A fashion frenzy in Houston – OutSmart Magazine

HOuston residents are busy preparing for Houston Fashion Week (HFW), one of the most exciting events of the year. Dubbed “HoustonFW: The Experience” this year, it’s sure to feature some of the most exciting looks in fashion today. The week’s entertainment lineup will include live music, dance performances and the Rising Stars competition.

HFW provides designers, models and artists with a platform to showcase their creativity and innovation on the international stage. HFW designer and executive producer Danny Nguyen believes this year’s fashion week will be unlike any other.

“What makes Houston Fashion Week different this year is the epic scale and proportion of this year’s fashion experience,” says Nguyen. “The audience should come expecting to be blown away!” Not only do we have five days of shows with national and international designers, but we also have five days of post-Fashion Week events and two days of post-post-Fashion Week events. That’s two weeks of fashion frenzy in the city of Houston, which is our goal.

With diversity being one of HFW’s goals, designers showcasing their looks include Giannina Azar, a Dominican-Lebanese designer who is the official designer of Miss Dominican Republic. Erik Rosete is a high-end streetwear designer from Los Angeles known for his work with charities such as the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and his fashion line Mister Triple fashion in the world.

The creators of HFW believe that representation in all its forms is important. Communications director Oscar Alfaro points out that diversity is also visible in the event’s organizer, designer Danny Nguyen. “As a Vietnamese American designer,” says Alfaro, “Danny’s leadership is a great reflection of HFW’s inclusion and representation, as it reflects the diversity of our great city and the strength of our fashion community.”

One of the most exciting aspects of HFW is the Rising Stars Competition, a celebration of emerging designers that highlights some of the country’s most talented young designers. HFW provides these designers with mentorship and networking opportunities with industry professionals. The competition will be judged by a panel of esteemed industry experts, and the culmination will be the grand prize: a chance to present at New York Fashion Week – an invaluable opportunity for a young designer.

But it’s not just the multiple fashion shows and the Rising Stars competition that make HFW notable. The welcome party and shopping opportunities will be open to the public, and throughout the week, dinners, meet-and-greets and after parties will take place. One of the week’s special events will take place on Sunday, June 9, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at South Beach’s Montrose Nightclub, which is partnering with HFW to host the Sunday Brunch Experience as part of the platform official events. Featured guest Erik Rosette will be there to meet and greet the LGBTQ community. This event will also feature a Sunday Brunch Drag Show featuring Tommie Ross, Roxanne Collins, Jazelle Barbie, Chloe Knox and Randy Boss.

HFW Associate Producer Rodney Vernon sees HFW as an opportunity to showcase the best of what Houston has to offer. “Houston is a huge and diverse city. “We should have a fashion week that rivals New York and Los Angeles. This will put Houston on the fashion map. What organizers Danny and Oscar have planned is simply incredible.

What: HFW: The experience
When: from June 6 to 11, with parades from June 7 to 9
Information: houstonfw.org