New York Fashion Week is typically the most exciting yet exhausting week of the entire year for me. Two to three fashion shows every day, preceded by at least 3 hours of doing my hair, makeup, and nails, donning a stunning dress and gorgeous but hideously uncomfortable shoes (whoever invented heels is rotting in hell, mark my words), and then taking off for that night’s events, usually followed by an after-party or two, not getting home until the wee hours of the morning.
Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, though, fashion weeks across the globe have ground to a screeching halt. Most are either 100% virtual or in-person with only a miniscule number of people allowed to attend. Needless to say, I and my fellow fashionistas are going through some serious withdrawal so I was thrilled beyond words when I realized that Small Boutique Fashion Week Runway Show and Market NYC (or SBFW) was still happening! Before you ask, yes, everyone was required to wear masks and to social distance 🙂
Founded in 2012 by Preston Walker and now in its 18th season, SBFW (https://www.smallboutiquefw.com/) is the largest event tailored toward independent fashion brands and has catapulted the careers of some of fashion’s most impressive independent fashion labels in many major cities. They and their participants have also been featured in many renowned media outlets including Forbes, Vogue, Glamour Magazine, CNN, Fashion Bomb Daily, The Huffington Post, and TODAY.
Publicist and co-producer Yvonne Forbes of Labelle Ladiva Enterprises (https://www.labelleladiva.com/) states “SBFW’s goal this year was to give the audience a condensed fashion experience and still honor social distancing. It was nice to still present for NYFW even if it was on a smaller scale. The models and designers were happy to showcase and still feel safe. This is what made it a successful show.”
On Saturday, September 12th of this year in the NoHo neighborhood of New York City, guests were treated to two different segments of fascinating fashion. Segment 1 featured Omarijade (https://omarijade.com/) graphic luxury, which caters to sizes XS-2XL and declares “In fashion, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but quality should never be a compromise.”
During Segment 2, I got in touch with my inner biker chick with Planet Zero Motorsports (https://www.planetzeromotorsports.com/) by Kenya Smith, which blended style and safety, ensuring that even fashionistas have top-notch protection while eating up the miles on their Harley Davidsons.
Next came an “orgy of defiance” by Avant-garde designer Adrian Alicea (http://adrianalicea.com/). Unapologetically bold, he also creates handcrafted custom costumes for film, music videos, theater, and television.
Rounding out the experience was a trip back in time with Ancient Homage Apparel (https://www.ancienthomage.com/) by Andre Russell. Featuring size-inclusive designs based around Egyptian hieroglyphs, Ancient Homage Apparel’s tagline is “The Future of Classics” and believes that “a mental migration back to the cradle of civilization through our collective ancient genetic memory banks is the key to restoring peace in this realm of reality.”
And, of course, what would a fashion event be without shopping? Guests were able to shop at the vendor booths of both Ancient Homage Apparel and Anajae (https://www.etsy.com/shop/anajaebyayanna/), which featured size-inclusive vintage & pre-loved treasures curated by owner Ayannaya Davis.
Are you a fashion underdog longing for your big break? SBFW’s next stop is NYC on Feb 13th, 2021. Designers, vendors, models, makeup artists, hair stylists, press, stylists, bloggers, and buyers may register at https://mailchi.mp/
About the Author:
Emma Medeiros is the president and founder of Medeiros Fashion PR (https://www.medeirosfashionpr.com/), the FIRST public relations firm in the US to specialize in the plus size fashion industry. Based in NYC, Emma received her degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from Boston’s Emerson College and started Medeiros Fashion Public Relations in 2015 after realizing that, out of the thousands of fashion public relations firms in the US, not ONE of them specialized in this exploding industry. With a mixture of class and sass, the goal of Medeiros Fashion Public Relations is to place plus size fashion on an equal footing with straight size fashion. Emma declares, “There’s absolutely NO reason for them to be separate and, once I accomplish that, I can die a happy woman!”
Plus size and size inclusive designers, retailers, models, etc, can book their FREE consultation with Medeiros Fashion PR at emma@medeirosfashionpr.com.
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