By Ajaden Welter
“Ecstatic, Sensational, Stressful.” These words described the night for Nouvelle Palm Beach designer and contemporary designer of the year Joanne Snodgrass. While myself and Joanne had two completely different experiences at the event. In a sense, these words also described my first ever Fashion Week experience as well.
Attending a Fashion Week has always been a dream of mine. When presented with the opportunity to go to Phoenix Fashion Week, there is no better word than ecstatic to describe how I felt. Immediately I knew I needed to do my homework on the designers featured while also dealing with the nearly impossible task of finding the right outfit to wear.
When I arrived, I did not quite know what to expect. My experience exceeded expectations as I fully divulged myself into the Phoenix Fashion culture and immersed myself in all the different collections that event had to offer.
The opening collection by Theo Doro set to the tune of “Somewhere over the Rainbow” led me into a fashion Oz with enthralling and enchanting looks. Each collection dazzled with a new personality and theme completely different from the last.
Photo Courtesy of @Theo_Doro_Fairyland on Instagram
The show jumped from the youthful quirkiness of Odd Bird Designs, to the homage of their respective cultures in the designs of the EnnYe Collection and Nahuala, to intricate accessories and headpieces meant to mirror coral reefs of the ocean in the Farah Abu.
Photo Courtesy of @Ennye_Collection on Instagram
My personal favorite collection of the night was the exquisite detail and precision in the work of Phoenix area locals Brothers Tailors. Their collection involved a mix of both female and male models in extremely fitted dresses and suits that felt the most modern and relaxed out of all the collections.
Where my night and Joanne Snodgrass’s night differed was her level of stress that night. It was understandably due to the extreme amounts of hard work that she and every other designer put into their collections.
The final word that I would use to describe my night would be inspirational. The hard work that every designer put into their collections instilled a craving in me for more fashion.
Even though the event lasted well over two hours, the time went by too fast because I was mesmerized by all the looks that I saw that night. Fashion is meant to inspire. Not only by the end of the night did I feel inspired, but I left with a brand-new perspective on what it means to eat, live, and dream fashion.