The Emerge! Fashion show returned to a live event during New York Fashion Week on February 15, 2022, at Broad Street Ballroom in New York. The show honored fashion icon, Andre Leon Talley and urban designer, Karl Kani. The show was taped for a new series called “A Road to Emerge!” which will highlight the behind-the-scenes of a fashion show.
EMERGE! A Fashion Runway Show, EMERGE! Design Talk and the Fashion Innovator Award are all brands created and produced by Dionne Williams of D. Williams Public Relations Group. Emerge! has become among the top emerging designer platforms during New York Fashion Week, and has been consistent in providing national outlets for emerging designers to showcase their work.
Emerge! showcased a talented roster of emerging designers presenting their awe-inspiring collections during the show. For 11 years Emerge! has consistently championed and provided support for an array of multicultural designers from around the globe to the frontline of fashion. Designers include: Makarassi Couture (New York, NY), Ke’raye London (Las Vegas, NV), Ty Brooks (Philadelphia, PA.) Shenell Renee (New York, NY) Edwing D’Angelo (New York, NY) Tote & Carry (Los Angeles, CA).
In addition to the fashion show, each season Emerge! presents the coveted ‘Fashion Innovator Award’ an honor to those who have received the award recognizing them for their worldwide fashion influence. This season the award was presented to the legendary designer Karl Kani, the godfather of urban fashion. Kani accepted his award with inspiring remarks encouraging other designers to continue with their dream.
Past honorees have included: Andre’ Leon Talley, contributing editor of Vogue (presented to him by Diane Von Furstenberg); Fern Mallis, creator of New York Fashion Week (presented to her by Bibu Mohapatra); Constance C.R. White, Editor in Chief of Essence Magazine (presented to her by designer Tracy Reese); legendary model Patricia Cleveland (presented to her by legendary fashion designer, Stephen Burrows); celebrity stylist Law Roach (presented to him by Claire Sulmers), just to name a few.
A special tribute to legendary fashion icon Andre’ Leon Talley, who recently passed away, happened during the event, celebrating Talley’s life and career. The tribute included a special produced tribute video and remarks from Miss J Alexander who spoke of Talley’s impact on the fashion industry globally.
The runway show was taped for a series called “A Road to Emerge!” highlighting the behind-the-scenes making of a fashion show during New York Fashion Week. “Road to Emerge!” will feature the stories of the designers, the backstage process of the hair and make-up teams, the process of model call selections, and the lights, camera, action of the runway show. The series will air at a later date and premiere on GFNTV, a premier online video network, which also streams live on various platforms including ROKU & Apple TV.