Now that New York Fashion Week is over, its lesser-known sister, Boston Fashion Week, kicks off Sept. 27 and lasts until Oct. 6.
Boston Fashion Week was founded in 1995 as an opportunity for local designers to showcase their collections. Boston’s fashion industry is not nearly as large as New York’s, and fashion week is a way for the industry to develop and gain visibility. It was not until last year that Boston Fashion Week got its own tent, comparable to the tent in Bryant Park, where New York Fashion Week was held more than two years ago.
One of the most highlighted events is the Emerging Trends Fashion Show on Sept. 29, which is hosted by Synergy Events for the fifth time. The show features 11 up-and-coming designers from all over the world: the UK, Canada, Poland, Ireland, and U.S. The show will not only feature men and women’s clothing but shoes and jewelry as well.
Christine Manthey (U.S.), winner of the Emerging Trends Challenge 2012 in Paris, will be opening for the show. Her clothes are full of “beauty, fascination, transformative qualities, and power.” She mainly draws inspiration from paintings and photographs. Her last collection was inspired by both Alberto-Garcia-Alix’s black and white photographs and Jacques Henri Lartique’s photographs of Parisian women.
The rest of the lineup is Yeashin Kim, Bitru Fariel, Jennifer Rothwell, Lauren Beauchesne, Kimberley Crawford, Truly Alvarenga, Trash, Annie Jean-Baptiste, Christopher Nevin, and NuVU Studio.
One of the youngest designers is Yeashin Kim, a Korean designer from London, who recently graduated from the London College of Fashion in 2011. Kim’s designs are whimsical and daring. Her latest collection was inspired by sea creatures.
Another notable designer is Irish designer, Jennifer Rothwell, who has worked as director of design and production for prominent New York brands such as Norma Kamali, Katayone Adeli, Calvin Klein, Language, and Yigal Azrouel. She focuses on pieces that are transitional, capable of being worn during the daytime and evening. Rothwell uses luxurious fabrics to create high-quality clothes that celebrate the female figure.
Polish jewelry designer Bitru Fariel creates unique, cutting-edge pieces perfect for women who are independent and confident. She uses unorthodox materials such as leaves collected from around the world, cinnamon, coconut, coins, wires, electrical cables, nails, and extension cords, just to name a few.
The Emerging Trends Fashion Show is open to the public, and tickets can be purchased online. It will be held at the Boston Center for Arts from 8 to 11 p.m. Last year more than 500 people attended the show. Synergy Events expects as large of a turnout for this year, too.