This holiday season, we’re shopping local for all of our loved ones. Not sure where to shop? We’ve gathered up some of our favorite local stores + makers right here! Check it out!
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Omaha Style
We’re all about thoughtful gifts to our loved ones. In these times, let’s show our love to those closest to us with a little gift giving! We’ve rounded up some of our favorite local shops where you can shop for loved ones + support small business.
We are entering the “mask as an accessory rather than a necessity” phase of the pandemic. They are going to be with us for a long time. We might as well have some fun with it. This brings up interesting questions about how far we should go in coordinating masks with our outfits.
Have cool stuff to sell? Join the OFW Pop Up Shop! Boutiques, designers and brands are welcome to be part of this unique shopping experience during the Spring 2019 Season of Omaha Fashion Week. Feb. 25-Mar. 2, 2019.
Want to try your hand at design, but aren't quite ready to produce a full collection? Our friends at Tehra & b have an opportunity for you! They are hosting a Luxe Knot Bag competition that will award cash prizes to the top designs in two categories. If you are the winner and your bag design goes into production, you could be eligible for ongoing royalties from sales! Read on to learn more:
Join the OFW team at the Omaha Design Center for our Halloween bash on October 29...Monster Ball! Come in your best Halloween get up and strut your stuff for a chance to win $2000 in cash prizes being given away that evening. For tickets and info visit www.omahadesigncenter.com.
Getting married? Join us for Unfauxgettable, an exclusive bridal experience, at the Omaha Design Center starting at 5:30 p.m. Omaha Fashion Week insiders get a special offer for tickets to this exciting event: use code OMAHADESIGNER for 50% off on your ticket. Get tickets here.
Okay, fashion fans. We don't normally cover things like this...but we are broadening our horizons today, talking about Extra Innings taking place at our home base (catch that??) at the Omaha Design Center during the College World Series. Go sports! Seriously though, we are really excited about these events because...read on...
Omaha Fashion Week's August season is coming quickly, but are you runway ready? Before you hit the red carpets at our shows, join us for our Red Carpet Ready Event! We have a lot of fun, pampering, and prizes planned for an evening out with Borsheims Fine Jewelry and Gifts in Regency Court on July 16th from 5-7 pm!
Sip sparkling cocktails from Peroni and enjoy hors d’oeuvres provided by Fleming’s. The professionals from Victor Victoria will be at the event to polish your look with hair and makeup tutorials and of course you will get the chance to strut your stuff on the red carpet. Experts from Develop Model Management will be alongside Photographer Herb Thompson to capture your special moment!
It certainly wouldn’t be a Red Carpet event without fabulous designer jewelry and garments. A special trunk show will be taking place during our event, hosted by the jewelry powerhouse Lagos. Other fun things to expect- A style game brought to you by Borsheims’ jewelry buyers and Dennis Merotto designs- did we mention you could win a prize package just for playing?!
This is one event you will not want to miss! The first 50 guests will be taking home a free gift bag. So gather up your friends and make a night of it! This event is free and open to the public. Here are all the details one last time!
Red Carpet Ready July 16th | 5-7pm Borsheims in Regency Court
#omahafashion #redcarpetready #borsheims
Hey everyone! It looks like an assistant superintendent at Omaha Public Schools is proposing the elimination of all clothing and fashion classes over the next two years. The Board of Education votes on the proposal Monday, May 18. If you are as passionate as we are about keeping creativity in schools, please consider writing to the OPS board TODAY. The decision will impact thousands of kids from all socio-economic backgrounds who have an interest in fashion. At OFW, we believe the life skills, job experience and leadership training kids receive through fashion education will benefit them no matter what career path they choose. Check out this letter written by OFW Producer Brook Hudson for some inspiration as you write your own. Click here for a link to the list of OPS Board of Education members. Dear OPS Board of Education Members:
I am the producer of Omaha Fashion Week and it has come to my attention that you will be voting on a curriculum change that would eliminate fashion classes in Omaha Public Schools. I've been involved in our local fashion scene for eight years and want to share with you some information about what's happening in Omaha related to fashion and how your very own students are involved and benefiting:
-Omaha hosts the nation's fifth largest fashion event in the US - Omaha Fashion Week. OFW is bigger than events taking place in Kansas City, Minneapolis, and Chicago. -Over 1,000 young people participate in biannual fashion events (August and March) as designers, models, stylists, hair dressers, makeup artists, visual artists, stage managers, personal assistants, reporters, photographers and videographers. They gain leadership training and real-world job experience through these activities. -9,000 attendees support this activity each year as Omaha Fashion Week ticketholders -Omaha has become known nationally as the fashion scene with the highest concentration of high school designers. We regularly see students who go on to top fashion schools around the world, taking with them extensive portfolios and leadership experience through our programs. -Omaha Fashion Camp takes place each summer and exposes 60 young people, ages 6-17, to the many career paths available in the fashion industry. -The Fashion Institute Midwest, a non-profit organization, is actively involved in supporting young people with an interest in fashion by providing materials grants, educational opportunities and mentoring. -The Kent Bellows Mentoring Program at the Joslyn Museum has been running a fashion program for several years now to foster the creativity of budding fashion designers. -4-H has a long history of teaching craftsmanship and proper construction to students across the state of Nebraska. -SAC Federal Credit Union has recently launched a program to provide business advice and micro-loans to small fashion startups.
I understand that there is an emphasis in schools to prepare students for "high income, high demand" jobs. This means more focus on subjects like math and science. Shockingly enough, there is quite a bit of math, science and even engineering involved in fashion. Learning how to create a garment challenges a young person's spatial awareness, understanding of material properties/fiber content and even fundamental skills such as using a ruler. For many of these students, fashion is an entry point for gaining an understanding of these concepts. Our experience with Fashion Camp opened our eyes to just how powerful the topic of fashion can be in bringing these abstract and technical concepts to life for young people.
Fashion classes also prepare students for so much more than a future in fashion design. Let's be honest...becoming a big name designer is about as difficult as becoming a professional athlete and the rise to the top often starts with many unpaid internships and low-paying jobs. However, there are many career paths in the fashion industry that don't involve design and sewing know-how, and are much more lucrative and accessible locally than you might realize. Fashion is a multi-disciplinary industry that incorporates business, marketing, journalism, photography, videography and graphic design, in addition to vocational fields such as hair dressing and makeup artistry. There are also research-based fields that overlap with fashion, such as consumer psychology and human geography. The intersection of tech and fashion is also an interesting area yielding high paying jobs for young people. Fashion entrepreneurship and retail is yet another path. With the ubiquity of the internet, it is now possible for a young person to start a business and gain access to a world-wide audience. There are already several examples of this happening right here in Omaha. The best part? These talented young people don't have to leave our city to have a career in the industry that interests them...and through our vibrant fashion ecosystem, they now have the support they need to explore their interests and showcase their work on a world-class runway.
Given all of this, you might be asking why it is necessary to keep fashion in the curriculum. OPS fashion programs are a pipeline for new talent entering the Omaha fashion ecosystem. These classes are often the starting point and a place where students of all socio-economic backgrounds can build confidence and skills to the point where extracurricular fashion activities become a goal. Without that first step in the classroom, many students will never know what is available to them in their own backyard. Thus, they will miss out on the valuable skills and life lessons that can be learned along the way to a career, whether in fashion or another industry. What they learn through these experiences is applicable in almost any field.
I believe America's great competitive advantage on the world stage is the creativity of its people. Outsourcing of jobs that can be automated will continue to be a threat to this generation. We owe it to ALL of our kids to provide opportunities to flex their creative muscles in school. Fashion programming is a great way to do that. On behalf of the entire Omaha fashion community, I ask that you vote to keep fashion classes in the OPS curriculum.
Sincerely, Brook Hudson, MBA Producer, Omaha Fashion Week
Last night, we sipped champagne with the beautiful people of the Fashion Institute Guild, learning how to transform runway fashion into something you could actually wear on a daily basis. The presentation was given by Guild President, Alyssa Dilts of Develop Model Management and Guild Board Member, Autumn Foland of Design Parliament. I loved this presentation because they not only showed pictures and videos, but they also had live models showing looks that I could actually wear! It makes such a difference seeing the look live on a model.
Quick review of Spring 2015:
The big closet-friendly theme from the S/S 2015 runways is Athleisure. This trend became a "thing" when ladies wanted to look good coming from the gym. They needed the versatility of a workout look that could go from the gym to a business lunch. Suddenly, we saw leather bombers paired with yoga pants and smart bags...and then the $200 track suit bottom was born. From Target to McQueen, this trend is here to stay. You'll see Athleisure looks made out of everything from scuba fabric, to tennis shoe fabric, to cashmere spun with cotton and spandex. Its hallmarks are versatility and performance...meaning sweat-wicking properties, stretch and durability. These high-tech fabrics can be seen in dresses, skirts and tops as well as the traditional track suit.
The key to pulling this look off is to make it look purposeful. It can easily go "Momma June" if you aren't careful with how you put it together. Be wary of the see-through yoga pant, which really isn't a pant at all. Pay attention to the fabric and buy quality to avoid an unintended wardrobe malfunction. Good news is, you can buy Athleisure pieces at just about any clothing retailer...Omaha options include Target, Renu at Shoppes at Legacy and Design Parliament.
Fall/Winter 2015:
Designers really took an introspective approach to this season. Especially after Anna Wintour announced that "trend" was a dirty word. Designers are speaking to the woman who wants to purchase an investment piece and define her own style, and they've (designers) gone back to the roots of their respective fashion houses. Rather than focusing on trend, they are working with the ideas of individual styling and how a woman presents herself authentically to the world. Despite all of that, there were some themes that surfaced...
- Leather: We saw it in bright colors and feminine silhouettes this spring, but it's coming back in dark colors and longer lengths for fall. We are seeing it mixed with suede, accented with fringe and cut with square shoulders for a more androgynous effect.
- Car wash skirts and flared pants are the "it" silhouettes of the season. Glad I didn't get rid of all my flared pants from college...now if I could just fit into them!
- 70's Boho is not going away any time soon. Ponchos, chunky knits, lace, shearling, velvet.
- Accessories of the moment: Statement earrings and geeky glasses.
Alyssa and Autumn also covered what we can look forward to in menswear:
- Athleisure: Track suits and trainers, some with a ballet flair
- More focus on day wear and a movement away from evening wear to more accurately reflect the lives of real men.
If you are interested in getting the inside track on the fashion scene - from the runways of Omaha to Paris - I strongly recommend joining the Fashion Institute Guild! Benefits include invites to exclusive events like this, plus special deals on OFW tickets and other exciting fashion happenings. Join the Fashion Institute Guild here!
Remember that fab money dress from our March 2015 Season designed by Sabrina Jones? Well now you can get one more look at it as it makes its way around SAC Federal Credit Union branches this month. See the schedule below!
Congrats to the winner of the Money Dress Contest, Stacy Regennitt, whose $699.00 guess was closest to the actual amount on the dress. The actual amount was $699.25. Stacy won a pair of VIP tickets to the Omaha Fashion Week August Season, coming up August 17-22.
MONEY DRESS TOUR SCHEDULE
SAC Headquarters April 6th – 10th 7148 Towne Center Parkway, Papillion, NE 68046
Maple Branch April 13th – 17th 17020 Evans Plaza Omaha, NE 68116
Bellevue Branch April 20th – 24th 2204 Longo Drive Bellevue, NE 68005
Papillion April 27th – May 1 1216 North Washington St. Papillion, NE 68046
A behind the scenes look at Omaha's exploding fashion underground to see the last minute struggles of putting art on a runway. We meet the designers and other talents beyond the catwalk that have made Omaha Fashion Week the fifth-largest in the country.
Victor Victoria won the Develop Model Management Beauty Show for the second year in a row on Sunday night, winning a prize package valued at $3000 provided by SAC Federal Credit Union. Eight teams of stylists had 48 hours to create head-to-toe looks for the show's theme, "Beauty Icons Through the Ages."
Victor Victoria drew their "Marie Antoinette" theme on Friday night along with the other teams. Their whimsical collection featured phrases uttered by the notorious French queen on t-shirts, while the bottoms of each look varied from ruffled bloomers to a pink ball gown skirt. Model wore powdered-wig hair styles, white-face makeup with Marie Antoinette signature rouge and lips and each carried a cupcake. The opening look was a dress fashioned out of a silk parachute found in the basement of a downtown thrift shop. The most memorable hair style featured a large model ship moored up in the bouffant.
The winning team was selected by a five-person panel representing various areas of expertise: Rick Carey, hair styling expert; Jamie Knott, international makeup artist and educator for Tigi; Alyssa Dilts, founder of Develop Model Management; Thom Sibbitt, Kent Bellows Art Program; Dwayne Ibsen, owner of Ibsen Costume.
View Borsheims Red Carpet Photos by Herb Thompson
View Saturday night coverage in Omaha World Herald
Iowa State has swept two out of three nights at OFW Designer Showcases! Whitney Rorah won Designer Showcase III, earning her a $500 check made possible by SAC Federal Credit Union. This is Rorah's second OFW win, with her first being the Fashion Institute Fashion Cup last August. Her evening wear line showcased unique surface design and laser cuts.
Six designers debuted their work on March 14. Declared, which has a celebrity following, featured cheeky beach looks modeled by "Merbabes" and included an actual mermaid carried down the runway by two male models. The mermaid tale was made by OFW veteran designer, Dan Richters. Jillian Fellers showcased a line of timelessly beautiful bridal gowns accessorized with jewelry from Borsheims Fine Jewelry and Gifts. Erin Tepper of Ezradella featured sumptuous fabrics and reversible sequins and trendy silhouettes in her first showing at OFW. Judy Bales' avant garde collection featured usual materials such as land mine wire and zip ties in structural pieces worn over black full-body leotards. Kate Walz s howcased her final collection as a high school student, inspired by Versailles in France, and included stunning structural silhouettes and luxurious fabrics.
The winner was selected by a panel of seven Omaha-based industry experts. To learn more about the OFW selection process, click here. Interested in becoming an OFW designer? Apply Now - accepting applications through April 3 for August 17-24 season.
View Borsheims Red Carpet Photos by Herb Thompson
View Saturday night coverage in Omaha World Herald
Iowa State graduate student, Katie Thompson, won Designer Showcase II with her unique take on women's ready-to-wear. Her line featured custom printed fabrics with unique cage-like layers in shades of marsala against black and white. This is Thompson's third showing at Omaha Fashion Week.
Five designers debuted collections on March 13. Crystal Hobson brought steampunk fashion to the runway with an innovative take on the cape trend. Afielda showcased stunning silver lace embellished evening wear. The designer behind Afielda, Elda Doemekpo, will be graduating from Millard this May and plans to attend UNO. OFW newcomer, Alejandra Buenrostro, was right on trend with her collection of faux fur embellished dresses. The show opener, Jessica Lynn Bridal, was a huge hit with a collection of bridal gowns in shades of pink and gold.
The winner was selected by a panel of seven Omaha-based industry experts. To learn more about the OFW selection process, click here. Interested in becoming an OFW designer? Apply Now - accepting applications through April 3 for August 17-24 season.
View Borsheims Red Carpet Photos by Herb Thompson
View Friday night coverage in Omaha World Herald
Six designers debuted collections at OFW Designer Showcase I, with Andrea Hurtt taking the SAC Federal Credit Union Top Designer prize for her second win of the week. Hurtt won Thursday night with her collection, Amaryllis; and won the Top Boutique award for a line of dresses used in the Methodist & Younkers Survivor Show on Wednesday night. Her boutique, Atomic Bombshells, is a vintage inspired store featuring 1940s and 50s era fashions at Midtown Crossing. She also carries lines from several local designers, including Hannah Caroline Couture which was also featured on the runway for Designer Showcase I.
The winner was selected by a panel of seven Omaha-based industry experts. To learn more about the OFW selection process, click here. Interested in becoming an OFW designer? Apply Now - accepting applications through April 3 for August 17-24 season.
View Borsheims Red Carpet Photos by Herb Thompson
View Thursday night coverage in Omaha World Herald
Join OFW at Nebraska Crossing Outlets for a fashion show benefiting Teammates on November 14 & 15! Get the inside scoop on the latest trends, just in time for the holidays! All attendees will enjoy:
- Complimentary valet parking
- Red Carpet Paparazzi Event
- Exclusive sales
- Hors d'oeuvres and wine from Dean & Deluca at the pre-party
- ...and those who download the NEX App will be eligible for thousands of dollars in prizes given out during the fashion show!
Limited seating available...get yours now. We'll see you alongside the runway! Ticket sales proceeds benefit Teammates Mentoring Program: http://nex.ticketleap.com/nex2014/.
Follow OFW's Magazine Editor and Communications/PR Director, Meghann Schense at Esoteric Velvet and her assistant Molly, through a week long of red carpet styles for Omaha Fashion Week. Be sure to click the links below for more details and photos.
Monday: Crush & Rush
Tuesday: High Slit, 90's Chic
Wednesday: Slither in Silk
Thursday: Sexy In Silk
Friday: Pretty in Pink
Saturday: Jump Around
Monday: Zombie Before Coffee ~ It's Monday
Tuesday: Retro Sparkle
Wednesday: Leopard Print and Leather
Thursday: Bold Patterns for a Bold Girl
Friday: Free in Free People
Saturday: Barbie Heels
Big thank you to the following for making us look fabulous:
Andrea Sanderlin, a first time OFW designer, is debuting her new line, GREY, exclusively at Omaha Fashion Week this August . GREY is a new contemporary line from Younkers' private label, Ruff Hewn. Designer Andrea Sanderlin will showcase the looks on Thursday, August 21. Get Tickets Here!
Also our Trendevous event will be held Sept. 20 with a 10 a.m check in and an 11 a.m. show. Mark your calendar!
