The seventh annual Phoenix Fashion Week (PHXFW) is just around the corner and with increasingly large stilettos to fill. Last year, the event topped its previous attendance record with more than 6,000 fashionistas flocking to Scottsdale, Ariz., to see fledging brands and established designers’ fall collections. Phoenix Fashion Week, which also hosts seminars with industry experts and year-round events and charitable partnerships, plans to, once again, bridge the gap between fashion, education and humanity — qualities embodied by this year’s crop of emerging designers, announced June 13.
The Emerging Designer of the Year is an annual contest for which PHXFW reps scour 10 major cities in the U.S. for promising designers to show during fashion week. They also are signed up for a four-month “boot camp,” at the end of which one of the 14 competitors will win $10,000. The boot camp includes homework assignments that push a better grasp of what it takes to turn a brand into a business. (Last year’s winner, Dolcessa, was featured in the 2014 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue and picked up by a national retailer.)
This year, seven of the contestants are based in Arizona — a first for the program. A few weeks into the boot camp, Scottsdale Living invited the Arizona designers to spend an afternoon wandering through the Phoenix Art Museum. Each designer told us their story in front of a painting or art installation that spoke to his or her brand. Take a look and tell us if you think they might be the next “Designer of the Year.”
Phoenix Fashion Week is October 1 to 4 at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz.
MEET: Lillienne Lang’s Lillienne Langford
Conquer the world and make your beautiful soul visible! Lillienne Lang attire is classic style with a modern day twist or as Lillienne Langford describes it “timeless style for the innovative woman.”
Langford aims to create a luxury brand that combines her inspiration of fashion icon and founder of Chanel, Coco Chanel, the ‘40s and Hollywood stars like Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly and Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis. She also looks to architecture, aviation and mother earth for inspiration as well.
From crisp, white billowy gowns, bold suits to shimmering gold pieces, Langford seeks to help women look unforgettable. Inspired by her mother’s love of sewing and sketching, she unleashes her passion through her brand by creating unique attire while giving back to Eco and Humanitarian causes.
She emphasizes the idea of quality over quantity, which helps make each design unique. Each purchase helps contribute to a one of Lanford’s favorite causes.
Lillienne Lang attire can be found by visiting lilliennelang.com.
2014 PHXFW emerging designers:
Atiz – Seattle, WA
Misha Mendicino Designs – Phoenix, AZ
Blackberry Maverick – Colorado Springs, CO
Charmosa Swimwear – San Francisco, CA
RAYAN – Los Angeles, CA
Hues of Ego – Phoenix, AZ
Adoire by Saba – Phoenix, AZ
Jacqueline Nicole – St. Louis, MO
Schuylark Design – New York City, NY
Kismit – Phoenix, AZ
State Forty Eight – Phoenix
Lillienne Lang – Phoenix, AZ
Woman’s Touch Apparel – Phoenix, AZ
