Every spring, the fashion capitals—New York, Milan, Paris, and London—hold fashion weeks, and this year, models have worn bold colors, structured silhouettes, fantastical garb, and statement wear. Now, it’s the Upstate’s turn to showcase its style as Greenville Fashion Week celebrates its fifth year.
Among the events from April 19–22, designers, boutiques, and brands from the Upstate and beyond will curate two nights of more than 40 shows featuring outfits that can go from the catwalk to a gala or a ball, a brewery, a restaurant, a concert, or even a lake. Some shows will feature everyday wear, others will display stunning works of art, and everyone will find something that catches their eye.
On the designer end of GFW, there will be elegance by Greenville’s own Kathy Harris, whose day and evening wear pairs crisp classic lines with a touch of retro edge. The local designer won GFW’s Top Emerging Designer award in 2018, and the anticipation to see what she brings this year—will her chic flapper-style dresses make an appearance?—is running high.
Models will also flaunt outfits by big city designers like Alex Foxworth and Laura Citron. From NYC, Foxworth pairs couture dresses with chic headpieces, creating an illustrious—not to mention sustainable—avant-garde style. From Nashville, Citron’s ’70s glam aesthetic is its own kind of glamor, and her designs absolutely sparkle.
Along with high fashion and out-of-town designs, GFW maintains local roots, with participating outfitters like Lizard Thicket, Southern Tide, and The Pink Palm showcasing classic and trendy Southern looks. For bridal and formal wear (wedding bells, anyone?), you’ll see Poinsett Bride, Dimitra Designs, and Smith & James. Rockerbelle’s, your friendly local rocker-chic boutique, promises to curate a show to remember.
GFW is a uniquely Greenville event, with a welcoming community bringing a mélange of people and styles together to celebrate diverse fashion. Local boutiques, designers, and models make long-lasting connections, support and empower each other, and encourage self-expression. And in true Greenville style, GFW keeps its own community at heart through partnerships with local nonprofits and businesses.
As an incubator of Greenville fashion, GFW has made remarkable leaps—and plans to keep the stride with sewing workshops, partnerships with schools to develop fashion programs, and educational styling sessions in the future. In the meantime, this year’s event—GFW N°5 with a black and white, Chanel and Champagne theme—promises glamorous events and runway shows infused with that special stamp of Greenville style.
Dinner and A Show
Kicking off Greenville Fashion Week is In the Stars, a charity runway show benefitting Safe Harbor, a local nonprofit that provides services for survivors of domestic violence and their children. The first of its kind for Greenville Fashion Week, there will be high fashion, food and wine pairings by Chef Nico Abello of Table 301, and a fireworks show—a striking beginning to an eventful fashion week.
For tickets and information, go to safeharborsc.org/in-the-stars.
Dressing the City for Greenville Fashion Week
Local couture designer Yelena Croston unveils the Greenville Gown, a dress inspired by and designed around the theme of the show. In a grand reunion, this year’s dress will be unveiled at the finale and joined by former Greenville Gowns. The reunion will be part of the 2023 Walk Down Memory Lane, where past Top Models, Emerging Designers, and styles will all reunite on the catwalk.
Greenville Top Model
Each year, Greenville Fashion Week hosts the Top Model Competition. Last year’s winner, Kenlee McVay, answers our questions about winning the crown.
Top “top model” moment? Definitely when I won Greenville Fashion Week Top Model. I competed in the Greenville Fashion Week Top Model Competition for four years, so to hear my name called as the winner, and taking my first runway walk, was truly a dream.
Opportunities as Top Model? This year, I got to go to New York Fashion Week with Maegan Heinz, owner of Greenville Fashion Week. We got invited to the Vogue Supreme Model book launch. We also went to a few shows and did photoshoots around New York.
Shows you walked in this year? An emerging designer’s show, Sabrina Spanta, along with Dillard’s, Murphy Label, Dimitria Designs, Madi Boutique, and the Top Model runway show. La Femme wedding and evening gown shows in Atlanta and Vegas. I just signed up to walk at the Redken Symposium Runway show in Orlando and Dallas this year.
Personal style? My style changes from day to day. Some days I love chic style. Other days, I love the streetwear style.
Favorite designer? My favorite designer is the Greenville Fashion Week Emerging Designer winner 2020, Alex Kunkle. She has the coolest ideas and the way she puts it all together amazes me.
Surprising fact? I just won Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2023. I couldn’t have done it without Greenville Fashion Week. GFW has given me so many life lessons and has helped my confidence tremendously.
Greenville Fashion Week, Fluor Field, 945 S. Main St., Greenville. April 19-22. For tickets and information, go to gvlfashionweek.com.
