This just came out in a press release this morning!!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OFW Announces Fresh Designer Line Up For August Shows
Omaha, Neb. April 22, 2013 – Omaha Fashion Week organizers announced the designers who have been selected to show during the spring/summer 2014 collections this Aug. 19-24. The lineup of 30 designers includes five newcomers, seven from outside of Nebraska and three high school students.
“We were blown away by how well prepared all the designers were this year and the quality of the applications,” said OFW Producer, Brook Hudson. “The talent and creativity continues to get better each season.” The show schedule and location will be announced at the end of the month. Tickets go on sale to the public on June 1.
The applicant pool included 45 designers who were narrowed down to 30 for the upcoming season. Designers applied online with a limited number selected to pitch their ideas for their upcoming collection to a panel of industry experts brought together by the Fashion Institute Midwest. The experts scored each designer and provided feedback that OFW organizers used to make final selections.
The Fashion Institute Midwest provides designers with four months of mentoring and support leading up to their shows each season. The designers will also participate in a series of workshops and programs to help them prepare. Special feature designers will be announced throughout the summer. Below is a list of designer bios:
High Schoolers
Elda Doamekpo is a high school student with a brand called Élle Inspired. Her evening wear collection is inspired by the movement of water.
Hannah Olson is a 17-year-old designer that loves to make custom garments for all sizes under her label Hannah Caroline. She is dedicated to improving the selection of plus-sized apparel and helping women feel beautiful in their own skin.
Kate Walz designs vintage inspired gowns with feminine details and timeless silhouettes. Her spring 2014 collection is inspired by some of the great ballerinas in the 1960s and will feature structured bodices paired with flowering details.
Outside Nebraska
Michaela Cawley is a swimwear designer under the label KKINI. She aims to provide women with luxury swimwear including bikinis, deck suits, and cover-ups. Her line has been seen in several fashion shows and in Sports Illustrated.
Juantiesha Christian, designer of SuShe by Jtracey is a women's wear label, featuring both eclectic and vintage-inspired day and evening wear. Juantiesha Christian is a Bellevue native residing in NYC. SuShe has designed for clients throughout the United States, Canada and England.
Brittany Davidson designer of BMDesigns finds inspiration from her European heritage and the time she spent time studying abroad. In 2009 she started designing women and men’s wear.
Hope Reiners designer of Culture Swimwear launched its first collection in the 2012 summer season. For a style which evokes the strong free spirit and beauty of all women, each piece makes a bold statement with colorful designs, solid cover-ups as well as tribal prints.
Christian Shuster is the designer of christianMICHEAL based out of Kansas City. Tailored for the modern, style-conscious American man, the christianMICHEAL label provides cutting edge design with top-notch quality.
Maximillian Suiter focuses on inspiring women to feel and look beautiful inside and out. Suiter is presently at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri studying at The Sam Fox School of Art and Design and the Olin School of Business.
Caine Westergard is the designer behind Caine. She studies at Iowa State and has also studied at the Paris American Academy in Paris. She creates evening wear, women’s wear, children’s wear and even infant onesies under her Cuddles by Caine line!
Veterans
Angela Balderston creates avant garde pieces made from plaster and non-traditional materials under the label Get Plastered!
Terri Buckner is the designer of Nuevintage Apparel + Accessories. Her passion is recycling vintage clothing into new one-of-a-kind designs by reconstruction of the original garments and/or accessories.
Leah Casper is the designer of Casper Couture. She has been designing from a young age, creating edgy, decadent, opulent pieces. Wearing any of her pieces will bring out your inner diva while looking polished and timeless.
Yolanda Diaz has a degree in Fashion design from Juarez University School of Art in Durango, as well as Industrial Paterns at CECATI in Monterey Mexico. She has been designing children clothing for over 20 years under the label Little Miss Fashion.
Jillian Fellers is an independent designer specializing in wedding gowns and party dresses. Her design aesthetic has a modern appeal with vintage-inspired detailing in high-end luxury fabrics. Jillian is a UNL graduate with a degree in Textile and Apparel Design.
Hollie Hanash is the designer of Ruffled Runway, an upscale children’s brand made for the unique kid that wants to stand out. Her clothes are best characterized by the use of bright colors, ease of wear, and attention to detail.
Tiffany Headley studied fashion at UNL for a short time before branching off to do things her own way. She now owns the label Haus of Donna Faye and designs women’s wear with an avant garde twist.
Sabrina Jones received her BS and MA at UNL, where she studied Textile and Clothing Design with a minor in costume design.
Joi Katskee received her BFA in Fashion Design at the International Academy of Design and Technology in Chicago. She uses mostly recycled materials and up-cycled items and applies rock-n-roll inspired elements to create her designs.
Susan Ludlow has been designing children’s clothing for over three decades. She specializes in crochet designs for children ages six months to thirteen. Her brand is called designsbysuey.
Jennifer Pool is a costume and fashion designer. Her work has been seen on various theatrical stages around Omaha. She holds a BA in Theater from UNO, and a MFA in Theatrical Design from the University of Georgia.
Buf Reynolds has been creating garments for seventeen years. She is self-taught and loves the creative outlet fashion gives her.
Dan Richters was born and raised in Mission Viejo, CA. He moved to Omaha during high school, and has lived here over 20 years. Art has been a central part of his life. Fashion has been a recent form of artistic expression.
Aubrey Sookram studied Fashion design and Marketing at the UNL. She designs children's clothing and accessories under the name MarkoosModernDesign.
Fella Vaughn received his degree in Fashion Textiles Clothing and Design at UNL. This will be his fourth year participating in Omaha Fashion Week.
Newcomers
Jessica Collins is a children’s wear designer who will feature ruffles and twirl skirts for girls and simple, fun and sophisticated looks for boys.
Sara Gadeken is an evening wear designer who specializes in custom made garments. Her collection is called Sara Marie.
Stacey Sipp is a multi-media artist and who specializes in out-of-the-ordinary pieces and specialty dresses for the tweens. She hopes her collection can be a vehicle for young girls to express themselves instead of blending into the crowd.
Margie Trembley, Omaha designer of fascinator hats and bridal memory scarves, has exhibited her fiber art at the Chicago Botanic Garden and at her gallery, Springfield Artworks.
Kristen Vanhessche received her BA in Textile Design and Apparel from UNL. She creates wearable art with a focus on surface design.
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About Omaha Fashion Week:
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. Learn more at www.omahafashionweek.com.
About Fashion Institute Midwest:
The Fashion Institute Midwest is a non-profit that nurtures aspiring fashion designer talent by supporting and developing the Midwest fashion ecosystem through programming that provides creative inspiration, training opportunities, resources and business incubation to unlock the creative entrepreneurial potential in our young people. Support the Institute at www.fashioninstitutemidwest.org.
High school and college students interested in fashion design and creativity are invited to enjoy a glamorous night on March 4 at OFW that will be dedicated to answering their burning questions about the industry!
Hello Omaha Fashion Designers!
