Nashville is becoming known for its fashion as well as its music these days, as the growing careers of several young designers show.
Young Designers Forge Fashion Careers in Nashville
by Joe Cooper
Already famous for its happening music scene, Nashville is experiencing a fashion boom to match. Thanks to support from local venues and fashion enthusiasts, many young fashion designers are starting their careers in Nashville
More than Music
The arts are alive and well In Nashville, TN. Known for decades as the music-recording capital of the world, Nashville is also rich in performance art, food, and fashion design.
Young designers looking to get started in the industry are taking advantage of Nashville's plentiful fashion resources, including a number of fashion design schools and growing retail districts.
Young Designers Make their Mark
Nina Dewara-Tanawanich is a Nashville fashion designer who recently had her first show, thanks in part to the help of Robert Campbell, president of The Nashville Fashion Group. The two met at a Nashville fashion show over a year ago, and when Nina's dress (her own design), caught Robert's eye, he invited her to contribute her efforts to an upcoming event.
After a Degree, Designing
Young Nashville designer Cameo Bobo also knows a thing or two about putting on a fashion show--she's organized a dozen in the past few years. After attending fashion design school for a fashion merchandising degree, she settled into the Nashville fashion scene and has been doing great ever since. She started out as a buyer, but switched to design after discovering her passion for women's fashion.
More than a Day Job
Rhiannon Guillet and Sandra Payne design costumes for the Nashville Ballet. Last year, the two introduced their own designs during a show at Nashville's Park Cafe. Their ballet jobs come and go with the performance season, giving them time to work on their own designs in the off-season. Like many burgeoning designers, their style involves shabby chic, thrift, and recycled designs.
Whether it's attending fashion design school, a fashion show at a local cafe, or working with fashion groups like The Nashville Fashion Group, the young designer who wants to test the waters can do worse than dive into Nashville's unlikely scene.
Sources
Tennessean
Nashville Rage
Nashville Scene
About the Author
Joe Cooper writes fashion and design articles and edits medical literature. He holds a bachelor’s in American Literature from UCLA.