Friday Night Fashion Crawl + NFA

Did you know Nashville is home to all kinds of fashion designers? It's true! And three of them opened their studios to the public on Friday. I met up with my friend Carolyn and we set off for what we called, Friday Night Fashion Crawl!

First up, we visited Jamie + The Jones, Shutters & Shuttles, and Ona Rex on Eugenia Avenue. These ladies host an Open Studio every Friday from 11am-6pm. I highly recommend you check them out. I was particularly smitten with this white denim box top.

Next we headed to midtown to visit Amanda Valentine. She opened up her studio to clear out vintage fabrics, jewelry findings and old tees. I bought one of said old tees for a steal at $15, and Carolyn scored a bolt of vintage fabric for $10!

I was so happy to finally meet Amanda! We share a lot of friends, but for whatever reason, our paths have never crossed. I watched her compete on Project Runway (twice) and LOVE her design aesthetic. My dream is to own one of her color-blocked maxi dresses, #shero.

We ended our night at Elizabeth Suzann, who hosted a warehouse party / sample sale at her studio on Cruzen Street. I've seen Elizabeth's stuff at Hey Rooster before, but to see it all together in her studio was really amazing. She had a full house. They said women were lined up down the street 30 minutes before they opened their doors!

I met and talked to Elizabeth, and told her how obsessed I am with THESE PANTS. She validated my obsession and convinced me to buy them, and told me what size to order and how to style them. Purchase imminent.

These weren't private, coveted invitations. All three of these events were open to the public. We knew about them from the designers' Instagram accounts. Instagram, people; it's the future.

A HUGE part of what makes it possible for these designers to work in Nashville is the Nashville Fashion Alliance. NFA is a non-profit dedicated to building a sustainable fashion industry in Nashville. Nashville is home to over 150 growing fashion brands. This community also includes stylists, models, photographers, manufacturers, tech companies, textile companies, and many others that work in the fashion industry. NFA wants to support our community and help this new crop of fashion entrepreneurs grow in Nashville without having to turn to New York or Los Angeles for support.

And they need donations. They pledged to raise $100,000 via Kickstarter and are about halfway there. The Kickstarter ends in three days. Make a pledge here.

Amanda Valentine is offering a 20% off coupon code for her merchandise with a $10-$99 donation; 30% with a $100 or more donation. Just email your donation receipt to her at av@amandavalentine.com and she will send you the specific promo code.

Imogene + Willie is hosting a private NFA launch party on August 15. You can purchase a ticket via a pledge of $150 or more. If you've ever been to Supper + Song, you know how amazing these events are. Tickets are only available until May 15, so act fast.

#WomenBeShopping