Headlining Designers:
Britney Spangenberg | Follow on Instagram
What inspired you to start designing clothing?
I’ve always been an artist at heart and love to explore new mediums. I had practiced fine art for a few years when I decided to explore fashion design as an art medium and fell in love with it.
Who are your fashion icons and/or designer inspirations?
I love looking to Heliott Emil, Hester Sunshine, and other fellow small independent designers.
What inspired your collection for OFW Fall 2023?
I love using utility elements in my designs, and the idea of tying together masculinity and femininity with knots and woven elements really spoke to me. Everyone has a mixture of masculinity and femininity and it’s not always a black and white concept. This lead me to call my collection Unity.
What makes you excited to show on the Omaha Fashion Week Runway?
I love the atmosphere of Omaha Fashion Week. All of the designers, the models, the OFW backstage crew, Heather and Jameson, are all the sweetest and most supportive people I have ever met and I love being able to be in the creative atmosphere!
EMERGING DESIGNERS:
AJÉAD | Daeja Anderson | Follow on Instagram
What inspired you to start designing clothing?
I have been using fashion to express myself ever since I was a little girl. So, when I got into high school I started taking fashion design classes and have been in love with designing ever since.
Who are your fashion icons and/or designer inspirations?
Someone I look up to as a fashion icon is Zendaya. Some of my favorite designers include Alexander McQueen, Chanel, and Thom Browne.
What inspired your collection for OFW Fall 2023?
The inspiration for this collection is a Japanese artwork called Osen by KOMURA Settai. I was inspired by the shapes and lines in this work and wanted to incorporate these elements in my designs.
What makes you excited to show on the Omaha Fashion Week Runway?
What makes me the most excited about showing in Omaha Fashion Week is getting to showcase to and connect with people who I have never met before. I also can’t wait to see what knowledge I get out of this opportunity.
Ana Orsecanin | Follow on Instagram
What inspired you to start designing clothing?
My family is my biggest inspiration. Growing up I loved shopping with my grandma and having her dress me up for school everyday! I knew since then I wanted to be a fashion designer.
Who are your fashion icons and/or designer inspirations?
My biggest fashion inspirations are Brandon Maxwell, Alexander McQueen, and Roberto Cavalli.
What inspired your collection for OFW Fall 2023?
My inspiration came from when I interned in New York City last summer and felt the rush of happiness and soaking up life as much as I could because it felt incredibly surreal to be living my dream. I knew I wanted to create a collection that made me feel that feeling as I was sketching it, finding fabrics for it, sewing it, and now showcasing it. I wanted that moment for life.
What makes you excited to show on the Omaha Fashion Week Runway?
This is my first ever runway that is outside of my school! I am super excited to try this new experience and learn and grow from it:) and I can’t wait to see my designs walk the runway!
Carl’s Bad Designs | Carlea Badolian | Follow on Instagram
What inspired you to start designing clothing?
Fashion has always been a massive Part of my life, for as long as I can remember I have been obsessed with creating clothes. Starting with my famous baby wipe dresses I would make for my dolls as a child. I hated how cheap and boring all my dresses were, so using my sisters (clean) baby wipes would drape the wipes around my dolls and they would dry into more fashionable gowns.
Who are your fashion icons and/or designer inspirations?
My biggest inspirations are Schiaparelli and simone rocha
What inspired your collection for OFW Fall 2023?
This collection is inspired by my own childhood, playing with Barbies and the optimism that I really could be whatever I dreamed of. It draws inspiration from both past and present Barbie silhouettes, all from my families hoard of Barbies we have collected through the years.
What makes you excited to show on the Omaha Fashion Week Runway?
I love getting the opportunity to create with so many talented and passionate people. I learn so much and have an amazing time!
Casandra Drouin | Follow on Instagram
What inspired you to start designing clothing?
I always had this strong passion about fashion in me but for a long time did not have the confidence to do it. I am inspired a lot by travels, watching people in the streets, movies.
Who are your fashion icons and/or designer inspirations?
I am very inspired by French designers like Jacquemus, Yves Saint Laurent, Dior and Louis Vuitton. As well as the beautiful creations of Zuhair Murad.
What inspired your collection for OFW Fall 2023?
For this collection I’m inspired by the power and energy of New York City. Inspiration comes from watching the women move effortlessly in the city with unique style and diversity.
What makes you excited to show on the Omaha Fashion Week Runway?
Omaha introduced me to the American experience and by making my debut at Omaha Fashion Week I am repaying the gifts that it gave to me when I very first came to the US. Omaha Fashion Week will be the biggest one I ever participated in and the visibility that it could give to my brand will be an incredible help to reach my goals.
Faiza | Faiza Kari | Follow on Instagram
What inspired you to start designing clothing?
Learning English and seeking refuge in a foreign country was a difficult experience for me, but it also inspired me to turn my emotions into something positive through my love for fashion. As a result, I started creating clothing as a means of artistic expression. My hope is that through the use of fabric, I can showcase my journey of overcoming adversity and transforming my struggles into something beautiful and inspiring.
Who are your fashion icons and/or designer inspirations?
Elie Saab and Zuhair Murad are my biggest inspirations when it comes to fashion design. Their exquisite attention to detail and luxurious use of fabrics and their unique styles and beautiful designs motivate me to push my own creative boundaries.”
What inspired your collection for OFW Fall 2023?
My love and support for women’s rights inspired my collection for OFW Fall. The collection will serve as a means of support for Yazidi women, who were subjected to sexual slavery by ISIL in 2014. Although the Yazidi women were subjected to attempts to take away their beliefs and values, they did not give up and became even stronger. My collection is designed to highlight their strength and resilience.
What makes you excited to show on the Omaha Fashion Week Runway?
this will be my first collection so I’m excited about everything.
Girls on Mars | Chloie Roupe | Follow on Instagram
What inspired you to start designing clothing?
To me, fashion design and construction is the art that I feel I’m most intuitively and viscerally able to create. Everytime I sit down to sew, draft, or sketch it feels almost second nature to me. I’ve never experienced a devotion and passion for any other art form, like I do for clothing design.
Who are your fashion icons and/or designer inspirations?
My greatest inspiration of all time, not only in fashion but also in life, is Betsey Johnson. A legend in the field, she’s proved time and time again that she IS the trend cycle, and created some of the most iconic collections of all time. One question I ask myself constantly when creating is “What would Betsey do?”
What inspired your collection for OFW Fall 2023?
After attending the SS23 OFW Emerging Designer showcase, I dreamt that night about having a picnic with my friend who modeled in the show. She was wearing these giant rainbow floral bell-bottoms, laughing with me next to a bed of tulips at my favorite local park. I woke up and spent the rest of my weekend daydreaming about the collection I could create to capture the essence of the abundance of color and feminine energy I visualized in my dream.
What makes you excited to show on the Omaha Fashion Week Runway?
I’ve attended the previous two seasons as a guest with the people I love, and had the best time of my life. Omaha Fashion Week is electrifying and thrilling, and I’ve never been apart of an event quite like it. I feel blessed to be able to present my art to such a stylish, amazing audience at a beautiful venue and incredibly well-put-together show.
Jam Jar Clothing | Em Wiltfong | Follow on Instagram
What inspired you to start designing clothing?
I’ve always loved clothes and expressing myself through fashion, so when my Gramma taught me how to use a sewing machine it opened up a whole new world to me. The freedom that goes along with being able to sew and create things from scratch is really inspiring.
Who are your fashion icons and/or designer inspirations?
The Schiaparelli design house and Miu Miu brand are some of my favorites to watch. They get so creative with their textures and designs, and I admire their ingenuity.
What inspired your collection for OFW Fall 2023?
My inspiration for my collection is the idea of “dopamine dressing”. It’s the idea that you dress for yourself and find a style that makes you happy without thinking about what’s trendy or what society thinks you should be wearing.
What makes you excited to show on the Omaha Fashion Week Runway?
I’ve never shown at a fashion week before and I’m excited to be a part of such a big event! I love seeing what my peers and other designers are creating.
K THOMPSON | Kelly Thompson | Follow on Instagram
What inspired you to start designing clothing?
My childhood dance teacher’s mother, Miss Theresa. She would design and produce all of our competition garments by hand and allowed me to come help her when I was on breaks from school.
Who are your fashion icons and/or designer inspirations?
I have always been inspired by Alexander McQueen. His ability to tell a story through his collections was unmatched, and something I aspire to achieve within my own work as a designer.
What inspired your collection for OFW Fall 2023?
My Fall 2023 collection was inspired by “The Scarlet Ibis,” a short story by James Hurst. This narrative provided me with a foundation of strong visual imagery and thematic elements to build my looks off of.
What makes you excited to show on the Omaha Fashion Week Runway?
I am excited to share my collection with the community and am honored to participate amongst all of the other talented designers. It will be an amazing season!
Manic Kandii | Sophia Notto | Follow on Instagram
What inspired you to start designing clothing?
As a cosplayer, I found power in the ability of clothing to change ideas about how you feel about yourself and how other’s perceive you. I’m inspired by my ability to imbue myself and others with the strength and power they might not otherwise have access to.
Who are your fashion icons and/or designer inspirations?
80s and 90s punk culture, Yayoi Kusama, Hello Kitty, Maison Margiela, my mental health journey, anything that evokes cute and creepy vibes!
What inspired your collection for OFW Fall 2023?
My debut collection communicates my journey through panic disorder and the struggle to achieve success while coping with trauma. I believe our best traits are flip sides of our worst ones, and I aim to explore this theme with “Neon Misfit”.
What makes you excited to show on the Omaha Fashion Week Runway?
The energy on the runway, backstage, and connecting with people through my work. It gives me a sense of purpose and I can’t wait to watch my hard work come to life on stage and share it with my community!
Namaste NYC | Ritu Jadwani | Follow on Instagram
What inspired you to start designing clothing?
Namaste NYC was initiated to support the dying crafts and textiles of the local regions of Gujarat. western India and generate employment opportunities for physically disabled women.
Who are your fashion icons and/or designer inspirations?
Vivienne Westwood and Zandra Rhodes, for their creativity and use of colors. They were at the forefront of the changing and evolving British fashion scene.
What inspired your collection for OFW Fall 2023?
Layering, onset of Fall, playing with tones, adding a splash of color to life!
What makes you excited to show on the Omaha Fashion Week Runway?
The backstage energy, the support from the community, the appreciation from viewers for the work that we do to create a difference in local lives.
S.Nicole by Shabeba | Shabeba McDonald | Follow on Instagram
What inspired you to start designing clothing?
Fashion Designing is the art and science of employing concepts of design and aesthetics while creating clothing & accessories. It is influenced by a myriad of factors such as culture, history and society.
Who are your fashion icons and/or designer inspirations?
My Fashion Icons are Grace Kelly, Iris Apfel, Andre’ Leon Talley just to name a few and my Designer inspirations include Chanel, Alexander McQueen, Jean Paul Gaultier, Gianni Versace, Valentino, and Dior
What inspired your collection for OFW Fall 2023?
My inspiration comes from the nature of Qceanic creatures that live in the deepest depth of the ocean called the Mariana Trench the creatures that reside in the Mariana Trench are reflective, and transparent almost holographic so my collection will highlight that aspect.
What makes youexcited to show on the Omaha Fashion Week Runway?
The overall event was well organized. Everything ran smoothly, and I felt entertained through the duration of the night. The people in charge of the event made the experience very special by having trendy music and great hosts and guest speakers. In between some of the shows, there was time for the audience to ask a group of panelists about things relating to creativity, designing, future careers and more. There was a wide range of panelists that all had different outlooks on the questions asked, which made it nice to see different perspectives.
FEATURED DESIGNERS:
Bakker Brown | Tim Brown & Cecilia Bakker | Follow on Instagram
What inspired you to start designing clothing?
We value quality, fit and good color in clothing. We are making things we can’t find in the store.
Who are your fashion icons and/or designer inspirations?
Ceci “I like German minimalism and the playful color sensibility of west coast casual” Tim “I’m a big fan of traditional American workwear, vintage, the classics also anytime I find pictures of arctic expeditions I have to study what they were wearing.”
What inspired your collection for OFW Fall 2023?
A busy intersection in Amsterdam where a diversity of people are going on their way…
What makes you excited to show on the Omaha Fashion Week Runway?
We have new designs for Fall Winter and look forward to see our work mingling with other designers, we enjoy seeing different visions all together, a celebration of color, form and perspective.
Brandi Joan Robinson | Follow on Instagram
What inspired you to start designing clothing?
Hey, thanks so much for having me! Well, I’ve always loved clothes! As a kid, I used to create new outfits for my Barbies, and as I got older, I found myself constantly looking at clothes in stores and thinking, ‘I like this, but I wish I could change a few things to make it even better.’ That’s what really sparked my interest in fashion design!
Who are your fashion icons and/or designer inspirations?
I have so many! I love the fantasy elements of Alexander McQueen’s work, but I also look to designers like Jacquemus for his simple, yet impactful designs, Elie Saab for his elegance and femininity and Iris Van Herpen for her totally innovative and magical looks.
What inspired your collection for OFW Fall 2023?
It rained a ton this year in Los Angeles, so there’s been a crazy super bloom of flowers everywhere. This inspired a story that I created about a milkmaid who chases after one of her animals that gets loose and runs into the neighboring woods. As she searches for the animal, she gets lost and slowly becomes one with the forest.
What makes you excited to show on the Omaha Fashion Week Runway?
The energy and buzz of a fashion show is unbeatable! Omaha Fashion Week is a wonderful event that brings together designers, models, hair and makeup artists, and fashion enthusiasts from all over the region. It’s an honor to be involved. I’m so excited to see my designs as a part of it!
Chessna von Abstrakt | Chessna Abstrakt | Follow on Instagram
What inspired you to start designing clothing?
It started with making clothing for my dolls. Then it turned into making clothing for myself, and eventually using fashion/design as a medium for expression and storytelling.
Who are your fashion icons and/or designer inspirations?
My favorite designers are Naoto Hirooka and Jean Paul Gaultier. For this particular collection I was also very inspired by Jessica McClintock
What inspired your collection for OFW Fall 2023?
This year’s collection, titled Daisy Chain Gang, is inspired by the concept of a strong silent bond between women, and the empowerment to take back the female form as being something desirable but forbidden. We are not those things, we are human beings.
What makes you excited to show on the Omaha Fashion Week Runway?
There is something so magical about runway presentation, and OFW is an amazing experience to have. The moment of sharing your work with people, and feeling that connection through art is one of the best feelings as an artist. I have been participating in Omaha Fashion Week for over a decade, and it has been wonderful to see it grow and get better every season.
Dominikat | Lee Cunningham | Follow on Instagram
What inspired you to start designing clothing?
I started designing clothing as a new medium to explore taking concepts from my artwork, attempting to make them a reality. I was really into gothic fashion at the time and decided that I would like to create my own looks for myself as well as my friends. From there I fell in love with exploring different styles and construction techniques.
Who are your fashion icons and/or designer inspirations?
Fashion icons that I have found inspiring are Alexander McQueen and Iris van Herpen. Though I have to add the work of Drew Bernstein (Lip Service) for inspiring me to become interested in fashion to begin with.
What inspired your collection for OFW Fall 2023?
This years collection is inspired by biological structures with light touches of cyber-punk. The theme giving a feeling that is beautiful yet dystopian.
What makes you excited to show on the Omaha Fashion Week Runway?
I am very pleased to have the opportunity to show along side other local designers and to reconnect with that community. I have not been available to show in quite some time and look forward to being able to share my work again.
Judy Bales Design | Judy Bales | Follow on Instagram
What inspired you to start designing clothing?
My first art endeavors were drawing, painting and sculpture, often emphasizing the human figure. Then I fell in love with fashion, and I began to merge my passions into one art form.
Who are your fashion icons and/or designer inspirations?
My inspirations are too many to name, but designers include Alexander McQueen, Iris Van Herpen, Vivienne Westwood, threeASFOUR, Guo Pei, Rei Kawakubo, John Galliano. Favorite design inspirations are African and African American design and music, mathematics (especially fractal geometry), natural history illustration.
What inspired your collection for OFW Fall 2023?
This body of work reflects my inner life and the unity of the spiritual and the corporeal. Semi-rigid, open-work structures of wire and fabric will imply both cages and protective armor and will be layered over soft, clingy garments alluding to both sensuality and vulnerability. The more rigid, open-work outer structures suggest exoskeletons, inspired by decorative or military garments such as breastplates, hoop skirt cages, epaulettes and capes.
What makes you excited to show on the Omaha Fashion Week Runway?
The OFW team orchestrates a superbly planned and produced event. Designers are treated with consideration and kindness. I gain huge inspiration from other designers and I absolutely love working with the models, who bring my designs to life.
Lauren Bander | Follow on Instagram
What inspired you to start designing clothing?
I have always been an artist and love exploring new mediums. Once I started working with fabrics I knew that I wanted to continue designing clothing; for me, clothing design is an art and I use it as a way to express myself and tell stories.
Who are your fashion icons and/or designer inspirations?
Christian Dior was one of my first design inspirations; his use of extreme amounts of fabrics in his skirts is something I loved. Inspired by that, my designs use lots of fabric to create wide, flowing, ethereal silhouettes with a lot of movement.
What inspired your collection for OFW Fall 2023?
I use my collections to tell stories, often about mental health. This season, my collection is telling the story about having felt like you’ve lost yourself and working towards finding yourself again. It’s the heaviness that you feel and the mental toll it takes when you feel like you are losing who you are but as you begin to find yourself again, the feeling gets lighter.
What makes you excited to show on the Omaha Fashion Week Runway?
I have 3 passions in life: art/fashion, mental health advocacy, and animal rescue; I am excited to bring this to Omaha Fashion Week. I want to be able to meet and connect with people to share these passions with others. Everyone I’ve met through Omaha Fashion Week in past seasons has been amazing and I’m excited to bring another collection, another story to this Runway.
Makhree | Makay Weliyo | Follow on Instagram
What inspired you to start designing clothing?
My inspiration is me, I want to be able to show
Who are your fashion icons and/or designer inspirations?
Imani
What inspired your collection for OFW Fall 2023?
I want I wanted show case my cultural clothing and show how easily it can be modernized
What makes you excited to show on the Omaha Fashion Week Runway?
I have thought I would ever make it here I am still in shock I am here
MalekR. | Malek Rasmussen | Follow on Instagram
What inspired you to start designing clothing?
From a very young age I was always fascinated by high heels and enthralled with dresses. I never thought I would be dedicating my life to the creation of fashion but I guess one can truly live and breathe it.
Who are your fashion icons and/or designer inspirations?
Whenever flipping through the latest shows and campaigns I find myself intrigued by the quality and excess of artistry more than the designers themselves. Fashion is more than the designer or name, it’s the craftsmanship that makes fashion inspiring to me.
What inspired your collection for OFW Fall 2023?
In this collection I want to reflect the idea of peacocking, in a way that is subtle yet attention grabbing. Each little detail is a reflection of that spark whether it is through the bold displays of iridescent colors used, the elevated knitted construction techniques developed by flatbeds and power knitting machines, and by the subtle yet innovative designs presented by this collection.
What makes you excited to show on the Omaha Fashion Week Runway?
I am proud to be able to return home to where fashion began for me and show how I have grown since 2019.
SKYE|AIRE | Skye Barker Maa | Follow on Instagram
What inspired you to start designing clothing?
I have always been a proponent of wearable art and love fashion. It has flowed through all my past art ventures in some way. I began designing after opening my business Factory Fashion which initially started as a sewing school and later began offering small batch manufacturing. It never occurred to me that I would become a designer or run a design-based firm but the evolution of this business has been instinctive and thrilling.
Who are your fashion icons and/or designer inspirations?
I love loud so I am a huge fan of Iris Apfel and visual artists and photographers that are exploring geometric shape and design.
What inspired your collection for OFW Fall 2023?
I had two inspirations for my current collection. My collection was inspired by the women in my life that have supported me and their strength and style. I was also inspired by a recent trip to San Francisco. While at the Golden Gate Bridge , I watched a group of people flying the most beautiful kites in high winds.
What makes you excited to show on the Omaha Fashion Week Runway?
I am thrilled to be part of the Omaha Fashion Week Runway show and join the cache of designers that have experienced success through the visibility of this show. I’m excited to meet and exchange ideas with other designers and love working with new models.
The Badasserie Workshop | Hannah Flores | Follow on Instagram
What inspired you to start designing clothing?
I knew from a young age that I wanted to design clothes. To make clothes that represented who I was as a person. Now my passion has grown into a love of helping others feel the most themselves. Capturing and elevating ones personal style.
Who are your fashion icons and/or designer inspirations?
Rihanna and Zendaya are fashion icons I love. They both take risks with what they wear. But it’s in the most casual way. So effortless.
What inspired your collection for OFW Fall 2023?
I have been playing with this concept for a while. Playing with the juxtaposition of flowing ethereal and structured architecture. I usually work with altering thrifted and out of date clothes to make them more trendy. I have been excited to show what gems are hiding in the thrift store.
What makes you excited to show on the Omaha Fashion Week Runway?
I am excited to showcase what’s been playing in my mind. That the thrift store is a true clothing play ground, and I want to show that clothes don’t have a gender and that people should feel free to wear what makes them feel the most authentically them.
Tivona Couture | Suzanne Gunn | Follow on Instagram
What inspired you to start designing clothing?
We live in a space where our cultures are intertwined. My purpose is to show we can integrate Ankara fabrics in everyday wear as a statement of Love, boldness and Inclusivity
Who are your fashion icons and/or designer inspirations?
Ruth Carter – Her designs brings history to life. She uses similar fabric and is not afraid to cross fashion eras
What inspired your collection for OFW Fall 2023?
I was inspired to change the Narrative of how we see elegant themed parties and themed balls. The inspiration is to use Ankara fabrics to create pieces that reflect an elegant Safari masquerade ball
What makes you excited to show on the Omaha Fashion Week Runway?
I attended Omaha to support some of my designer friends and loved every bit of production, the calibre of staff, attendants and volunteers who are genuinely enthusiastic about arts and fashion. I talked to strangers who were just excited as I was and I felt the energy was right The production and support given to the designers, models and student is amazing.
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