When one hears the words “Fashion Show” or “Fashion Week” there are certain images that come to mind, these images include the busy, cosmopolitan streets of fashion capitals such as New York, Paris, and Milan. But who knew that there are major fashion events going on right in our own backyard?
In the last few years Columbus has become a fashion hub unto itself, and no one knows this better than Kelli Martin, a former Project Runway contestant, founder of Alternative Fashion Week, and co-founder of the Alternative Fashion Mob.
A native of Columbus, Martin was inspired to start Alternative Fashion Week after spending time in California and New York; being unimpressed by the superficiality that abounded there, Martin wanted to create a “fashion incubator” where true creativity and individuality could take place. But besides wanting to create fertile ground for ingenuity to flourish, Martin wanted to give up-and-coming designers a reason to make Columbus their home base.
“We want talent to stay,” she says. “One of our goals is to give designers a reason to want to stay in Columbus.”
So in October 2012, Alternative Fashion Week was created, and has been a mainstay in the Columbus fashion scene ever since. This year, Alternative Fashion Week kicks off on Saturday, April 19th, with Drauma, which, according to their website, is “a celebration of fabulous hair, fashion, music, dance, and all that is glittery.” It’s also when Alternative Fashion Week will debut it’s preview show, with 20 designers and 45 models displaying the latest and greatest in Columbus. Featured designers and labels will include Anti-Label by Kelli Martin, Katelyn Mary McClain, Trulie Scrumptious, and House of Baboski, among many others.
The event will take place at the Bluestone, starting at 9PM. Directions to the Bluestone can be found here. Tickets can be bought for $20 in advance or $25 at the door.
For more information, visit www.alternativefashionmob.org.
