Columbia Fashion Week logo.
Models who participated in the Trash the Runway competition.
The 7th annual Columbia Fashion week took place last week from June 18th to June 23rd. Events were held at several different venues throughout the city.
Every night of Columbia Fashion Week is filled with different events that serve to bring designers, models, vendors and anyone in the area on the rise in fashion into the public eye. The week involves a press event, a pop up event, and an education panel with a fashion competition, runway showcases and awards.
Alicia Zeigler, founder and creator of Columbia Fashion Week, said she wanted to create and enhance the fashion community in the area.
“There was nothing unified here and I looked at Charlotte, I looked at Charleston and I looked at neighboring cities that had fashion weeks and how it unified their fashion community and I thought we could do that too, “ said Zeigler.
According to Zeigler, Columbia Fashion Week has continued to grow every year since the start of the event. Every year, the week increases in ticket sales, has bigger venues and gets more exposure. The event has helped celebrate trendsetters, designers and all of the people who work in Columbia.
Larusha LaMurphy, Art Administrator for South Carolina, participated in the Trash the Runway competition on June 20th and won. The Trash the Runway competition took place at The Lourie Center and is when designers submit their recyclable fashion for judging and prizes. After attending fashion week two years ago, LaMurphy came back and showed what she had learned.
The same night as the runway competition, an educational panel was present. Regional fashion leaders came to teach aspiring fashion designers and business owners about the business side of the fashion world.
Columbia Fashion week ended on June 23rd with its final night. The night included shopping with vendors, 20 retailers and designers and a runway showcasing some of the season’s hottest trends.
