Atlanta To Launch It's Own Fashion Week

[stylegurrl]

Milan, New York, and...ATLANTA
Atlanta to hold its first official fashion and design week

Wednesday, August 11, 2004

Atlanta may not roll off the tongue as a fashion hub, but the city is hoping to change all that. Style Atlanta, the city’s first official fashion and design week, sponsored by General Motors, and scheduled for May 1-6, 2005, aims to promote Atlanta as a city of style and promote the city’s untapped creative talent.

Style Atlanta founder, Kevin Knaus, who is also the creative director of the global sourcing, fabric and trim trade event Material World, said, “Style Atlanta was developed to promote the beauty, fashion, and interior design talent as well as highlight the diverse retail experiences available in Atlanta.” Several large consumer, industry, and press events are scheduled for the week, including accessories, fashion, and interior design exhibitions, apparel and design industry panels and trend forecasting with various GM automotive designers, fashion designers, and music and retail executives. Consumer events will include a designated shopping day, an exhibition of Atlanta-based apparel designers and special in-store events to celebrate Atlanta’s beauty, fashion and interior design retailers. The week will conclude with the Style Atlanta Gala, a black-tie event that will recognize individuals who have contributed to Atlanta’s stylish image.

Style Atlanta will announce more details in the coming months and launch a website, styleatlanta.com, where local designers can register as well as receive email updates.

 

[Erin]

Hmmm. Shall be interesting to see. Some 60% of the population is Black in Atlanta, so I foresee much African-American-inspired fashions in this event.

 

[Spacemiu]

shoping in atlanta is so dull

 

[*Ecko_Angel*]

I'd love to just visit Atlanta than to just shop in it. It seems like a fun city.

Anywho, Style Atlanta seems like it would be cool. I wish I could go see the fashion shows.

 

[Mutterlein]

Atlanta is an interesting city but definately not stylish. I am not expecting much from this. I mean if L.A. fashion week can barely generate enough interest.

 

[Holland_MULTIMEDIA*]

Originally posted by Mutterlein@Aug 12 2004, 09:52 PM
Atlanta is an interesting city but definately not stylish. I am not expecting much from this. I mean if L.A. fashion week can barely generate enough interest.

[snapback]330284[/snapback]​

TRUE. And I bet alot of indie labels will be there, along with one big name like Tommy Hilfiger.

 

[Holland_MULTIMEDIA*]

OOHHHHHH! Hilfier gives me shivers

 

[hollyslookingdry]

I'm trying to think of fashionable people from Atlanta.....

So far all I can come up with is Andre from Outkast?? He's a Atlantian, right? If so...that's not a good thing...

 

[Salvatore]

What's next? Cut Off, Louisiana Fashion Week? (Although that would be interesting )

 

[Scott]

Originally posted by Salvatore@Aug 13 2004, 10:25 AM
What's next? Cut Off, Louisiana Fashion Week? (Although that would be interesting )

[snapback]330751[/snapback]​

I can hardly put trust into something with the title bearing "Material World".....you know its going to be less talent-oriented and more trend-worthy. And as far as I can tell you,the southeast is perhaps the most degenerite part of the country when it comes to fashion or style. These people are the epitome of ignorant. Why not a fashion week in Austin?? They have small shows all the time from creative people why not they make that an official date?

 

[clay]

I just spent 4th of July weekend in Atlanta and boy was i surprised. I went a few nights and I saw very fashionably dressed people. I went to clubs and lounges and many people were on point. I also did not know that Atlanta has one of the largest gay populations in America. But there is Business there and shopping is decent. But creativity is there i believe. How it will fair as a fashion capital i have no idea.

Being that the population is as was stated in the above post( I can not verify the info), that Atlanta is 60% black really has no bearing on the types of designers that are there cause it is a modern city full of the people that migrate to the big city for one reason or another.

So I guess all the Architects are going to make these mudd huts, or paint the buildings with colorful graphic styles of the Ndebele people of South Africa. All the fashion designers will use mudd cloth, Bark cloth or tapa cloth, or some other print style only. There will be head wraps and sarongs galore. Or there will nothing but urban hip hop styles, everyone wearing timbs, and phat Bling Bling. Door knocker earings, Big *** overalls with one strap done and one leg rolled up.

Thats African and American. Thats also very small thinking Erin.

Being a black designer does not mean Urban or African. Most designers black or
or whatever color , race or religion usually have been educated in the top design schools around the world, and their outlook and creativity is their own. Obviously you have a limited view of black people and their creative abilities and their contibution to fashion, architecture and beauty around the world. I suggest you educate yourself or not rush to make such a stupid statement.

 

[clay]

Erin , I am sorry. I did not need to be so rude. I am sure you know black people have more on their minds creatively than clothes for black or urban people.
Guess i got a bit sensitive. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion here. No harm.

 

[Mutterlein]

Originally posted by clay@Aug 15 2004, 01:53 AM
But creativity is there i believe. How it will fair as a fashion capital i have no idea.

[snapback]332652[/snapback]​

It's not so much the creativity as it is the business to draw it out. There can be lots of talented designers but if no buyers come to the show then why spend thousands of dollars to put one on? I mean L.A. and London both have/had problems with buyers and actually attracting business despite creativity and a booming retail market.

 

[marrimoda]

actually clay I dont think you were that far off in your first post...its what I thought. I also dont know if erin really expressed what she really meant.

 

[nycgirl84]

I'll wait to see the results from this experiment before I judge it, but I think it's an interesting idea to try to showcase the creativity and style that the South can produce. Whether it works out or not, we'll have to wait and see. However, I take some issue with Scott's comments that people from the southeast are degenerate and totally ignorant when it comes to style. What a sweeping generalization, and, in my humble opinion, an incorrect one at that. The southeast is not the east coast, no doubt, but there are stylish people from creative, unique, mixed cities such as Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Savannah, Scottsdale, Pheonix, and New Orleans, etc. Anyway, that was my two cents, although I respect your opinion, Scott, that their is a total lack of fashion sense in an entire portion of the country. It's just not mine.

 

[Incroyable]

When you have a fashion event in Atlanta backed by General Motors be wary.

 

[Incroyable]

I just spent 4th of July weekend in Atlanta and boy was i surprised. I went a few nights and I saw very fashionably dressed people. I went to clubs and lounges and many people were on point. I also did not know that Atlanta has one of the largest gay populations in America. But there is Business there and shopping is decent. But creativity is there i believe. How it will fair as a fashion capital i have no idea.

Is the gay population larger than San Francisco's?

You'd think a Barney's would be here in S.F. At least I wish there was.

 

[clay]

ATL's GPop is not as big as Sf's or NY's ( DC's either for that matter) but definately one of the biggest from what my friend told me. Maybe she meant in terms of its relative size and population. I know it is thriving there from what I saw personally.

 

[clay]

Originally posted by Mutterlein@Aug 15 2004, 01:32 PM
It's not so much the creativity as it is the business to draw it out. There can be lots of talented designers but if no buyers come to the show then why spend thousands of dollars to put one on? I mean L.A. and London both have/had problems with buyers and actually attracting business despite creativity and a booming retail market.

[snapback]333120[/snapback]​

You are right on point there. As you sad even with the retail sales in place it is hard as hell.
But I guess it does make sense to try and get a southern region into it. If they sart now maybe in 10 years it will be worth the investment. I used to live in the Bay Area and worked for a few companies and nobody pays attention to SF at all. However there is a real fashion industry out there but with LA so near it does not stand a chance. It will be interesteing to see what happens with Atlanta. But I do think Atlanta is a sleeping giant of sorts. It has grown and attracted internatinal business and tourism. It really is the most progrssive state in the South. So it is not totally out of the question for them to try something like that in the south there. I see bigger things happening for Atlanta in the future, just dont know what they are yet.

 

[foxyvintage]

Hi everyone. This is my first post.

I have lived in Atlanta for almost ten years and previously resided in California, Texas and New Hampshire.

From what I can see, Atlanta residents dress like everyone else in Anytown, USA. The malls are packed with overdone, poorly made trendy clothing. TONS of pink, retro slogan tees, LV bags, and the like. Everyone here pretty much looks the same.

I shop in thrift stores to avoid looking like a fashion clone. I stopped shopping in malls years ago. I wear and sell vintage clothing, as my name suggests.

I don't really see Atlanta on the cutting edge of fashion design. I'm a little leery about a fashion week sponsored by an automobile company. Will I be attending? Maybe . . . maybe not.