Offering a unique twist on traditional one-center-lane fashion show venues, Buffalo Fashion Week’s (BFW) three-laned “Fashion on the Field,” was hosted on Oct. 19 at an indoor turf field on 97 Rosalia St.
With approximately 400 attendees, BFW marked a significant moment in Buffalo's fashion renaissance, bringing together digital creators, models and designers across Western New York (WNY). The event is one that marked history for the Buffalo fashion scene.
Audience members began to show up as early as two hours before the show began and quickly packed up the field. Some sat on folding chairs and benches, while others on the floor. By the time the show started, all the seats on the runway were full
The show was opened by one of WNY’s most prolific dance teams, “Dynasty.” The music matched the vibe and aura of each designer, and the models made sure to match it with their attitudes. The models initially walked through the middle of the three lanes, and would eventually disperse into the left and right rows, giving the audience a better view of each piece and every viewer a unique experience.
As models walked through the lanes of the turf, the audience's reactions were strong, with sounds of excitement ringing through the arena and camera lights flashing non-stop.
“When I’m watching a fashion show, it’s almost like tunnel vision,” attendee and Buffalo native Jayden Sweeney said. “It brings out my creative side. If that were me making that outfit, how would I style it? How would I style those big platforms and that bow?”
Khalil Carr, the executive director of BFW, reignited Buffalo’s fashion scene after a long pause since 2013. The indoor turf backdrop allowed for dynamic, interactive presentations, helping to showcase the WNY community’s pride in the region's fashion industry growth.
The event spotlighted a lineup of designers showcasing their Fall 2024 collections. In total, 19 designers were showcasing their designs.
Brands included Thrifty Chic Vintage, Karrington, Visual Genre, Article Thirty Seven, $US by Rocko, Jaimie Hand Designs, House of Raige, Scavenger, Urban Mus, Trbleshooter, The 2nd, Eternal Hearts, Alexander Projects, Xxotic x K2kustomz, OMTAMT, Vice Paradise, and Brand New Era.
Each designer’s collection featured unique themes and styles. Themes of Renaissance, retro, and punk gave designers a unique signature. Designers also used a color scheme and incorporated different genres of music to set the tone for their models and the audience.
The Fall 2024 “Karrington” line showcased a dazzling use of rhinestones and bling, complemented by the soundtrack that added to the collection's theme of radiance, as Closure (Flexulant x BAMBII Remix) by Kelela featuring RAHRAH GABOR & Brazy (NGA) played in the background, bringing an energetic, luminous vibe to the runway.
Representation was key at BFW, displaying the diversity throughout the state, and was something that WNY natives appreciated.
“I love it because it brings out the creative side of people, and that’s not normally seen out in Buffalo. I love that fashion has become more like a staple in our community,” Sweeney said. “At other shows it’s normally a lot of minorities and African Americans, and like right now I’m seeing a lot of older Caucasian people. I’ve never really seen [everyone] come together under one group like that. It’s kinda nice to see more diversity and inclusion amongst everybody.”
The challenge of this event was the use of traditional scenery and the modernization and use of the runway because of the different types of audience members — whether it was displaying each piece to intellectualized designers themselves or regular viewers, they needed to captivate the audience uniquely.
UB Blueprint participated in the organization of the event, presenting a peak into the fashion industry for UB students. UB currently does not offer a major or a minor into any fashion studies.
BFW not only brought back to life the scenery of fashion after nearly a decade, but it also showed how fashion can connect a community, leaving a mark on WNY’s fashion identity.
The arts desk can be reached at arts@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
