During our Spring 2024 season, OFW’s former producer, Brook Hudson, along with Owner and Director of Develop Model Management, Alyssa Dilts, launched a brand-new program inside of Omaha Fashion Week to support designers as they move through the seasons of our showcases. The Investor’s Circle is a public funding pool where anyone can donate any amount that will go directly into the pockets of our designers. Each designer who receives a grant gets $500 to help them with the cost of anything that pertains to the success of their collection. In our first round of funding, we raised nearly $7,000, which led to 13 grants given out to designers.
We asked a few of last season’s grant recipients how it impacted their work and how they felt about the new program. Here’s what they said…
What did the Investor’s Circle grant help you achieve that would have been more difficult to do without or that you otherwise would not have been able to?
Elon: The grant that I received allowed me to elevate my designs to the next level. I was able to use the money for supplies and better quality fabrics.
Kyle: The infusion of capital into my collection allowed me to order materials that made my collection designs match what eventually hit the runway.
