The sixth annual Birmingham Fashion Week will feature five Vestavia Hills contestants at Boutwell Auditorium Aug. 25-27. This year, founder and Creative Director Heidi Elnora, co-founder and Style Director Jeana Lee Thompson and Artistic Director Jeremy Stephens will host the event. BFW unites young aspiring designers with local and national designers. The week will feature models, makeup and hair stylists.
The event is divided into three sections: Rising Design Stars, Emerging Designers and Featured Designers. The Rising Design Star Challenge began five years ago. This year’s theme is Future of Fashion. Middle and high school students fabricate a garment representing how they think fashion will evolve in the next 100 years. A total of 60 semifinalists will showcase their designs.
Brooke Lindsey
With a formal dress code required for SGA members, Brooke Lindsey often is spotted wearing a dress — one that can’t be found in stores.
Lindsey discovered her interest in sewing in the sixth grade, and first displayed her designs at BFW in 2014. Since then, the interest has turned into a hobby and has continued to her upcoming senior year of high school.
“At first, I made lots of things, including my own dresses,” Lindsey said. “Then, I began wearing them to school, and my friends would always ask me, ‘Where did you get that dress? It’s so cute, I’ve never seen it before.’”
“This year, my creation is very classic, very fun, and has a lot of intricate details all over it. Orchids are my favorite flower, so I embedded it into my design,” Lindsey said. “It’s completely different from anything I’ve ever done.”
Similar to previous years, she plans to model her own design down the runway. Lindsey, with almost three years of memorable experiences under her belt, said BFW has inspired her to pursue a career in fashion.
“When I’m designing, I try to think outside of the box and create something that has never been seen before,” she said. “I also ask myself if I would personally wear what I am designing.”
On an everyday basis, she would describe her personal style as classic and deems her signature color to be hot pink. She said an outfit is never completed unless a “fun pair of heels is matched with it.”
“I’m only 5-foot-3-inches, so at school, I usually wear heels. My friends always laugh at times when I wear Converses because they’re like ‘Whoa! You look so much shorter!’” Lindsey said.
Emilie Alonso
As a performer, high school senior Emilie Alonso needs an eye-catching look that will match her singing talent.
When ideas for the high school’s choir T-shirt were discussed, Alonso grabbed the opportunity to showcase a design in public for the first time.
“I wanted our choir T-shirt to be unique, something that’s never been seen before,” Alonso said. “I ended up showing my design to my teacher, and she loved it.”
This year will be her first year debuting in a fashion show.
“[For my design,] I thought a lot about the style in the ’90s and how it’s coming back,” Alonso said. “I also thought about recycling and how it’s important to reuse items.”
Alonso chose a close friend to model an outfit that consists of a ’90s mini skirt matched with a simple top. The top can be removed and transformed into a clutch, reusing the fabric. According to Alonso, the dress Emma Watson wore to the Met Ball, made from recycled plastic bottles, inspired her to reuse the fabric for her own design.
Off the runway, she would describe her everyday style as “eccentric, whimsical, but casual.” She said she always accessorizes with flair buttons and is rarely spotted not wearing purple.
McKinley Rohrer
Hearing about BFW from close friend Brooke Lindsey, McKinley Rohrer decided to enter the fashion show for the first time. However, she does not lack in knowledge when it comes to the fundamentals of fashion.
“In middle school, I mainly worked on sketches, but I’m hoping to design more now,” she said. “Also, my sister is a fashion major at Alabama, so I’ve always been around fashion.”
Rohrer describes her design for the 2016 BFW as “Judy Jetson meets high fashion,” presenting a creative spin to the Future of Fashion theme. The outfit will incorporate a mesh of silver and gold colors to produce a futuristic appearance.
Adding on, a crossbody purse will be used as an accent to finalize the outfit. Rohrer said she wants to focus primarily on designing, so she asked a friend to model her design.
However, when spotted outside of the intensity of a fashion show, Rohrer embodies a boho style. She particularly adores loose-fitting clothing topped with layers. As a fan of accessories, she usually tops her outfits off with a long necklace.
“I think it can dress up what you are wearing. It can make one outfit have a completely different look to it, even if you’re wearing the same dress or clothing,” she said.
Cammille Miceli
As this year’s youngest contestant from Vestavia Hills, Cammille Miceli refuses to allow her age to limit her capabilities.
Entering the 10th grade, Miceli will be competing in the BFW for her third year.
“My mom suggested that I enter the competition. During the first two years, I had a lot of fun. I’m really glad I decided to try it out because now I’m beginning to like fashion a lot,” she said.
Following this year’s theme of future fashion, she decided to base her design around technology. However, not only is her design one of a kind, but so is her model. Being that most models are female, she chose to defy the stereotype.
“I have a guy to be the model for mine because I think men are also the future of fashion. I think that is something different and will help my design stand out,” she said.
Miceli’s casual fashion style consists of skirts and dresses, especially in pastel colors. On a cold or breezy day, her favorite add-on for outfits are light jackets. Cardigans are her usual go to.
“I always do my own thing. I don’t necessarily follow the fads going on. I think it’s important to be unique and show off your own style,” Miceli said.
She said she plans to take a design class during her sophomore year to improve her skills. Although her current focus is to finish high school, Miceli said she hopes to one day become a fashion designer.
Liz Link
Liz Link usually stands out in a crowd for her bold choice when it comes to outfits.
She has always had a knack for mixing and matching clothing and creating a new look some may think too risky to try. Link wanted to share her special sense of fashion with others, so she decided to enter the BFW for the first time.
“I’ve always had outrageously crazy outfits. I would describe my design for the fashion show as classy, but with a little edge of sassy,” she said.
Not wanting to spoil her creation prior to BFW, Link hints that fringe is a huge factor of the dress she will be showcasing. She has requested for a model to wear her design during the fashion show. However, she envisions herself modeling her own creations in the future.
During her upcoming senior year, she will be applying to the Fashion Institute of Technology. If she is accepted and decides to commit to the college, she said she plans to major in advertising and communication.
“My plan for the moment is to keep experiencing designing in the fashion industry. I want to see what it’s like now so that in the future, I’ll be ready for the real world,” Link said.
