Community and Couture: Phoenix Fashion Week’s Local-Global Fusion

Photography by Trent Brown

Phoenix Fashion Week returned to Chateau Luxe on Sept. 27 and 28, delivering a striking blend of fresh Arizona talent and international couture. The weekend brought together local designers and global creators to celebrate fashion, culture and craftsmanship.

The event solidified its reputation as a launching pad for rising designers, offering them an opportunity to showcase their work on stage. At its heart was a celebration of fashion as a universal language.

“Phoenix Fashion Week is unique because it’s not just the runway experience. Designer Bootcamp gives designers a reason behind why you do a runway show,” Loren Aargon, designer of Toweringstone and Phoenix Fashion Week’s 2018 designer of the year, says. Phoenix Fashion Week includes a powerful educational platform that equips emerging designers with the essential skills to thrive in the competitive fashion industry. With coordinating events such as Designer Bootcamp, designers can learn in three months what they would in four years of college, according to Aargon. While many designers enter the field with creativity and design talent, Phoenix Fashion Week recognizes that creativity alone is insufficient to build a successful brand.

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Photography by Trent Brown

“Setting the designers up for success with the education and the platform gives them the advantage of coming here first, instead of cities like Los Angeles,” says Brian Hill, executive producer of Phoenix Fashion Week. After they come here, they can go anywhere and get the support they need.”

On Friday night, the spotlight was on designers from all over the world. The event kicked off with a pink show for breast cancer awareness and continued with the Black Dress Challenge, where designers of all ages competed by using recycled materials to create the best little black dress. Designer Ellie White from Mill and Habs captivated the audience with her locally handcrafted hats paired with native-culture looks from Toweringstone.

These local innovators shared the runway with international designers from Europe and Samoa, emphasizing Phoenix Fashion Week’s dedication to bridging cultures. The fusion of styles and influences injected fresh energy into Arizona’s fashion scene, proving that collaboration across cultures can create something extraordinary.

Friday also featured exclusive pop-ups, including Design Diplomat, showcasing luxury leather clothing from Mexican brand ATRIO, a perfect fit for fashion lovers who appreciate custom global style.

“Phoenix Fashion Week is proud to continue our mission to support local, national and international couture fashion brands from Kuwait, Dubai, the Philippines and more,” says Hill.

Photography by Trent Brown

Saturday emphasized Phoenix Fashion Week’s announcement of its designer of the Year and Model of the Year, two prestigious awards that positioned the winners for future success on the global stage. The two winning models each received full modeling contracts from industry leader The Agency Arizona. The Designer of the Year won a prize package of goods and services to ensure long-term brand success, sponsored by New York-based Apparel Solutions, fashion entrepreneur and boot camp mentor Kym Gold, co-founder of True Religion Jeans.

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This event continues to evolve as a key occasion in the Southwest, marrying Arizona’s local flair with innovation. Its focus on sustainability, emerging talent and community engagement has advanced Arizona’s fashion scene and positioned Phoenix as a rising fashion hub.

“Phoenix Fashion Week has been a catalyst in propelling Arizona fashion forward while creating unique experiences for guests,” says Hill.

Whether captivated by the bold designs of Arizona’s own or intrigued by the international couture, Phoenix Fashion Week 2024 was a celebration of fashion that embodied a vibrant and inclusive future for the world of design.