Courtesy of Keicia Shanta
Ty Hunter and Raquel Smith of Beyonce's Style Team with Magic City Fashion Week's managing partners Daniel Grier and Derek DeAndre.
Magic City Fashion Week (MCFW) made a name for itself in 2017 as a platform for designers, bloggers, vendors and more to combine social change with creativity. Applications for Season II in October are now open.
Industry professionals, photographers, videographers and models came together at the first MCFW in 2017 to promote creativity in fashion, as well as diversity and inclusion within the Birmingham fashion community. This included partnering with Birmingham AIDS Outreach as an effort to reduce stigmas around HIV/AIDS.
Last year, the event hosted 20 fashion and networking events, along with an array of runway shows for one week. Over the course of that same week, MCFW and Birmingham AIDS Outreach tested over 100 people for HIV.
In an open letter posted to the blog on their site, founders Derek DeAndre and Daniel Grier issued a “call to action.”
“No longer can we as creatives stand idly by, watching as our city grows in every way imaginable except in the realm of art, specifically fashion,” the letter says. “... No longer should the creative voice be dismissed as simply being for entertainment. We submit that it is a viable means of not only addressing tough issues, but stimulating local economies and building a sense of community.”
Magic City Fashion Week will be returning Oct. 22-27 for Season II of the celebration of creativity, artistry and — most importantly — fashion. Designers will have the chance to compete to win a $5,000 value prize package, while bloggers and influencers will get the chance to participate in a three-month intensive program that will teach them to grow and monetize their brand.
Applications for influencers, designers, bloggers, photographers and videographers opened Aug. 1, with applications for hair and makeup artists and vendors opening Aug. 15. Those interested can apply at magiccityfashionweek.com/apply.
