Dress up in your best attire for this week-long celebration of fashion culture in the capital city.
Fashion Week Topeka — hosted by Chris Ware, owner of Warehouzz Management, and Patrice Newton, owner of K Michaels Collection — will be Sunday, Oct. 6, through Saturday, Oct. 12. From a fashion show, arts and vendor market to an evening ball, there will be something for everyone.
Newton said fashion for her is “leaving your signature on the world, whatever that looks like.” She said she’s eager for Topeka to embrace that attitude.
“I think that Topeka can very much be a place that embraces the people with the Renaissance dressing, the cosplay, the day-to-Day, jazzy girl, wear the upscale, the business class,” said Newton. “So, all these different styles I think can very easily be pulled out, and I think people are ready to celebrate their style.”
Showcasing talent through all ages
Ware said people with many talents will be included, whether they are designers, models, instructors, business owners and more. He said as many as 17 local designers will be involved.
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“We’ve got some really, really cool designers here,” he said. “They don’t really know about ’em unless you really deep dive. This fashion week has brought out so many different cool designers. And I mean, they’re 18, 19 years old and they’re using a sewing machine. They’re doing the upcycling, where they’re taking maybe four old shirts that they have. And they’re cutting them up, sewing ’em together, taking patches, and it’s a cool look.”
“So why not showcase that? Why not push our boutiques, stylists and our designers? Why not push them? We don’t have to go wear Gucci and Louis Vuitton all the time. We got stuff just as dope right here in Topeka.”
What events will happen during Topeka Fashion Week?
The weeklong celebration will include eight different events that people can attend:
- Meet and Greet: A meet and greet will take place 3-6 p.m. Oct. 6 at Partee’s Lounge, 1414 S.W. 16th St. The meet and greet will be a chance to meet all that will be involved in the week of events.
- Food and Fashion: 6-8 p.m. Oct. 7 in the West Ridge Mall food court, where Topeka Fashion Week will partner with Boxer Q BBQ and Love Me Tenderz. The restaurants will provide a workshop on how they prepare their meals. “Good food complements, good fashion which equals good fun.” Ware said.
- Careers in Fashion: 8 a.m. to noon Oct. 8, students will have the opportunity to apply for jobs and careers in fashion at the Kansas and Career fair at Highland Park High School.
- Fashion and Culture: On Oct. 9, West Ridge Mall stores Boss Babes and Bold Culture Lux will host workshops on fashion and art. Boss Babes will be 4-6 p.m. while Bold Culture Lux will begin at 6 p.m.
- Fashion and Art Vendor Market: From noon to 7 p.m. Oct. 10 in West Ridge Mall, a fashion and art vendors market will take place with multiple local vendors.
- Fashion Show — RIP the runway: 7-11 p.m. Oct. 11, a Fashion Show will be held at Partee’s Lounge, 1414 S.W. 16th St. This show will showcase all selections of clothing with all models and designers. It will be a $7 admission fee.
- Fashion Show — Fall and Winter selections and Masquerade Ball: 2-4 p.m. on Oct. 12, a second fashion show will be held at West Ridge Mall, this one on the upper level near the food court. This show will feature fall and winter clothing selections only.
- Masquerade ball: 9 p.m. to midnight on Oct. 12 at West Ridge Mall. Ware said access to the ball will be through the main entrance on the lower level, located between the Kansas Furniture Mall and Kirkland’s. Admission to the masquerade ball will be $20 per person.
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Keishera Lately is the business reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. She can be reached at klately@cjonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @Lately_KT.
