Nashville Fashion Week organizers have announced they are postponing the annual event due to the rebuilding and disaster from the recent tornado, and the COVID-19 concerns.
They posted this message on their social media accounts:
Dear Nashville,
We are devastated to share this announcement with you. While it is unprecedented in our 10-year history to not have the show go on, and especially for what was planned to be the celebration of a decade, Nashville Fashion Week 2020 is being rescheduled.
Nashville Fashion Week was conceived in 2010 to foster Nashville’s heralded community spirit and concentration of creative, fashion-forward and entrepreneurial talent. The realities of the catastrophic impact of last week’s tornado paired with the evolving concerns and actions surrounding COVID-19 led us to this very difficult decision. After thousands of hours of planning from a dedicated volunteer team and generous support from sponsors and partners, this decision is heartbreaking. However, it’s the responsible thing to do.
We feel the tremendous weight of not being able to support our local fashion community as planned. Our focus and commitments need to be alongside our fellow Nashvillians experiencing devastation. We are directing our efforts from the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund to support disaster relief and the Middle Tennessee Emergency Response Fund. Both are managed by The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. We ask you to join us if you are able.
"As someone who has been focused 24/7 on tornado relief since last Tuesday morning, I applaud this thoughtful decision, but know it was a difficult one. Central to this decision was concern for tornado survivors and members of our community concerned of what's to come with the ever-evolving Coronavirus." - Amy Fair, Vice President of Donor Services and Nashville Fashion Week Director
We have worked with our partner, OZ Arts Nashville, to confirm that the NFW Runway Shows and Nashville Fashion Forward Awards and Celebration will move to August 4-8, 2020.
Other Nashville Fashion Week events already scheduled for the following dates will also be impacted. These dates will be rescheduled and we will communicate updates to you as plans are confirmed.
Influencer Mixer & Closet Sale (3/18)
Men’s Style Event (3/24)
In Dialogue: Suffrage, Style and Socials Movements (3/26)
Feast on Fashion (3/28)
Nashville Fashion Talks: Diversity + Inclusion (3/30)
Tickets that have already been purchased will automatically transfer to the new dates for each event. Amy Fair, who handles all ticketing, will be in touch no later than March 15th to provide you with details about this transfer or assistance with refunds for those unable to make the August 2020 dates work. We hope that you will continue to support the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund.
“Nashville Fashion Week has become a favorite spring event at OZ Arts, but we appreciate the organizers’ thoughtful decision to reschedule while the community focuses on its most urgent needs. We are very happy that we can accommodate new dates for the annual runway shows and awards, and look forward to celebrating 10 years of Nashville Fashion Week as proud partners this summer.” - OZ Arts President & CEO Tim Ozgener and Executive & Artistic Director Mark Murphy
As we band together to support relief efforts during this very trying time, we encourage you to support the people behind brands and businesses that have moved Nashville fashion-forward. We currently plan to move ahead with scheduled Learning Labs and our annual Shop Nashville initiative March 31- April 4, although this too could change due to impending actions for COVID-19. We have five NFW Learning Labs and forty-eight Shop Nashville events planned with businesses across our city that need us more than ever.
We have an overwhelming amount of work ahead of us to rebuild, but we will continue to diligently support the next generation of fashion industry professionals and our community. We are sending strength and support to all.
We Are Nashville Fashion. We are Nashville Strong.
❤️
Team NFW