Keep up with the latest from Christian Fashion Week. Our blog is an information source for all things CFW and any news from the fashion industry that affects the Christian market.
In a celebratory article by domestic correspondent for the Styles sections of The New York Times, Alexandra Jacobs, she takes readers behind the scenes at Christian Fashion Week 2015. Read the article that everyone has been waiting for.
We are so excited to be featured in the New York Times today! Domestic correspondent for the Styles section of The New York Times, Alexandra Jacobs, tell the story behind the scenes at Christian Fashion Week 2015. The article discusses the people behind the show as well as the philosophy and culture of our mission. Jacobs also discusses the strange struggle we have with the contemporary modesty teachings and how Christian Fashion Week is looking beyond the shallow and into things closer to the heart of God.
All around, we absolutely loved the article. Featured are supporters and participants:
JoJo Shaw
Silva Emerian
Jean Huni
Constance Franklin
Viji Reddy
Edwich Desroches
Olivia Pollard
Zoe Thomas
Neva Durham
Aleksandra Salo
Kim Albritton
Brittany Baldwin
Thank you to everyone who interviewed and gave Alexandra the information she needed for her article. Special thanks to the New York Times and Alexandra herself for the support and exposure. We truly appreciate it and are humbled that you found us newsworthy.
Thursday, February 26, 2015 • Christian Fashion Week
We sold out The Vault, the most beautiful venue we've used in the last three years. It's so exciting to experience the level of support we have received for our new platform, and we are excited about what the future holds for Christian Fashion Week.
Christian Fashion Week 2015 was a packed week indeed. We started the week with the International Day of Prayer for Art and Fashion. Churches, ministries, families, and individuals from around the world took part in lifting up the fashion industry in prayer.
On Monday night, we hosted a discussion forum at Gomez Innovations about the topic of modesty and how the teachings surrounding the topic vary wildly within the church. The ladies present shared their stories and views. The most common experience was one of oppression through faulty teachings about modesty based on policing the lust of men. It was a liberating discuss that took us on a tour of several key scriptures and common experiences.
Tuesday night, our very own Tamy Lugo put together our Style Shop Night with special guest speaker, Wendi Braswell. Wendi covered a multitude of topics around the subject of personal style. We also had several vendors attend, offering their products at the event.
Wednesday night, Don Me Now! hosted a party for co-founder Mayra Gomez's birthday. The mixer also featured a panel of fashion industry experts who shared advice on getting started and growing your business within the local fashion market.
Thursday night, everyone cut loose at the VIP Rendezvous at Aloft Downtown Tampa. Our VIPs, designers, models, stylists, MUAs, and volunteers had an amazing time eating and talking about the much anticipated designer showcase. Alexandra Jacobs and Melissa Lyttle from the New York Times joined us for interviews as well as meet-and-greets.
On Friday, Executive Director Jose Gomez hosted our designer showcase as the models hit the runway with full collections from 11 fashion designers. From activewear to evening gowns, no collection disappointed. The show was action packed and non-stop. See our Facebook page for photos and coverage links.
Saturday morning, we finished Christian Fashion Week 2015 with an invite-only inner circle luncheon with key supporters and media. We discussed the week, complete with highlights and constructive critique. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful week.
Thank you to everyone who made Christian Fashion Week 2015 happen. Now, it's time to plan for the future... and the possibility of Christian Fashion Week 2016. Will there be a season beyond the Final Season? Stay tuned for news.
Sunday, February 15, 2015 • Christian Fashion Week
Today, we've launched Christian Fashion Week 2015 with the International Day of Prayer for Art and Fashion. We are joined on this informal day of prayer by churches, ministries, families, and individuals from all over the world to pray for the fashion industry and those most affected by excesses and abuses within the industry.
Thank you to everyone who is praying for the art and fashion industry today. We want to encourage you to lift this world's fashion designers, textile manufacturers, brands, celebrities, models, stylists, make up artists, event promoters, and marketing and PR firms in prayer, asking God to inspire and touch them in a special way for 2015.
But, more importantly, let's lift the people who work behind the scenes to make our clothing a reality. Pray for workers in the US and abroad who work long hours sewing and building garments, sometimes under less than favorable conditions. Pray for children, sometimes as young as 5 years old, forced to work 10-16 hour days just so that we can buy our children Nikes. Pray for people affected by pollution and the overall environmental impact of textile manufacturing. Pray for the men and women being trafficked under the guise of obtaining work or modeling jobs. Pray for the environmental resources that are exploited, including animals and wildlife.
Pray for the Church to remove the barriers and bondage girls and women are held under by teaching them that they are responsible for the way men view them. Pray for victims of sexual abuse those who would excuse themselves by citing the way a woman is dressed. Pray for our young boys and girls to understand that how they dress should be a reflection of their own self-expression, and that different situations call for different expressions.
Pray that God would lead Christian Fashion Week over the next year as we embark on a new journey and partner with those who share our passion for the issues that mattter within the fashion industry.
It's inspiring when we learn about how successful our Christian Fashion Week alumni have become. Fashion designer, Julia Chew, wowed us in CFW2013 with her first Xiaolin runway collection. This year, expect a surprise look from this talented artist, created exclusively for Christian Fashion Week 2015.
Christian Fashion Week announced today that fashion designer and Christian Fashion Week alumna, Julia Chew, will be showcasing an exclusive Xiaolin garment for and inspired by her experience at Christian Fashion Week. Although Chew will not have a full collection to showcase at Christian Fashion Week 2015 this year, she will be presenting her look and sharing about how the event has impacted her career as a designer and person of faith.
"I have been working to create a show-stopping look for release at Christian Fashion Week 2015 since I returned from showing my collection at Oxford Fashion Week in England," commented an excited Julia Chew. "My concept combines Russian ballet and Asian mythology for the look of a high fashion fairytale. The audience at CFW will be the first to catch a glimpse at one of my most intricate designs yet."
As in previous years, Christian Fashion Week 2015's fashion showcase will be held in Tampa, Florida at The Vault, a beautiful, historic, windowed venue in downtown Tampa, on February 20th. This showcase will be the grand finale after a week of events.
February 15: The International Day of Prayer for Art and Fashion
February 16: Killing the Christian Woman: How Modesty Misses the Mark
(A Forum for Discussion)
February 17: Style Shop Night (Workshop)
February 18: Celebrate at Don Me Now! A Birthday Bash
February 19: Christian Fashion Week 2015 VIP Fashion Rendezvous
February 20: Christian Fashion Week 2015 Designer Showcase
February 21: Christian Fashion Week Inner Circle Brunch
"As many know, this may be the last Christian Fashion Week for a while", commented Executive Director, Jose Gomez. "But, there are many amazing people who are raising their hands and working to keep Christian Fashion Week alive. For now, we simply intend to make 2015 the best year event. Then, it's time to reformulate, link arms, and move into the next phase as an organization."
Wednesday, January 14, 2015 • Christian Fashion Week
The word is out - an initial list of 11 fashion designers who will be showcasing at The Final Season of Christian Fashion Week has been released! More news and updates coming over the next few weeks leading up to the most explosive fashion showcase we have ever done.
Today, the organizers of the world's only fashion week from a Christian worldview announced the initial version of its fashion designer lineup for Christian Fashion Week 2015. Eleven designers were listed in the lineup, including two Indian-inspired designers. The showcase, titled 'The Final Season' is slated to be the organization's last show as Christian Fashion Week begins its shift in focus towards activism in the coming year.
"The designers that we have chosen for The Final Season represent a wide spectrum of choices available for men and women who hold modesty as a core value," explained Executive Director, Jose Gomez. "However, what is of more significance is the fact that each brand in our showcase has also paid special attention to environmental and human rights concerns. There is a culture of sustainability as well as social and environmental responsibility that counts for much more than regulating hemlines and cleavage."
Indian-inspired fashion will be taking a more prominent role in Christian Fashion Week 2015 with designers Viji Reddy of Alamwar Textiles and Christian Fashion Week Alumna, Sumita Bhojwani with KalaXpress. Both designers also manufacture their own garments, closely maintaining ethical working conditions for their artisans as well as strict standards for waste management and sustainability.
Other designers include: Aleksandra Salo (Aleksandra Classic Design), alumna Angel Myers (Angel Myers Designs), Constance Franklin (ckfcreate by Constance), alumna Katie Martinez (Elegantees), celebrated Florida-native Essence Flowers (Essence Flower Designs), alumna Medinah Hagan-Morgan (Medi), alumna Vonique Mason-Edwards (Mikra), dance-inspired fashion by Tatjana Sladojvec (Noka Posh), and Kirsten Warner (OnePrize Performance).
The show will be held at The Vault in downtown Tampa, Florida on February 20th. General admission and VIP tickets are available now at www.christianfashionweek.com. Space is limited and sponsorships are still being accepted.
There is one critical reason to make sure you are a part of Christian Fashion Week 2015 - it looks to be our last season for now. Learn more about why the Christian Fashion Week team made the decision to make the 2015 showcase our last, and what you can do to change that decision.
After launching the world's first fashion week from a Christian worldview in 2012, Christian Fashion Week has announced that its 2015 fashion showcase will be its final show. The difficult decision came after a series of funding campaigns that failed to produce the support the organizers expected from their community of over 10,000 fans, followers, and subscribers.
"Our goal was to successfully launch a fashion week that would represent the perspective and passion of the Christian community," commented Executive Director, Jose Gomez. "However, when the community that an event represents does not adequately support the effort, one-of-a-kind forums like Christian Fashion Week eventually disappear. The only way for it to continue with any level of excellence is for major Christian brands, organizations, churches, and businesses to support the effort and show the world that there is a united front - a community that wants to have a voice in what is available at stores and boutiques around the world."
"The most unfortunate fact about Christian Fashion Week is that the least amount of support CFW received was from the Christian community itself. Even our local Christian media, churches, and business community opted out," said Mayra Gomez, Fashion Director and co-founder of Christian Fashion Week. "We are very honored to have received the support of Zondervan Publishing for the first two years, but with recent changes in staffing, they were also unable to continue their support this year. We had hoped to see another major brand fill the gap, but none that we spoke with were prepared to do so."
Christian Fashion Week has issued two funding campaigns. The first was launched through GoFundMe.Com and has raised just over $2,000 in spite of the fact that it has been shared over 1,000 times. The campaign offers a number of perks which allow supporters to fund Christian Fashion Week for almost any amount. The second, more creative effort is a program called The 100 Fashionistas. This programs calls for 100 supporters to sponsor a season of Christian Fashion Week for $25 per month. The total of all sponsorships pays for the season's production and marketing expenses while allowing the Fashionistas numerous perks and privileges.
Both, campaigns have yielded less than the organizers expected, leaving a large portion of the event to be self-funded as in previous years.
"Unless we see support from our community of fans, Christian Fashion Week 2015 will be our last show - which makes it the most important Christian Fashion Week ever. We continue to pray for God's guidance and will follow the lead of our community's participation in the continuation of this amazing show."
The organizers have also expressed a willingness to discuss the sale of the Christian Fashion Week franchise and trademarks to a buyer within the Christian retail or fashion community with deeper pockets.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014 • Christian Fashion Week
We've added a second initiative for Christian Fashion Week 2015 and we need everyone's help to spread the word and become a part of something very special. This one is EXTREMELY exciting, and it's a once in a lifetime opportunity for Christian Fashion Week Believers! Can we make TWO seasons of Christian Fashion Week happen in 2015? Get involved before the big e-mail goes out and all the slots are filled!
Every year, the Christian Fashion Week team works hard to raise the budget for our annual shows. This distracts us from the main mission of putting on an amazing fashion showcase and truly innovating.
So, we need your help to fund Christian Fashion Week FOREVER. Best of all, you can do it for just $25 per month, becoming one of the 100 Fashionistas of Christian Fashion Week.
Membership Perks
Band together with other fashionistas around the world and help Christian Fashion Week change the fashion industry. Become one of the 100 Fashionistas by sponsorship Christian Fashion Week with $25 per month and you'll receive:
Exclusive membership into the 100 Fashionistas
Two preferred seats at all Christian Fashion Week events
DVDs of All Christian Fashion Week shows
Exclusive invitation to the annual 100 Fashionistas soiree
Discounts from participating online fashion boutiques
Discounts from all vendors at Christian Fashion Week
The Christian Fashion Week 100F goodie bag
All Christian Fashion Week soundtracks
Acknowledgement as one of the 100 Fashionistas on our websites, events, and materials
Exclusive voting access to model castings and designer selections, giving you a voice in the process!
A framed certificate of membership into the 100 Fashionistas each year
Learn more and become one of the 100 Fashionistas of Christian Fashion Week!
Saturday, August 30, 2014 • Christian Fashion Week
In August of 2014, Christian Fashion Week launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund its 2015 showcase. We expect to raise $10k from our community of fans and supporters throughout the world.
In 2013, we broke ground and created a historical industry first - a fashion week created around the idea of Christian values and a Biblical worldview. That first event quickly started a movement of support around the globe and inspired media outlets such as the Associate Press, Christianity Today, and the Salon.Com to write about us. In 2014, we expanded the event to a full week, launching the first International Day of Prayer for Art and Fashion, celebrating a week full of events, and culminating in an action-packed two-day fashion showcase with 15 designers, over 70 models, and a team of dedicated stylists, hair & makeup experts, and an audience of fans.
In previous years, financial support from Zondervan Publishing and several smaller Christian organizations have helped to fund Christian Fashion Week. As the founders, we've invested tens of thousands of our own dollars to make it happen. But, in year three, we expected more Christian brands to walk with us. Sadly, support within the Christian community has been very difficult. Believers are torn between different schools of thought when it comes to fashion. This DEMONSTRATES the reason for Christian Fashion Week!! For the secular community, we are certainly interesting enough to receive exposure from BuzzFeed.Com and PerezHilton.Com, but we're just not big enough to support yet.
So, we need the help of our community of supporters. Christian Fashion Week 2015 will cost us $35,000 to put on. This week-long celebration of fashion, values, and faith will be the most elaborate show yet. From swimwear to menswear, we will be exploring fashion from a position of:
Contextual modesty
Affordable clothing
Responsible use of natural resources
Ethical hiring and casting practices
We are doing all of this in the name of Christ and excited about the statement it makes - Christian Fashion Week is NOT about cleavage control or hemlines. It's about being a voice for those who the fashion industry oftentimes discounts - the modest, the non-elite, the environment, laborers, and the people who make things happen behind the scenes.
This year, if our CFW community doesn't support the show, it cannot happen. There are no big sponsors and no major brands behind this. We need the community of thousands of you that have supported us throughout the years to reach deep and make CFW 2015 a reality. This includes our past sponsors and vendors. Let's partner together to make a worldwide statement!
Thank you for coming to our shows, liking our pages, signing up for the e-mails, and spreading the word. We are so grateful for your generosity right now.
We've waited all year and now we're finally here! Christian Fashion Week 2014 has officially kicked off with the International Day of Prayer for Art and Fashion. Join us in prayer for our fellow fashion industry professionals, the fashion and art industries as a whole, independent artists and designers, and the other fashion weeks of the year, starting with New York Fashion Week.
After receiving international attention for their first annual
event in 2013, Christian Fashion Week returns with a full week of festivities
and fashion shows, starting today with the International Day of Prayer for Art
and Fashion. Over 8,000 supporters from all around the world are encouraged to
pray for the fashion and art communities as a whole -that inspiration and
success would follow them into a new year. The day is also a day of prayer for
the continued success of the world's fashion weeks, starting with New York
Fashion Week, starting next week.
"We felt compelled to set
a day aside to bless the people from all over the world who are involved in creating
the beautiful, creative things we see all around us," said Christian
Fashion Week's Executive Director, Jose Gomez. "The industry is not as dark and sinful as some people believe. There
are people of faith in every aspect of it - from the designers to the retailers
to the consumers. Why not pray for the inspiration and success of an industry
that influences our everyday outward expression? What better what to kick off
Christian Fashion Week?"
On the Christian Fashion Week website, some of the most
recent prayers have been posted. Parallel to the prayers of the founders of
Christian Fashion Week, supporter Kalisa Maxwell writes, "I am praying for reform
in worldwide textile manufacturing practices that promote child and slave labor,
success of talented up-and-coming fashion designers and industry professionals;
Our local designers in Tampa Bay and in other major cities; For modest fashion
consumers to become a recognized market segment for the fashion industry; For
the success of the other fashion weeks of the world Continued innovation by the
world's major fashion brands"
Christian Fashion Week will continue with the full schedule
of events.
February 3: The Launch of ChristianRunway.Com
February 4: Righteous Fashionista Workshop
February 5: Divine Shopping Date: An All-Day
Shopping Spree
February 6: Christian Fashion Week VIP Party
February 7: Christian Fashion Week 2014 Day One:
Designer Showcase
February 8: Christian Fashion Week 2014 Night
Two: Designer Showcase
Jose talks with Ida Walker about what Christian Fashion Week is and what guests and participants should expect from our 2014 event schedule. Learn about the inspiration and team behind Christian Fashion Week 2014 and how you can become a part of history in the making.
Ida Walker from Beauty Talk Illustrated stopped by the Christian Fashion Week office to talk with Executive Director, Jose Gomez, about our 2014 events. Share your thoughts!
We are so excited to be featured in the New York Times today! Domestic correspondent for the Styles section of The New York Times, Alexandra Jacobs, tell the story behind the scenes at Christian Fashion Week 2015. The article discusses the people behind the show as well as the philosophy and culture of our mission. Jacobs also discusses the strange struggle we have with the contemporary modesty teachings and how Christian Fashion Week is looking beyond the shallow and into things closer to the heart of God.
