Jacksonville Fashion Week Debuts March 2011

Jan. 20, 2011 - PRLog -- The first Jacksonville Fashion Week (JFW), a multi-event celebration of fashion, reaches the First Coast in March. The four-day affair will highlight established and emerging designers through a series of fashion-centric events March 23-26, 2011.

Locally affiliated businesses have pledged their support for JFW through sponsorships, with Jacksonville Magazine as the title event sponsor. Additional sponsors include Brumos Motor Cars, Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-Benz of Orange Park, New York Life, Key Theory, LLC, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th, Mario Peralta Photography, Tiffany Manning Photography, AlfaParf Milano, and Ponte Vedra Living. Community partnerships with Downtown Vision, Inc., Visit Jacksonville, the City of Jacksonville, and The Fashion Group International, Inc. of North Florida have also been established to ensure a successful Fashion Week.

“Our goal for Jacksonville Fashion Week is to provide an accessible outlet to showcase local and regional fashion,” said Tiffany Hager, owner of loveofdresses.com and founder of Jacksonville Fashion Week, LLC. “We want to help Jacksonville become recognized as an area of emerging talent in the fashion industry, and believe that JFW will provide the right environment for that talent to flourish.”

Hager and JFW co-founder Cristina Farrell, both North Florida natives, share an enthusiasm for fashion that inspired them to initiate Jacksonville Fashion Week. Earlier this year, Hager and Farrell brought together an experienced team of fashion, event-planning and communications industry professionals including former Bloomingdale’s PR executive and Jacksonville native, Sonia Thomasino, who now serves as the organization’s executive director. The JFW founders plan to host Jacksonville Fashion Week on an annual basis.

To generate event awareness within the community prior to Jacksonville Fashion Week, a series of pre-JFW events have been scheduled.  Pre-JFW events include mixers, model workshops with Yoanna House of America’s Next Top Model fame, and a private shopping event at Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th in honor of JFW’s selected non-profit organizations.

A portion of JFW event proceeds will benefit non-profit organizations Angelwood, which serves children and adults with developmental disabilities; the JPL Foundation, Inc., which develops financial resources for the Jacksonville Public Library; and Soles4Souls, which donates shoes to adults and children in need.


Schedule of Events:
• Friday, March 11, 7–10 p.m. at Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th in St. Augustine: Private shopping event in honor of JFW’s selected non-profit organizations

• Wednesday, March 23, Fashion Night Out at Jacksonville area boutiques (portion of sales benefiting JFW’s selected non-profit organizations )

• Thursday, March 24, 7 p,m. at Casa Marina in Jacksonville Beach:
   o Emerging Designer Showcase featuring Jacksonville Magazine’s Cover Model
      Finalists highlighting six looks each from Argie Mitra, Lauren Rossi, Bruna
      Santana, David Megret and Lile Useche
   o Runway Show – Chabri
   o Runway Show – Richard and Bancroft
   o Runway Show – Yuliya Vega Atelier

• Friday, March 25, 7:30p.m. at the Jacksonville Bank Building (Second Floor) in    Downtown Jacksonville:
   o Runway Show – BobbyK
   o Runway Show – Rachel Lym Swimwear
   o Runway Show – Erin Healy Designs
   o Runway Show – TBD

• Saturday, March 26, 10:30 a.m. at the Ritz Theater in Downtown Jacksonville:  Industry Panel Discussion Event

• Saturday, March 26, 7 p.m. at Jacksonville Public Library’s Main Library Courtyard in Downtown Jacksonville:  Red Carpet Gala Finale
*Hosted by Whitney Thompson, America’s Next Top Model Winner (Cycle 10)
   o Wrap party with designer recognitions featuring heavy hors d'oeuvres from area restaurants, drinks, informal modeling and dancing.

Tickets for JFW events will be available for purchase at the end of January on JFW’s website.  

To become a sponsor, please contact Executive Director, Sonia Thomasino at 904.419.8155 or Sonia@jaxfashionweek.com

Additional information is available at http://www.jaxfashionweek.com and updates are disseminated via JFW’s Facebook page and Twitter.

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About Jacksonville Fashion Week: We are a leading business platform for independent fashion designers and retailers via educational and event resources; making business easy for the fashion minded.