Columbus showcases its style at Fashion Week
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Friday's FWCurve Runway Show is one of the nation's largest plus-sized fashion shows. Photos: Courtesy of Fashion Week Columbus
Columbus is strutting into the spotlight, with another Fashion Week drawing top talent to our growing fashion scene.
Why it matters: Our city has quietly become one of the nation's fashion capitals, with a dense concentration of professionals and retail brands.
- Fashion Week is a flagship annual event to boost awareness, award scholarships, and help local entrepreneurs network in the national industry.
State of play: Many, including locals, are surprised or even skeptical of Columbus' chic reputation.
The evidence: Several national retail brands are based here, including Abercrombie & Fitch, Lane Bryant, Express and Victoria's Secret, spun off from Les Wexner's fashion empire.
- Columbus is touted as an ideal test market, with a great location and infrastructure for supply chains.
- Programs at Columbus College of Art & Design and Ohio State University are churning out fresh talent.
- Two nonprofits are here to support: the Columbus Fashion Alliance and the Columbus Fashion Council, which organizes Fashion Week.
What they're saying: "Unless you're looking for it, you don't know it's there," Columbus Fashion Council founder Thomas McClure tells Axios.
- Despite the city receiving praise from within the industry, raising outside awareness has been an "uphill battle," McClure says.
Fun fact: Bexley native Natalia Fedner invented the stretch-metal garments worn by Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Cardi B and other celebrities.
Zoom in: This is Columbus' 16th Fashion Week, with more than 2,000 people expected to attend.
- Free events (RSVP required) include a Monday show at Macy's, a "recycled runway" competition on Wednesday, and a Q&A with celebrity designer Sammy B on Thursday.
- Friday's plus-sized show and Saturday's finale runway are ticketed.
Between the lines: The smaller-scale festivities can help professionals grow their portfolios for a larger stage — as was the case with Joan Madison, a local designer who competed on "Project Runway" this year.
What we're watching: The Loom is expected to open next year on CCAD's campus, a 40,000-square foot "incubator and cultural hub" that should further grow the local fashion ecosystem.
- Groups are also organizing a new Direct to Columbus fashion conference for next August.
Columbus' rank in the U.S. fashion industry
A few studies have tried to quantify Columbus' place in the nationwide fashion scene.
What they found: An often-cited 2012 report placed Columbus at No. 3 for fashion designers, behind just New York City and Los Angeles, based on federal census, economic and labor data.
- It measured "location quotient," comparing local concentration to the national average.
By the numbers: Columbus placed fourth for its sheer number of fashion designers, edged out by San Francisco.
Yes, but: The drop-off after second was significant, with San Francisco boasting 540 and Columbus 518, compared with NYC's 6,825 and LA's 3,641.
The latest: A newer Experience Columbus marketing campaign says we're "No. 1 for fashion professionals," but its data is based on LinkedIn profiles in the fashion and retail industry.