Nashville Fashion Week 2012: Day 3

Last night's NFW event was not what I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised at the interesting and dynamic set up of the evening. I think we were all anticipating a runway show, so there seemed to be an initial shock as patrons crowded around each each designers' collections, draping from live models, housed in intricate vignettes. I greatly enjoyed the living displays and ability to get close enough to the garments to see special details, often missed on runway models. 

Here are the photos I snapped of the night:

Collection 1: Amy B.

Amy Breen's first original design (when she was nine) was a neon striped bathing suit. She grew up in Philadelphia where she was influenced by street style and graduated from Moore College of Art and Design with a BFA in Fashion Design and Textiles. She spent a semester at Parsons Paris, spent time working in New York for Nanette Lepore, and traveled to Australia for designer Aurelio Costarella. Amy moved to Nashville and launched amy.b. design as a harmonious mix of comfort and style.

Collection 2: Brittany Blair

Nashvillian Brittany Blair is an apparel design graduate from the University of Alabama. She interned in New York with designer Catherine Malandrino, showed her first full collection for the Fall 2010 fashion show at the University of Alabama, and participated in the first annual Birmingham Fashion Week. Blair now lives in Nashville and is opening a combined upscale restaurant/boutique called Kocktails & Kouture in the Gulch, slated to open later this year. 

Collection 3: The Trunk

Abigail Franklin and Kyah Hillis have joined forces to launch Trunk, an alternative retail space. Trunk is the first mobile fashion and accessories boutique in the Southeast and one of the first in the country. Franklin owns the men’s fashion collection State, and Hillis owns Sleeveless, a premium accessory brand that specializes in leather goods for women.

Collection 4: Tuft by Jessica Jones

Jessica Jones attended O'More College of Design and received the Distinguished Designer awards for both her junior and senior collections at O'More's annual fashion show. She created her brand Tuft with a focus on pairing laid back sensibility with classic silhouettes in bright hues and bold patterns. In presenting her collection, she thanks Beth Gilmore, artist and owner of Twist art gallery, for her screen printed illustrations Jones is using on some of her fabrics; House of Stella for accessories; and stylist Aria Cavaleire for selecting shoes and helping to style the line. 

Collection 5: Black by Maria Silver

After touring the world with garage rock bank, the Ettes, designer Maria Silver set out to create a chic and travel friendly collection for women. Silver is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology and has worked for the prestigious costume design house, Carelli Costumes. She has also worked on Broadway shows including Mama Mia, 42nd Street, Gypsy, Jesus Christ Superstar and Flower Drum Song. 

Collection 6: Pink Elephants Design

Nashville native Truly Alvarenga’s collection concentrates on edgy designs with intricate layers of detail, and her work ranges from radical rock and roll to youthful Harajuku. She recently interned with Anna Sui and currently divides her time between her studio and workshop in Hanover, N.H. and her design base in Nashville. 

All photos by Nashville Fashion Blog.