed define Grant’s style of photography. He aims to capture moments and memories for his clients through his photography and express the story and character of the subject. His personal passions are travel and people.
ALYSSA DILTS
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Hailing from Omaha, Nebraska Alyssa Dilts began teaching for Nancy Bounds Studios in Omaha in 2001. She then moved to Chicago, Illinois and attended the International Academy of Design, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts. Alyssa then began handling the runway division for Elite Model Management Chicago and was later promoted to the Director of New Faces & Development where she focused on the scouting and development of new models. In December 2011, Alyssa moved back to Omaha to return to her roots and bring the national and international opportunities to aspiring talent in the Midwest. In March 2012, she opened DEVELOP MODEL MANAGEMENT and it has quickly become Omaha’s premier modeling & fashion school and placement agency. With the level of experience and numerous fashion contacts throughout the world, DEVELOP’s expertise is unsurpassed in the Midwest market.
KEITH RODGER
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Keith Rodger, know as Kethro, is a Recording Engineer, Producer, and DJ based out of Make Believe Studios in Omaha. He has opened for acts such as Beck, Wyclef Jean, The Faint, Terrace Martin, Little Dragon, Peanut Butter Wolf, and many more. In 2012, Kethro launched the Record Label Make Believe Recordings with the 3 time Grammy Nominated Producer Rick Carson, focusing on developing a core group of musicians from Omaha to produce productions for Video Games, Film, Advertisements, and personal musical endeavors. Kethro went on to co-produce the soundtrack for a Top Rank documentary titled “Undisputed” focusing on the career of the Lightweight world boxing Champion, Terrence Crawford. In 2019, he is slated to debut his first solo album titled Evoleno.
LUKE WELLS
Luke Wells is a student a Xenon Academy, slated to graduate in May of this year. He graduated with a bachelor of science in psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and has worn many hats since then! Barista, yoga instructor, brand ambassador, cycling instructor, technical recruiter, and now finally (almost) licensed cosmetologist. All of Luke’s past endeavors have led him to this amazing industry, and while he might be starting a little later than some, he is extremely excited to see where it takes him. Luke prides himself on his empathy and his desire to help others. He isn’t just in the business to do hair, but to change lives, and he loves to share that passion with anyone who is interested in learning more!