Designer of the Year Finalists Featured at SMoCA’s Fall Opening Night Bash

The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) will be celebrating its fall line-up of exhibitions with a public opening party this Friday, Oct. 8, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Come out to view five new exhibitions, enjoy curatorial gallery talks and mingle with the artists. Also, the night will include a special fashion show featuring local designers competing for Scottsdale Fashion Week’s title of “Designer of the Year.”

The SMoCA celebration will be quite the event, with a cash bar, DJs and dance entertainment. Of course, one of the highlights will be the presentation of the 10 “Designer of the Year” finalists, with all the fashionable fun getting underway at 9 p.m. And while the show is sure to be inspiring for spectators, the designers themselves will no doubt be nervous, as there will be a panel of judges present to determine who’s most worthy of the title. The winning designer will be awarded the opening show slot at Scottsdale Fashion Week on Friday, Nov. 5 in the main tent, where models will strut their designs down an 80-foot runway in front of 500 VIPs.

Up for the title this year are:

• Coleccion by Alma Salaz
• DLCouture by Danell Lynn
• Iuk iuk by Alina Samasiuk
• Jennyvi Dizon
• Lesage by Kate Lesage
• Nostalgic Boutique by Rebecca Turley
• Punkouture by Trish Martin
• Shantidas, LLC by Shantidas Contu-Owen
• Siobhan by Elizabeth Albert
• Tiffe Fermaint

To get to this point, the 10 finalists were judged based on originality, construction, functionality and marketability by prominent local industry members, including Nicole Bissing, Department Chair for Fashion Design and Merchandising, BFA Program at Collins College; Robert Black, former director of FORD / Robert Black Modeling Agency and owner of vintage boutique Fashion by Robert Black; Joy Li, Scottsdale-based Fashion Designer and Southbridge/Waterfront Boutique co-owner; and Sherry Sklar, President of Phoenix Art Museum’s Arizona Costume Institute and illustration and design instructor at Mesa Community College.

This year, Scottsdale Fashion Week will be taking place at the Scottsdale Fashion Square Drive (north of Barneys) from Nov. 4 through Nov. 6. Visit the event’s site for more details, and we’ll see you at the SMoCA!

Scottsdale Fashion Week | Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art

Like Haute Living Phoenix? Join our Facebook page. Want Haute Living Phoenix delivered to your in box once a week? Sign up for our newsletter.