Yigal Azrouël revealed as featured designer at Lexus Charleston Fashion Week

Yigal Azrouël Fall 2018 Ready-to-Wear

Lexus Charleston Fashion Week ® (Lexus CFW), one of the leading fashion weeks in the United States, announced its March 13-17, 2018 schedule, and features internationally known designer Yigal Azrouël for Saturday night’s Fashion Finale, runway shows from 12 competing Emerging Designer semifinalists, plus exciting retailer and local designer shows.

Yigal Azrouël, a New York-based fashion designer, will be featured on Saturday, March 17.

Azrouël designs ready-to- wear fashion for the effortlessly cool and confident woman with innovative design, intricately detailed construction and high-quality fabrications.

His creations have been spotlighted in many magazines including Forbes, VOGUE and WWD. Azrouël will also serve on the Fashion Panel under Fern Mallis, who will again lead the effort in determining the 2018 Charleston Fashion Week ® Emerging Designer Competition Winner.

Other panelists include mentor Pauline Sokol Nakios, owner of Lilla P, Charleston’s own fashion favorite, Andrea Serrano and Senior VP of Marketing at Who What Wear, Courtney Wartman.

“We’re excited to showcase such well-known designers at Lexus Charleston Fashion Week ® ,” said
Naomi Russell, executive director of Lexus CFW. “This continues the goal of bringing nationally-
known fashion stars to Charleston, to judge and mentor the competing emerging designers, as well as highlight the strong fashion scene.”

Lexus Charleston Fashion Week ® will take place from March 13-17, 2018 in Marion Square and
throughout Charleston, S.C., and showcases new off-site events, collections from emerging talent
from across the US, renowned designer runway shows, glamorous on-site tents such as the Gwynn’s VIP Lounge, shopping in the hip Style Lounge, happening after-parties and much more. The Friday and Saturday night runway shows will also be live-streamed on the Lexus CFW website. Visit www.charlestonfashionweek.com for full schedule of events and to purchase tickets.

Showcasing fashion designers, retailers, and models, the 12 th annual Lexus Charleston Fashion
Week ® is one of the premier fashion weeks in North America. Named a Top 20 Event for March by the Southeast Tourism Society, this multimedia event presents high-end runway shows,
interactive entertainment, chic after-parties, and press events. The 2017 event featured more than 40 runway shows, 8,100 attendees, the Emerging Designer Competition, and the Rock the Runway Model Competition™.

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Project Runway Finalist to Compete in Charleston Fashion Week 2018

12th ANNUAL LEXUS CHARLESTON FASHION WEEK® ANNOUNCES THE TOP 12 EMERGING DESIGNER COMPETITION SEMIFINALISTS

Showcasing fashion designers, retailers, and models, the 12th annual Lexus Charleston Fashion Week® (#LexusCFW) is one of the premier fashion weeks in North America. Named a Top 20 Event for March by the Southeast Tourism Society, this multimedia event presents high-end runway shows, interactive entertainment, chic after- parties, and press events. The 2017 event featured more than 40 runway shows with 8,100 attendees. Lexus Charleston Fashion Week® 2018 is scheduled for March 13 – 17, 2018.  

Lexus Charleston Fashion Week® is proud to announce the top 12 Emerging Designer Semifinalists for the 2018 fashion competition. This year, Emerging Designers hale from a diverse collection of cities around the country, include a former Project Runway contestant (Kenya Freeman) and features the competition's youngest designer ever–she's 12 years old.

Each Emerging Designer will compete for the top prize March 13 – 17, 2018 under the tents in Marion Square in the heart of historic downtown Charleston. Tickets are now on sale for the hotly anticipated fashion event of the year. Visit the CFW website to purchase runway tickets, nightly passes, VIP packages and more.

“We were overwhelmed by the number of talented applicants of all ages, skill sets and education,” said Pauline Nakios, CFW fashion panel judge. “Each up-and-coming designer chosen will showcase his or her collection on the nationally-recognized runway before leading fashion insiders, influencers and media.”

“Charleston Fashion Week gives aspiring fashion designers the opportunity and platform to present their collections on a professional runway and share ideas with true industry professionals. I am pleased to be a part of the event for the seventh year!” - Fern Mallis, author and creator of New York Fashion Week.

The Lexus Charleston Fashion Week® 2018 Emerging Designer Competition Semifinalists chosen to debut their collections include:

• Tygerian Burke // Charlotte, North Carolina
• Kelly Callaway // Scottsdale, Arizona
• Kenya Freeman // Atlanta, Georgia
• Tina Gancev // Atlanta, Georgia
• Sharae Hines // Charlotte, North Carolina
• Heather Rose Johnson // Charleston, South Carolina
• Tierra Macon // Los Angeles, California
• Joan Madison // Columbus, Ohio
• Kimberly Millar // Charlotte, North Carolina
• Patresea Peppers // Atlanta, Georgia
• Emilie Schroeder // Brooklyn, New York
• Patrick Tai & Terrence Henderson // Charlotte, North Carolina

The 2018 Emerging Designer Grand Prize Winner, selected by a fashion panel of judges at the Saturday night Fashion Finale, will receive an enhanced prize package worth more than $40,000, including the following:

•  $10,000 cash
• Once-in-a-lifetime lunch with Fern Mallis in New York City in 2018
• Mentorship with L2 Apparel and Lilia P. CEO, Pauline Sokol Nakios
• Featured Designer event or show at Charleston Fashion Week 2018
• $10,000 website or search engine marketing package from F22 Internet Solutions

Charleston Fashion Week (2017)

Charleston Fashion Week (2017)

Charleston Fashion Week (2017)

Charleston Fashion Week (2017)

Charleston Fashion Week (2017)

Charleston Fashion Week (2017)

Charleston Fashion Week (2017)

Charleston Fashion Week (2017)

Charleston Fashion Week (2017)

Charleston Fashion Week (2017)

Charleston Fashion Week (2017)

Charleston Fashion Week (2017)

Charleston Fashion Week (2017)

Charleston Fashion Week (2017)

Charleston Fashion Week (2017)

The Emerging Designer Competition began eleven years ago and serves as a platform for undiscovered talent, connecting them with top fashion trendsetters including New York Fashion Week Founder and international fashion consultant, Fern Mallis, and CFDA members and top designers like David Hart, CADET, and Tracy Reese. Previous winners and contestants have been featured in VOGUE, Marie Claire, ELLE, Women’s Wear Daily and on CNN.com, along with other major media outlets; and their collections have been picked up by stores including Anthropologie, BARNEY’s New York and Neiman Marcus. For more information, including tickets and availability, visit charlestonfashionweek.com or @chasfashweek.

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The Best of Charleston Fashion Week Street Style 2017

When it comes to fashion, Charleston delivers it - both on the runway and on the streets. Night after night, Charleston Fashion Week attendees bring their street style game to the week long event. Color blocking, graphic tees, fur, sequins, coats, capes and of course, the perpetually on-trend- everything black... The Charleston fashion Week fashion shows spill over to outside the tents. It's pretty fabulous. Side Yard Studios did an amazing job of capturing the best of Charleston Fashion Week street style. See slideshow above - my partner Alex and I were caught a few times - got to keep up with so much #LexusCFW style!

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Lexus Charleston Fashion Week Announces Bibhu Mohapatra and Rachel Roy as Featured Designers

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Charleston Fashion Week with Fern Mallis

 Lexus Charleston Fashion Week®, one of the leading fashion weeks in the United States, announced its March 14-18, 2017 schedule, and features internationally known designers Rachel Roy and Bibhu Mohapatra, runway shows from 16 competing Emerging Designer semifinalists, and exciting retailer and local designer shows.  

Bibhu Mohapatra, a New York-based fashion designer, will be featured on Friday March 17, 2017. His creations have been spotlighted in many fashion magazines including VOGUE, Marie Claire, ELLE, New York Magazine, and Harper's Bazaar. Mohapatra has presented many collections of luxury women's ready-to-wear, couture and fur under his name in New York, Mumbai, Zurich, Beijing, and New Delhi. His collections are sold at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, SAKS, and Nordstrom, Lane Crawford in China, and other boutiques around the world.

On Saturday March 18, 2017, Rachel Roy will be the Featured Designer to close Charleston Fashion Week® 2017. Roy is the founder of her eponymous brand and a tireless activist for using your voice to encourage change and design the life you want to live. In addition to running her successful brand, Roy is a sought after speaker on entrepreneurship and philanthropy and has shared her story and experiences at forums ranging from the White House to the Fortune Most Powerful Women conference series to other various women’s empowerment summits. Roy nurtures young design talent globally through her work with the Woolmark Prize, Who’s Next/VOGUE Mexico and CFDA incubator programs. Roy has been recognized by the Accessories Council with an ACE AWARD for best brand launch as well as Mattel’s 10 Women to Watch and numerous best dressed honors including Vanity Fair’s Best Dressed List.

Mohapatra and Roy will also serve on the Fashion Panel under Fern Mallis, who will again lead the effort in determining the 2017 Charleston Fashion Week® Emerging Designer Competition Winner.

Naomi Russell, executive director of Charleston Fashion Week®, says “We are very excited and honored to have such great designers like Rachel Roy and Bibhu Mohapatra during CFW 2017. This continues CFW’s goal of bringing nationally known fashion stars to Charleston, to judge and mentor the competing emerging designers, as well as highlight the strong fashion scene here. Charleston Fashion Week® 2017 promises to be bigger and better than ever, and we look forward to seeing everyone under the tents next month!”

Charleston Fashion Week® will take place from March 14-18, 2017 under the tents in downtown Charleston, S.C., and showcases collections of emerging designers, nationally renowned designer runway shows, glamorous on-site tents such as the Belk Tent, shopping in the hip Style Lounge, happening after-parties and much more. The Friday and Saturday night runway shows will also be live-streamed on the CFW web-site and mobile app. Tickets for Lexus Charleston Fashion Week are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting www.charlestonfashionweek.com. 

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Featured Designers: Charleston Fashion Week 2016

CADET

photos: Side Yard Studios

CADET's Raul & Brad

presenting to an esteemed fashion panel at CFDA's Vogue Fashion Fund.

CREATURES OF THE WIND

TRACY REESE

Charleston Fashion Week got a heavy dose of New York runway chic through designers Cadet, Creatures of the Wind, and Tracy Reese. The three "featured designers" rocked the fashion week tents with modern, elegant and sophisticated collections.

Tracy Reese brought "A Detroit Love Song" to Charleston. This collection was an homage to her hometown of Detroit. Lively colors and prints provided a fluidity that was balanced off with structured coats and the casual chic of slacks and dresses. There was a slight nostalgic quality to the collection which was no accident. 

Creatures of the Wind blew the crowd away, no pun intended! A series of jaw-dropping A-line top coats came down the runway leaving everyone mesmerized. Creatures of the Wind are all about textiles and it was evident. Furs, wools, silks, chiffons - all so rich and beautiful. The collection left me wanting more. Everything moved so well. It was feminine and powerful at the same time.

Cadet presented an impressive collection of menswear and womenswear looks. Cadet epitomizes what I consider to be a modern-chic approach to fashion and style. This is how I want to dress. Crisp. Sharp. And even though Cadet looks to the past, they offer a fresh perspective and sensibility to design. They have achieved a near seamless aesthetic (and balance) to menswear and womenswear.

Cadet designers, Raul Arevalo and Brad Schmidt, who I met a couple of times while at Charleston Fashion Week - they travelled with their precious doggie, so you know they're good guys - are currently on a TV show. Cadet is a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist and right now, you can catch them on The Fashion Fund airing on Amazon.

Charleston Fashion Week celebrated their 10th anniversary. It was my first but certainly not my last. It was a truly spectacular week. I looked over from my runway seat and sitting across from me every night were Ayoka Lucas- CFW founder, Fern Mallis!!, Tracy Reese and Cadet... not too shabby - at all. Rock on Charleston Fashion Week!

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