Arizona Fashion Week 2024: A Style Hotspot Carving a Niche Path in the Industry with Destination Runways
By Nadgeena Jerome
The West Coast fashion event celebrated its third season with an eclectic, cultural, and collaborative exhibition of models, designers, and talent from around the country.
Photo Credit: AZFW at The Abbey / Jonathan Wooden. Designer Milla Stone.
Co-director Joseph Leeds said, “Every year we push the bar further and further, and we've done all of this in the efforts to bring awareness to Arizona.”
The creative agency’s goal since its inception was to “ highlight the people” within Arizona and their endeavors alongside fellow directors Alex Salazar, Samantha Howard, and Paola Valdes.
What separates Arizona Fashion Week from other events nationwide is that it takes place over two weeks and culminates in four days of runway shows held at unique locations around Scottsdale and Phoenix.
It kicked off with a media day on November 3 and concluded on November 17 with an outdoor fashion show at an abandoned church called The Abbey.
Photo Credit: AZFW at The Abbey / Jonathan Wooden. Designer Melode.
Fashion House Festivities
For the two weeks of festivities, an ongoing “Fashion House” at X Phoenix was active daily from morning to night, highlighting local businesses, boutiques, and brands.
Arizona Fashion Week attendees could come in and out of Fashion House to shop with a bar, mocktails, hair and makeup studio, and workshops that total around 50 simultaneous events, including a tarot sponsor that dabbled in the metaphysical and provided on-site card readings. The Real Real also participated in an on-site activation and bar beverages were available to purchase from The Black Bar Co.
On Thursday, November 14, runway presentations that showcased the styles and tastes of Arizona State University fashion design students and up-and-coming designers began at X Phoenix. The collections shown were Journey, LERMA, Absolut, and STKY.
Photo Credit: AZFW Fashion House at X Phoenix / Generations Productions, Milton Young. Designer, LERMA.
Rave Runways at Jetset Hangar
Arizona Fashion Week brought the glitz and glamour at a themed fashion show on Friday, November 14. Day one of AZFW’s main runway shows was hosted at lifestyle publication Jetset Magazine’s hangar at Scottsdale Air Park.
Art Hearts Fashion CEO Erik Rosete opened the show with a presentation of his collection Mister Triple X amidst the sounds of a custom DJ set by Moya Rey. The line featured grungy, sporty, and feminine details that combined Western wear with athleisure in black, white, grey, and silver shades.
Photo Credit: AZFW at Jetset Mag Hangar / Generations Productions, Milton Young. Designer Mister Triple X.
Celebrity-endorsed and Miss Universe-recognized designer Kenneth Barlis presented his couture designs with pearl accents, diamonds, and jewels that were showstoppers off and on the pageant stage. The unisex collection saw models dressed in lavish denim jackets, embroidered floral suits, and flowing gowns.
Other designers showcased included Iron Rose, Naava Swim, Blase Raschke, and Good Roads.
Photo Credit: AZFW at Jetset Mag Hangar / Generations Productions, Milton Young. Designer Kenneth Barlis.
Fashion Meets Philanthropy at W Scottsdale
AZFW designers represented at the annual NiteFlite charity gala with The Saguaros, including Mister Triple X, City of K, and Tiffany Rae Designs.
Fashion met philanthropy at a charity rooftop fashion show at the W Hotel in Scottsdale on Saturday, November 16. According to co-director Alex Salazar, the event raises almost $4 million each year for education, and other charitable contributions.
Photo Credit: AZFW at Jetset Mag Hangar / Generations Productions, Milton Young. Designer Kenneth Barlis.
Avante-Garde at The Abbey on Monroe
Arizona Fashion Week’s final runway show at The Abbey on Monroe in Phoenix transported guests to a European destination on Sunday, November 17. Amidst the rubble of a deconstructed church, models walked across different levels as they strutted in designs by local and nationally recognized brands.
The close-out runway series featured Milla Stone, LAB Studios, CBK, Melode, Tiffany Rae Designs, and Giovanna Manzo. Each collection was unique and “out there” as models walked on rock down staircases and through doorways showing off their looks from multiple angles.
Photo Credit: AZFW at The Abbey / Jonathan Wooden. Designer Tiffany Rae.
Tiffany Rae’s designs featured a celebrity appearance with an appearance by Arizona-based RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 13 contestant Joey Jay.
Many models from Arizona-based agency Luxe Model Group dominated the runways. The casting choices were not one size fits all with non-binary, gender-fluid, plus-size, and petite models gracing the stages.
Photo Credit: AZFW at The Abbey / Jonathan Wooden. Designer Tiffany Rae.
“We are one of the only fashion platforms at this level of operation and production that offers compensation for models to walk the runway and for staff. We hope that people will start to catch on to that and want to come and walk in Arizona and work in Arizona, and boost the creative economy,” said Leeds.
Models can make up to $1,000 a night modeling, creating opportunities for them in the industry.
Outside of the scheduled activities, fashion fans could attend afterparties and dinners held at AZFW-sponsored venues and select Scottsdale hotspots, including Etta, Evo North Scottsdale, Uchi, El Hefe, and Riot House, to name a few.
Photo Credit: AZFW at The Abbey / Jonathan Wooden. ASU Student Designer Giovanna Manzo.
Arizona Fashion Week sponsors included the Moxy Phoenix Downtown Hotel, Zhonnae Cosmetics, PRIME beverages, Alani Nu, and Lord Vodka.
The directors, vendors, and designers spend all year preparing for the two weeks of fashion fun and holding events year-round, which would not be possible without the contributions of title sponsor Lilly Merino.
