GALLERY: Birmingham Fashion Week 2016
Birmingham residents saw what might have been the final Birmingham Fashion Week this August.
The sixth annual Birmingham Fashion Week took place at Boutwell Auditorium from Aug. 25-27, and the event's founders announced it could be the last. Co-founder and designer Heidi Elnora took the stage with co-founder Jeanna Lee Thompson and Jeremy Stephens, following a runway showing of Elnora's designs, to say the event has grown too large for its all-volunteer staff.
"If you want this to continue, we can no longer do this as volunteers," Elnora said. "We appreciate our sponsors and everyone being here but if you know of someone, I would like to hire someone to help me, and to help her [Thompson] and to help him [Stephens]. If you want Birmingham Fashion Week to continue, this is our plea."
The event is known for bringing together local designers, emerging designers from nearby colleges and graduate programs, and rising stars from nearby high schools and middle schools.
Elnora, Thompson and Stephens said they have enjoyed the last several years of Birmingham Fashion Week and hope to continue helping Birmingham and Alabama's blossoming designers, but reiterated they cannot do it alone. Elnora encouraged anyone who can help or would like to donate to reach out to the event's public relations team at KC Projects.
Prior to the somber announcement, the final night of Birmingham Fashion Week featured designs from eight emerging designers and the 30 finalists in this year's Rising Design Star competition.
Emerging designers Alan Slattery and Julie Maeseele received the top prize in the emerging designer challenge. Rising Design Star winners were also presented with scholarship money. Sarah Terral of Fairhope was presented with a full scholarship to University of Alabama. Savannah College of Art and Design presented three prizes - a $1,500 per year scholarship to winning high school seniors and a full week summer seminar for non-seniors.
SCAD selected Vestavia Hills High School student Brooke Lindsey, Mountain Brook High School student Kathryn Sours and Homewood High School student Rigdon Hendrix for the scholarships.