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.
Christian Fashion Week LLC announced this week that international Christian media and publishing company, Zondervan Publishing , has become an official sponsor of the first Fashion Week for the Christian community in history. The event, which promises to showcase modest clothing from at least seven international fashion designers, will be held in Tampa, Florida on February 8th and 9th. Zondervan Publishing has stepped forward as a significant sponsor, partnering with the group to make a statement that modesty in fashion has a place in today's culture and marketplace.
Tampa, FL - Christian Fashion Week LLC announced this week that international Christian media and publishing company, Zondervan Publishing , has become an official sponsor of the first Fashion Week for the Christian community in history. The event, which promises to showcase modest clothing from at least seven international fashion designers, will be held in Tampa, Florida on February 8th and 9th. Zondervan Publishing has stepped forward as a significant sponsor, partnering with the group to make a statement that modesty in fashion has a place in today's culture and marketplace.
"It is an honor to receive such acknowledgement from one of the world's most prominent Christian brands, " commented Jose Gomez, co-founder of Christian Fashion Week and president of The Fashion Industry Association. "The mission of Zondervan Publishing, to exalt Christ through excellence in publishing, is a shining example of what we want to accomplish in the fashion world. Modesty in fashion allows designers to focus on what covers our bodies, enables men and women to represent themselves with dignity, and ultimately exalts the values and ideals of the Christian worldview. It's not about being sheltered or embarrassed. It is about knowing who we live for and how that should be best represented."
Christian Fashion Week 2013 is the first fashion week ever created to showcase modest fashion and focused on the Christian market. Designers, regardless of worldview or religious affiliation, have been issued a challenge to create a clothing line for the modest woman without sacrificing style. The organization is now in discussion with over 160 designers from all over the world, working to narrow the selection down to just seven designers. There will also be a special woman-only swimwear show prior to the main event as well as a boutique segment, showcasing ready to wear fashions already in stores and boutiques.
Zondervan Publishing, a company of Harper Collins Publishers, is an international Christian media and publishing company. The company has a team of more than 350 employees with offices in Grand Rapids, Michigan and Miami, Florida. Zondervan authors number more than 1,500 and include America's most respected pastors, influential leaders, renowned authors, and emerging voices. The company's resources are sold worldwide through retail stores online, and by Zondervan ChurchSource - serving over 400,000 church leaders - and are translated into nearly 200 languages in more than 60 countries. Zondervan has been named Supplier of the Year by the Christian Bookseller's Association (CBA) seven times.
Friday, September 21, 2012 • Christian Fashion Week
The first ever Christian Fashion Week in history will showcase fashions from Venezuelan-born designer Franco Montoro. His collections will be part of a Fashion Week targeting consumers and buyers seeking to find fashions that promote stylish modesty and conservative values. In addition, several Tampa Bay boutiques will showcase their ready-to-wear fashions in a special prêt-à-porter segment.
Tampa, FL - The first ever Christian Fashion Week in history will showcase fashions from Venezuelan-born designer Franco Montoro. His collections will be part of a Fashion Week targeting consumers and buyers seeking to find fashions that promote stylish modesty and conservative values. In addition, several Tampa Bay boutiques will showcase their ready-to-wear fashions in a special prêt-à-porter segment.
"When we heard that there would be a Christian Fashion Week happening in the state of Florida we were instantly convinced that we had to be part of the showcase," commented Montoro. "The cause and the purpose of this event could not be overlooked. As a fashion designer, I love the idea of giving a new purpose to fashion and beauty. "
The premise behind Christian Fashion Week 2013 is a challenge to fashion designers worldwide to create garments that can be worn by today's modest woman, but that are still stylish and current.
Designer coordinator and stylist, Tamy Lugo, is excited to see this vision becoming a reality. "We are so excited to have the participation of designers of Franco Montoro's caliber in our show. We want to create an event that is truly of Fashion Week caliber. Yes - it's a Christian Fashion Week. But, the focus is to showcase fashion from a perspective of modesty, not to host a churchy event that is a bad copy of the fashion scene."
Lugo, along with the three other founders of Christian Fashion Week, is no strangers to the fashion scene. They include the President of the Fashion Industry Association, Jose Gomez; the founder of the TruModel mentoring program, Mayra Gomez; and fashion and runway photographer, Wil Lugo.
Christian Fashion Week 2013 will happen on February 8-9, 2013 at LSA Hall in Tampa, Florida. For more information, contact us. CFW is still accepting designer applications and searching for national and local sponsors for this historic first event.
Saturday, September 8, 2012 • Christian Fashion Week
We are SUPER excited to announce a very special rebate program for designers who sign up for Christian Fashion Week to share in our success and receive up to 100% of their designer fees back!
We are SUPER excited to announce a very special rebate program for designers who sign up for Christian Fashion Week.
As you may already know, our registration fee for designers to showcase at the show in February is $200 (until September 27, where it goes up to $250). We know that for some of the designers we are talking to, it's expensive to do so many shows and fashion weeks. But, you have to do them to get your name out there. So, we've come up with a way to help that will both help designers to make their investment back AND help ensure the success of this very first Christian Fashion Week. We are sure this is another industry first, and we are excited to offer it.
Here's how it works: You submit your designer application and initial application deposit. Upon approval, your remaining designer fee will be due. As the show approaches, tickets sales will begin to ramp up. We are expecting 325 attendees, which include VIPs, celebrities, industry contacts, fashion consumers, and buyers.
Now, here's the exciting part. After the show, all participating designers will receive a percentage of their designer fees back equal to the percentage of total attendees that show up versus what we are expecting. That means that a packed house gets you 100% of your fees back - and we are expecting to SELL OUT of tickets!
Here's the catch: There are only 6 designer spots left and we are in conversation and communication with almost 80 designers! So, we need to know if you are in.
Contact Tamy Lugo today and let her know you are ready for the challenge - to design a line of clothing that Christian women will be proud to wear. We've already got the press buzzing about this, and we can't wait to tell them you are on board!
Kylie Bisutti gave up being a Victoria's Secret model to better live up to her faith. That might confuse a lot of folks, but here at CFW, we could not be more proud of this awesome woman.
Mayra found this video of Kylie Bisutti talking about why she left Victoria's Secret, even though she had worked so hard to become a model. We are so proud of the courage and conviction it took for her to make that stand. We know that it wasn't really about taking a position against the fashion world or even Victoria's Secret. It was about making her own life goals subject to Christ. Kylie, if you ever see this know that we are super proud of you and we are praying for your continued success. Also, special kudos to her husband Mike for standing by her, supporting her dream, and quietly praying for God's will for her life. Awesome!
Wednesday, August 22, 2012 • Christian Fashion Week
A true sense of fashion. It's time to show the rest of the world that sex does not sell fashion. That true fashion comes from a great sense of empowerment and validation we feel when wearing beautiful clothing that does not expose more than it covers. Whether or not a designer could ever conform to designing modest clothing is no longer a thing of the 50s or 60s. A new era has come where even Jason Wu, Marc Jacobs and others could create garments that are unobstrusive, yet demure.
A true sense of fashion. It's time to show the rest of the world that sex does not sell fashion. That true fashion comes from a great sense of empowerment and validation we feel when wearing beautiful clothing that does not expose more than it covers. Whether or not a designer could ever conform to designing modest clothing is no longer a thing of the 50s or 60s. A new era has come where even Jason Wu, Marc Jacobs and others could create garments that are unobstrusive, yet demure.
On February 8-9, 2013, in the second floor of LSA Hall, four Tampa Bay entrepreneurs will see their vision fulfilled - the very first Christian Fashion Week in history.The two-day event will feature local and international designers presented with a challenge to design fashion lines that promote and respect stylish moderation instead of sexuality and excess. In spite of the values represented by the event, don't expect a "religious" atmosphere. The Christian Fashion Week team encourages attendees to expect high fashion and an electric night of music, style, and plenty of swag.
Tampa, FL - On February 8-9, 2013, in the second floor of LSA Hall, four Tampa Bay entrepreneurs will see their vision fulfilled - the very first Christian Fashion Week in history. The two-day event will feature local and international designers presented with a challenge to design fashion lines that promote and respect stylish moderation instead of sexuality and excess. In spite of the values represented by the event, don't expect a "religious" atmosphere. The Christian Fashion Week team encourages attendees to expect high fashion and an electric night of music, style, and plenty of swag.
"We are so excited to be hosting an event that promotes stylish moderation in the form of a Fashion Week and encourages the Christian community to come out and show the world that wearen't afraid to be human beings who love to look great while appreciating inner and outer beauty," said Jose Gomez, partner in Christian Fashion Week, LLC and president of the Tampa-based Fashion Industry Association.
An exclusive women-only segment of the show will feature swimwear by some of today's hottest designers. "Yes - Christian women go to the beach and wear bathing suits, "commented Mayra Gomez, partner and principle of TruModel, a character development and training program for girls. "Let's not be too religious about it. We want to look great while still finding swimwear that will keep us modest. That's the message we are promoting"
Tamy Lugo, stylist and one of the top fashion bloggers in TampaBay, works with designers to prepare for the show. "It's so much fun to hear the reactions from the designers we've been speaking to when they are presented with this challenge. It's inspiring to them and they are looking forward to showcasing their creations," said Tamy. Her husband Wil Lugo, a local photographer and graphic designer, will be producing the show with a vision to fuse New York and Miami to create a new experience. "We're working hard to ensure that everyone has a great time in an environment that feels like fashion, not a church event."
Christian Fashion Week is currently recruiting designers, models, sponsors, and vendors for their2013 show. The show will be held at LSA Hall, in Tampa, Florida. Advancedtickets are currently available through the event's website located at http://www.christianfashionweek.com.Vendor and sponsorship space is limited and only 300 seats will be availablefor this first event. However, the entire show will be streamed online in order for a worldwide audience to witness this historic event.
For more information about Christian Fashion Week, contact Jose Gomez at (813) 300-0106, or send us an e-mail. Designers, models, sponsors, and vendors can download applications by going to http://www.christianfashionweek.com.
We just want to share some good & wonderful things that have been happening during the making of our event! We now have actually booked a fashion worthy venue location located in the heart of Tampa Bay. In addition, we have received great feedback from our followers on facebook such as
Our celebrity guest model and Christian Music Artist, Julianna Zobrist. Not to forget the exposure we are being given by young women who are caring to take a stand along side us like Caitlin Schmidt, fashion lover & blogger extraordinaire. Plus Jeanette Scott of J's Everyday Fashion Blog, a style expert and celebrity fashion journalist with over 37k followers, on facebook alone! Both will be attending CFW and both deserve a big Thanks. Do visit their sites.
If you believe CFW2013 was long overdue, and you too want to take a stand. Now is the time to join us!
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Wednesday, August 8, 2012 • Christian Fashion Week
I was graciously invited to the CD Release Launch Party for Christian music artist, Julianna Zobrist. The beautiful, singer, songwriter and wife of Tampa Bay Rays' Ben Zobrist. With her music she inspires young girls everywhere to love themselves despite the influences of the world around us. Watch as Julianna talks with me about the purpose of her cd, plus her reaction to Christian Fashion Week in which she will be one of our guest celebrity models!
The word is getting out about Christian Fashion Week and the level of excitement is inspiring! We have designers, sponsors, and attendees all inquiring about being a part of this industry first.
It's amazing how the word spreads when a good idea comes to life. We are so excited to see the response from the community about Christian Fashion Week. We know the event is going to be amazing. Last week, Wil and Jose took some time to meet with the folks at LSA Hall and plan some of the aesthetics of the show. This is really turning into a first rate event.
We have about 35 vendor tables available surrounding an inner veiled area containing a 50 foot runway. We are expecting about 300 attendees, including several local and national celebrities. We can't tell you too much right now, but we are so excited by this event's reception.
Everyone can now follow us on facebook to get all of the scoop on what's happening with Christian Fashion Week and how we can all make a mark in the fashion industry together. Not to forget the information on the latest in dressing modest, which is increasingly becoming popular amongst the top fashion shows and people are listening! FOLLOW US
Mayra found this video of 
