For the Fashionably Minded

You might not have heard about this, but Cincinnati is hosting it's own Fashion Week.

Hello, Sara Celi, here.

Cincinnati Fashion Week is the brainchild of Nathan Hurst, a local designer who felt for years that the city was missing something. So for the last year or so, he's been working to put a week that highlights not only local designers, but national and international lines. It truly is a grass roots effort that Nathan built from his ideas. I've had the pleasure of talking with him a few times on the phone, and I can tell you that Nathan is really passionate about what he's doing. He loves fashion, and it shows!

Now, Fashion Week is here!

Cincinnati Fashion Week officially kicked off yesterday with some special discounts from area retailers, but the real parties start tonight. Tonight is a Designer Meet and Greet at FB's downtown. Doors open there at 8PM. Then on Thursday, Cincinnati Fashion Week presents Fixed on Fashion. It's a party celebrating about five local and out of state designers, all inside Suite at Blackfinn. That part starts at 7.

Then on Friday, Cincinnati Fashion Week is hosting a big finale. The Fashion Finale will be at the Hyatt Regency downtown, and it sounds to me like it will be the party to end all parties. If you like fashion, you'll want to be at this one. The Fashion Finale promises to be an unforgettable evening of runway shows, and it all kicks off at 7PM. You'll be able to see designs from those who are the present and the future of fashion. Perhaps most notably, David Meister will showcase some of his amazing designs. He's been seen numerous times on Hollywood red carpets and is known for his elegant designs. St. Louis based designer Trashbiscuit will also show during the Finale event.

Throughout the week, there are ways to give back during this celebration of fashion. Cincinnati Fashion Week partnered with several charity groups, like Kenzie's Closet, Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, and Dress for Success. All are worthy organizations that work hard to make Cincinnati a better place to live, work, and play.

Personally, I'm pretty excited about this event. I think it's neat that someone in our city is trying to something that you'd mostly see in cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Milan. This the first year for the event, and that means it's all the more critical for thing to go well and for people to support it. You only get one chance to make a first impression! Hopefully Cincinnati Fashion Week will come out on top.

*photos on this blog post are courtesy Cincinnati Fashion Week