Student Takes Tucson to Phoenix Fashion Week

By ARLAETH RAMIREZ

Quinlan Wilhite, Pima Community College student and owner and designer of QMULATIVE, is one of 15 designers participating in the Emerging Designer Bootcamp.

Phoenix Fashion Week brings national and international designers together, premier retailers and fashion media, with the goal of gaining global exposure to Arizona’s Fashion Industry.

Wilhite, 28, will showcase his line Oct. 5-7 during Phoenix Fashion Week at Talking Stick Resort.

There will be three categories — contemporary, couture and lifestyle — with five designers in each. Wilhite will compete in the lifestyle category.

The designer of the year will be announced during the event and receive a $10,000 prize package.

Wilhite said he was taught to sew by his grandmother in 2013 when he asked her to sew one of his handmade shirts.

He then started taking fashion design courses at PCC and founded QMULATIVE shortly thereafter.

“It’s everything that I embody as a lifestyle brand — automotive, scene, skateboarding, music and art,” said Wilhite of his company’s name.

PCC offers a fashion design certificate and an associate’s of applied arts with fashion design electives.

“Pima opened my eyes to the fashion design industry,” he said. “I had the ideas, but you have to know how things should go together, how it’s going to wash and what textiles are going to be too heavy.”

Wilhite plans on graduating soon and is thinking about pursuing his career through Arizona State University.

He heard of Phoenix Fashion Week from a friend that tagged him in a post on Instagram. He applied in December and found out he was chosen in May.

“I’m super excited, it is a big stage and a big opportunity,” Wilhite said.

 

Quinlan Wilhite
“I want to do this as a career, not just a hobby.”

– QUINLAN WILHITE

Wilhite has been busy doing projects and putting his Arizona signature tees out there at places such as farmers market booths and in two stores, Mocha and Pop Cycle.

“Half of this industry is street smarts,” he said, “If you don’t put yourself out there and send emails, make calls and get good connections you won’t really go far.”

He has dedicated these past three months to putting together his line for Fashion Week. The final project was due Sept. 20.

With everything that’s going on in the world, Wilhite tries to help as much as he can not only in Arizona but all over the globe. He teamed up with World Care, an organization that deals with disaster relief, and made pocket tees. All proceeds went to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

“I wish I could do more, but being out here makes it hard,” Wilhite said.

Wilhite is focusing on Fashion Week but also lining up orders for spring. He strives to provide a fresh approach to fashion.

“Overall, I’m super excited to bring Tucson with me and showcase my line,” Wilhite said.

Brian Hill, executive director of Phoenix Fashion Week, has put together a big event in the Southwest.

“Through educational fashion seminars, year-round fashion events and charitable partnerships, Phoenix Fashion Week is gaining rapid acclaim for its community-service efforts and for infusing world-class innovation into the Southwest,” Hill said on the event’s website.

Hill is a self-taught designer who focuses on the business side of fashion.

His website continues: “I pledge to continue pushing Arizona, fashion forward from the ground up, while being inspired by young designers that want to succeed in this tough industry.”

Click here to see the original article by aztecpressonline.com

Breast Cancer Survivors Take the Runway

 

Phoenix Fashion Week 2017 kicked off with signature Fashionably Pink Celebrity Fashion Show on Thurs., Oct. 5, at Talking Stick Resort. The annual event benefits local breast cancer nonprofit Don’t Be a Chump! Check for a Lump!.

The Phoenix-based organization is dedicated to motivating women to perform self breast checks and to assisting women with mammograms and going through breast cancer treatment. The Wig Out program provides free custom wigs to patients undergoing chemotherapy and complimentary mammograms for low-income women in Arizona.

“Our entire team here at Don’t Be a Chump! Check for a Lump! is thankful for this partnership with Phoenix Fashion Week and their support of breast cancer awareness by producing Fashionably Pink especially with the unfortunate closing of the Susan G. Komen office here in Phoenix,” says Holly Rose, survivor and founder of Don’t Be a Chump! Check for a Lump!

The evening started with a cocktail reception inside the Style Villa and featured a red carpet entrance for photo opportunities. The night also included a live auction by auctioneer Bobby D, raising more than $15,000 benefiting Don’t Be a Chump, Check for a Lump! and its Wig Out program.

Charity founder Holly Rose joined other cancer survivors and local celebrities, including Channel 12’s Caribe Devine, on the runway. They modeled in pink-inspired fashions by Glam Squad Couture and Tal Barkel Designs jewelry. In addition, five percent of the proceeds from Tal Barkel Designs local sales through Dec. 25 will be donated to Don’t Be a Chump, Check for a Lump!.

PHOTOS BY JAMES ALMANZA, ALMANZA PHOTOGRAPHY

Click to see full article on AZredbook.com

 

Phoenix Fashion Week Emerging Designer: Koran Fields-Cameron

Name: Koran Fields-Cameron

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Website

Age:28

Title:Creative director/Founder

Married/Single:Single

Kids:None

City you live in: San Diego,Ca

A typical day in my life includes…

checking trends, sewing, long distance running, emails.

I was born in…

Scranton, PA 1988.

My favorite thing about Arizona…

is the energy. The youth really know how to shake one loose down there.

I’m listening to…

OFFSET FEATURES on TIDAL.

My family is…

the best family ever made. Nothing but love and you can really see the love of christ in each one of them.

If I could have dinner with anyone, it would be…

Malcolm X.

One thing I cannot live without is…

my beard. Everytime i shave i feel like a small part of me dies. I did it once since I’ve gotten out of the Marine Corps and i vow never to do it again. I’ve literally turned down jobs because they wanted me to shave.

When I was younger, I wanted to be…

a world renowned artist.

I’m inspired by…

my peers. I’ve learned the craft of fashion with them. Each of them are talented in so many ways and i’ve learned a great deal from them.

The one person who motivates me is…

myself. I wake up and I’m on fire. Being my own worst critic has brought me to the level I am currently. I see obstacles and attack them.

The perfect day would be…

a day in Austin, TX with my friends (preferably during SXSW) where we would go see all of our favorite artists, eat good food, drink great drinks, play some jenga, and party until the sun came out. Wash, rinse, repeat for 5 days or so.

My first job was…

the United States Marine Corps….RAH.

My favorite escape…

might have to be Scotland. I spent a weekend in a castle in Edinburgh once….time of my life.

My life is…

a rollercoaster that keeps going up.

Alway…

stay humble.

Never…

let anyone or anything else define who you are.

Favorite Quote…

“On a good day, I’m okay. On a bad day, I’m okay”- Wall Street

Biggest Dream…

to be appreciated for what i gave to the world.

My Pet Peeve…

when people tell me what I should be making. If you have that idea you should make that. That’s what I did.

Koran Fields-Cameron will be showing his designer collection during Phoenix Fashion Week at Talking Stick Resort October 4 – 7, 2017. Phoenix Fashion Week is the leading fashion industry event in the Southwest bridging the gap between national and international designers, premier retailers and top fashion media garnering global exposure for Arizona’s fashion industry.

Through educational fashion seminars, year-round fashion events, and charitable partnerships, Phoenix Fashion Week is gaining rapid acclaim for its community-service efforts and for infusing world-class innovation into the Southwest. For more information and tickets click here. Follow Phoenix Fashion Week on InstagramFacebook, and Twitter.

Click here to link to original article

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