NEW YORK (WABC) – What we know and love as ‘Fashion Week’ now actually lasts a whole month as the four cities host a series of exclusive events from January to February.
This week the iconic brands were in Milan and next week they will be heading to Paris.
But we want to tell you about an event that should be more inclusive.
It’s called Bovtiqve Fashion Week.
It is currently taking place in New York and is designed to showcase the designers of tomorrow.
For decades, the standard of beauty in the fashion industry was very specific: skinny was in fashion, no exceptions!
But the two co-founders of Bovtiqve Fashion Week, Franck Millet and Angela Diaz, are determined to diversify the industry.
They believe that fashion is for people, which is why Bovtiqve Fashion Week is attended by all kinds of people.
“We’re very friendly and open: Kumbaya,” Millet said. “We want you to come and be a part of it.”
Mille and Diaz strive to expand the definition of beauty and showcase a new generation of designers.
“Different kinds of designers from different walks of life serving different groups of people in a real, fun way,” Diaz said.
Many different sizes and shapes are represented here.
“So it’s not about how mainstream you look, it’s about how you look now,” Diaz told me. “It’s, ‘Are you voluptuous?’ Is your hair different? Do you have other abilities?” From complexion to size and everything. And the designers are going to come from all over the U.S. … some from other countries.”
Both founders learned the business from the inside and admit that a platform like theirs didn’t exist before they started it.
“Somebody has to know the system to be able to even give it to them in the first place,” Miele said.
A number of events in Manhattan are open to the public, so designers get maximum exposure. And the road to the runway begins on the Internet.
“If you’re coming to it right now, you’ll want to check out the Bovtiqve Fashion Week website or you can DM us on Instagram,” Millet said. “Someone will definitely respond to you.”
The design has to be cool to impress these guys, but they’re also looking for grit, “so it’s not about the tailoring,” Mill told me.
A sense of purpose is what matters.
“As long as people keep dreaming, we’ll always be in business,” Miele said.
And so the best of Bovtiqve Fashion Week is yet to come in the next couple of days, with tickets still available for this weekend’s events.
If you or someone you know wants to get started in the fashion industry, there’s no better place to start than this group’s website and Instagram feed.
Tickets can be purchased through bovtiquefashionweek.com.
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