Fashion Week Columbus 2025
September 14th - 20th
DESIGNER APPLICATIONS
DUE BY March 27th, 2025
(High Fashion Tea Runway Show, FWCurve, and Finale Runway Show)
Fashion Week Columbus(FWC) is the flagship program of the Columbus Fashion Council (CFC), which is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing scholarships to fashion design students and a platform to showcase local and emerging fashion designers.
CFC has a broadened vision to help develop Central Ohio's fashion industry and community by providing industry news & resources and by cultivating relationships between fashion professionals, students, emerging artists, community leaders, organizations, and national and international markets. Through strategic partnerships and developed programs, the Columbus Fashion Council also raises awareness of our fashion community while helping to develop local fashion designers to help reach their fullest potential.
Founded in 2010, Fashion Week Columbus has evolved into more than just a fashion event. It's the largest platform of its kind in Ohio, which brings together small businesses from the Central Ohio fashion community (designers, models, make-up artists, hair professionals, photographers, etc...) to launch and promote their brands to regional and national audiences from the FWC runways.
The Columbus Fashion Council is thrilled to announce the 16th Anniversay of Fashion Week Columbus, with a full week schedule of fashion programs and events.
Columbus is ranked #3 in the nation for the largest concentration of fashion designers. Since Fashion Week Columbus was founded in 2010, our fashion eco-system has grown into a robust community of fashion designers, models, photographers, videographers, makeup artists, hair professionals, fashion show producers, and many more fashion industry professionals.
Please read ALL of the details below, before making your submission to Fashion Week Columbus 2025.
SUBMISSIONS MUST INCLUDE:
- Historical collection photos (previous shows i.e. brand resume...what has the brand done until the current date?)
- Linesheet with photos of potential pieces or digital sketches of concept pieces
- Potential pricing of collection items
- Target Demographic
DESIGNER COLLECTION REQUIREMENTS:
*As a selected designer, you’re required to meet the following guidelines. Failure to do so may result in the designer being removed from the Fashion Week Columbus designer lineup.
- Designer agrees to attend all mandatory meetings or send a representative in their place.
- Designers are encouraged to promote all Fashion Week Columbus events on their social media.
- Designer garments may not be repurposed, reconstructed, or relabeled. Garments must be originally designed.
- Designer garments cannot be viewed by the Ohio local public by way of video or photography or event, prior to Fashion Week Columbus 2025. Exceptions would include NY Fashion Week, LA Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week, London Fashion Week, and Paris Fashion Week. For other exceptions, please contact designer@fashionweekcolumbus.org. For promotional purposes of Fashion Week Columbus and the designer, FWC may permit specific garments to be in promotional materials.
- Designers are required to create the minimum number of looks required by the FWC show you're participating in.
- Designers will not put models or FWC at risk of injury due to garments or creative styling of their line or show.
- If selected to be a designer, your registration fee will be due by the first fitting.
REGISTRATION FEE MAY INCLUDE (BUT NOT LIMITED TO) THE FOLLOWING:
- 1 Year Columbus Fashion Council Membership.
- Hair & Makeup - coordination, product, utensils, execution, labor, but does not include additional items such as lashes, nails, extensions, etc...
- Runway Production - Stage & Runway build, Audio, Video, Lighting, Coordination, Show Director, Production Crew, Backstage Management, etc..
- Model casting and coordination.
- Photography and videography opportunities.
- PR - Social Media Platforms, News Stations, Morning Shows, Publications, Website presence, Press Releases (regional and national), etc... It is not guaranteed that every designer will be picked up by the media.
- Fitting and Event Venues - including chairs, tables, clothing racks, steamers, dressers, etc... Designers may be asked to bring certain items for different situations.
- Front house management of seating and guests at the runway shows
- Local celebrity emcee for the runway shows.
- Designer registration fee includes 2 seats/tickets to the show your brand is participating in. The registration fee does not include a vendor booth, presentation space, ad in the Lookbook, or additional tickets to other shows.
REGISTRATION FEE DETAILS:
High Fashion Tea Runway Show is an intimate show set in a beautiful ballroom during an elegant but fun afternoon tea, allowing the guests to have an upclose and personal viewing of each collection as the models walk through out the venue. This runway show has a capacity between 200 and 300 guests. This runway show has a limit of 3 designer collections to be showcased on the runway.
- Registration Fee is $500, which includes 7 - 10 looks, Runway Showcase
FWCurve Runway Show is a celebration of plus size designer collections set in a venue with a capacity between 300 and 600 guests. This runway show has a limit of 5 designer collections to be showcased on the runway.
- Registration Fee - $300 Standard Package includes 7 - 10 looks.
- Registration Fee - $500 Premium Package includes 10 - 15 looks.
Finale Runway Show is the closing runway show of Fashion Week Columbus, showcasing local and emerging fashion designers along with a headlining celebrity designer, set in a venue with a capacity between 400 and 1000 guests. This runway show has a limit of 7 designer collections to be showcased on the runway.
- Registration Fee - $700 Standard Package includes 10 - 15 looks.
- Registration Fee - $1000 Premium Package includes 10 - 20 looks.
Recycled Runway and The Fashion Presentations will have a separate application which will be promoted at a later date.
- PREMIUM PACKAGE DESIGNERS:
- may have their own photographers/videographers, production team, assistants, etc... Designers must get permission through Fashion Week Columbus before inviting them to fittings, meetings, and events. Please note that backstage passes and media credentials are limited.
- may have creative flexibility with the coordination and format of their show on the runway, with respect to allotted time and overall runway restrictions and layout (example: no confetti or glitter on the runway). Must be approved by the Finale Runway Show chair(s).
- may have the option to bring in their own Beauty Leads to work in collaboration with the FWC Beauty Leads.
- STANDARD PACKAGE DESIGNERS will follow the format of a standard runway show in coordination with the show director and with respect to a format proper for the number of looks you are presenting.
- HIGH FASHION TEA DESIGNERS will follow the format of a standard runway show in coordination with the show director and with respect to a format proper for the number of looks you are presenting.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS & NOTES:
- Registration fee for FWC 2025 selected designers must be paid by the first fitting, June 1st. This fee is non-refundable.
- All makeup and hair ideas are a collaborative effort between the designer and the hair & make-up partners.
- Editing of the designer's collection is left up to the designer and their team, unless they opt to utilize FWC's Style Team. FWC reserves the right to deny a collection or piece from being showcased on the runway, if the line is incomplete or poorly constructed, if the line puts models/audience members/FWCurve at risk of injury, or if the line or piece is deemed inappropriate for the FWC runway.
- The FWC Virtual Model Casting will take place in April (TBA). If a designer has choice models, that model MUST submit to the virtual model casting and must list the designer(s) name on the casting sheet to be considered. If you have your own models that made it through the selection process, then we will place those models with your line. We will try our best to place unassigned models with specific designers, but this is not guaranteed.
- FWC will decide the order of fashion designers on the runway.
- Look and model lineup will be determined by the designer. You may opt to utilize FWC's Style Team to assist in this decision.
- Hair & Makeup looks will be a collaboration between the designer and the beauty team leads, within reason and within the team's capabilities.
- Final music choice for your line is the designer's decision. If the production decides to incorporate a live DJ or musician(s) on stage, a collaboration must be made in this effort between the designer, the DJ, and FWC. FWC will only permit royalty-free and copyright free music for the runway, as it will also be streamed on social media channels. Please be aware, many social media platforms flag and suspend videos with copyrighted music.
COMMITMENT DATES:
April 5th & 6th - Designer Interviews
June 1st - Fitting #1, Designer & Model Orientation (All Designers & Model Required To Attend)
June 29th - Fitting #2 (Premium Package Designers Not Obligated)
July 27th - Fitting #3 (All Designers & Model Required To Attend)
August 7th - LookBook Shoot (All Designers Required To Attend)
FASHION WEEK COLUMBUS EVENTS SCHEDULE (subject to change)
September 14th - 16th Annual High Fashion Tea Runway Show
September 15th - Macy's Fall Fashion Show
September 16th - Nordstrom Fashion Show
September 17th - Recycled Runway Show by Nurtur Salon
September 18th - Philanthropy Meets Fashion
September 19th - 3rd Annual FWCurve
September 20th - Finale Runway Show, The Fashion Presentations, Closing After Party.
*We encourage designers to attend as many events as possible.
OTHER EVENTS:
FWC Launch Party - DATE TBA
If you have questions regarding this form, please email: info@FashionWeekColumbus.org