For five years, Columbia has dedicated one full week to the art of style. Placing designers, vendors, entertainers and anchors in the spotlight, the fifth annual Columbia Fashion Week is now under way.
"Columbia Fashion Week, formerly Columbia Style Week, proudly presents six nights of fashion, arts, entertainment and creativity for South Carolina's capital city," wrote Mayor Steve Benjamin in his 2016 proclamation of June 21-25 as the official Columbia Fashion Week.
The week boasts several different events that serve to bring designers, models, vendors and anyone on the rise in fashion into the public eye. From panel discussions to the inevitable runway show, each day of CFW sports its own style.
Tuesday evening kicked CFW off with the sixth annual Beautiful People Party. Hosted by Wink Magazine at Nonnah's on Gervais Street, this vogue social do awarded the winners of the 25 Most Stylish People in Columbia as well as the 5 Most Stylish News Anchors. Both awards were decided by popular vote on CFW's website with some director's picks. Vendors at the party included Topper's Rhum and Jamberry Nails by Leah Holloman.
"I'm an independent consultant. Our flagship product is our nail wraps ... It's a very budget-friendly, do-at-home nail product," Holloman said of Jamberry. "I just moved here from Germany ... I'm loving [CFW]. It's a great vibe."
One of the winners of Columbia's 25 Most Stylish People was Sheena Shearer, a model.
"I'll be modeling for the 5th & Glam, I'll be modeling for Annette Santiago ... and Charles Josef — swimwear — I'm trying!" Shearer said. "I'm not going to eat rice for a week."
Another winner was young model and USC graduate Neil Amin, who will also be featured in fashion shows throughout the week.
"This is my first time being a part of Fashion Week," Amin said. "They audition us and then they take a picture of us, catalog us, and then the designers choose who they want to be in the shows."
Standing handsomely against a post with other models, wearing black and white tuxedo, was model Lee Livingston, another one of the 25 Most Stylish People in the city.
"I'll be in Greensboro Fashion Week, Charlotte International Fashion Week, Fayetteville's fashion week, Asheville's fashion week and another fashion week in Columbia," Livingston said. On how he got into the modeling industry, he said, "I have a friend that does a lot of modeling, so he introduced me to it."
"This is one of the hottest parties of the year and all of Columbia's trendy and elite citizens are in the place!" CFW said of the Beautiful People Party on its website.
CFW will continue Wednesday evening with a Fashion Education Panel. For those who might be interested in a career in the fashion industry, the panel is a networking opportunity featuring notable people within the industry, who will be available to answer questions and give advice.
People who will serve on the panel include WACH FOX news anchor and USC graduate Janet Parker, stylist and designer Elizabeth Ward, fashion director and marketing consultant Elliot Carlyle, fashion designer Jeanne Everette and "Notoriously Dapper" blog founder Kelvin Davis.
CFW has reserved Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights for their runway showcases with Columbia's most stylish models donning designs from featured designers and retailers. The showcases will be hosted by local news anchors and will feature live entertainment.
Designers and local retailers that will be showcased in the latter part of the week include T.J. Maxx, Marshall's, Imagine This! Boutique, 5th & Glam, Charles, Vestique, AfricStyle Fashion, Janie G Couture and more.