Atlanta Fashion Week shows city’s future ‘is very bright’
Creatively curated outfits were on full display as Atlantic Station transitioned into a fashion district over the weekend. Tailored suits, funky hats, multitextured outfits, and a sea of chic black ensembles created a visual wave of artistry.
Atlanta Fashion Week (ATLFW) brought thousands of style icons together to celebrate the city as a cultivation hub for aspiring trendsetters. Though industry professionals acknowledged that Atlanta may not have as large of a market as other fashion hubs or that it may be difficult to succeed on a wider scale, they praised the city for cultivating talent and maintaining its own sense of style culture.
“If (designers) want to stay in Atlanta and prosper, it’s difficult. It’s not valued the same,” Atlanta native, designer and stylist Bryan Joel said. “The pot is smaller.”
ATLFW wants to change that.
Described as a “launchpad for fashion disruptors, “the annual event is owned by event and creative production agency Ragtrade Atlanta. The organization held partnerships with Bloomingdale’s, Clinique, boutique Fab’rik, Candleporium and Illy Caffe during the event. Adidas and BMW also had major contributions.
Over the course of three days, pop-up shops decorated the old Forever 21 building, and fashion enthusiasts flooded Market Street. Satin wraps, micro-bags, drum-heeled shoes and vibrant colors stole attention on and off the catwalk.
“Atlanta is no longer an emerging fashion city,” ATLFW founder Angela Watts said. “It’s a discovery hub for the next wave of fashion talent and cultural influence.”
Collections from the Atlanta University Center were a prized focus. Adidas partnered with student-designers from Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College and Morehouse College in an extensive four-week mentorship program. Students debuted swanky sets that merged urban athleisure and classic prep from their collaborations with Adidas.
“The collaboration between Adidas and AUC students shows the creative power that exists right here in Atlanta,” Watts said. “It’s a great example of what happens when global brands invest in local talent. The future of fashion in Atlanta is very bright.”
Apart from AUC students, 13 designers presented current collections on the runway. In all, 21 brands were featured throughout the weekend, including as vendors during pop-up shops at Atlantic Station and Bloomingdale’s at Lenox Square on Sunday.
“Each presentation reinforced the week’s commitment to discovery — introducing audiences to designers who are reshaping what Southern fashion looks like and demonstrating how Atlanta’s creative ecosystem is driving national attention,” Watts said.
Some of those locals drawing praise beyond the city included brands Made by Middle and Eddy Yung. Stacked denim, athleisure with faded graphics that were reminiscent of the 1980s and cropped, long-sleeved tees made a mark.
Designers Octavius Marsion and Safiétou Seck (of the brand Sarayaa) brought Americana into Black culture. Marsion paid homage to the regal Black dandy and reinvented wintry Western attire with dramatic capes. Seck channeled Afrofuturism with Bantu knots, cowrie shells and intricate weaving of red, white and blue cloths.
Seck, a Spelman College alumna who’s originally from Senegal, said Atlanta was perfect to showcase her collection because of the large sphere of Black culture.
“There aren’t many fashion weeks that truly spotlight Black designers, and Atlanta, being such a vibrant, predominantly Black city with a growing community of successful creatives and entrepreneurs, represents opportunity and empowerment,” she said. “It’s a place where Black excellence thrives — and I wanted to be part of that energy.”
Seck attributed Atlanta as a place that helped foster her talent and confidence.
“Coming back to show my work here feels like a full-circle moment,” she said.
Programming off the runway was geared toward educating up-and-coming designers and fashion enthusiasts.
At a panel hosted by Adidas Originals, designers Ashley Muhammad, Liv Anthony, Joel and artist FRKO opened up about finding their paths to industry success.
FRKO, known for his apparel showcasing illustrations often capturing viral moments in Black culture, stressed the importance of surrounding yourself with equally talented peers.
“[Talent has] got to be nurtured at any age. You got to want to do it,” he said.
Both FRKO and Joel, Atlanta natives, detailed their journeys having to leave the city in order to grow as artists.
FRKO went to school at Howard University in Washington, D.C. He regularly took trips to New York to brush up on the technical aspects of art and fashion. He said he wanted to see something different from the South.
“It take (sic) a lot of heart to grow up in Atlanta and go to college in Atlanta,” FRKO said, explaining that he had to evolve by leaving his comfort zone. “I couldn’t do it.”
Joel moved to New York after college at Savannah State University. Reminiscing on his start in finance before taking a leap into fashion, he admitted that he wouldn’t get as many opportunities as he currently does if he had stayed in Atlanta.
“It’s so many events that’s in New York, surrounding around fashion — seeing as to how New York is the fashion capital of the world,” Joel said. “With Atlanta not being the fashion capital of the world, they’re not having those major fashion events. Brands aren’t in those towns looking for tailors or stylists. That’s why I always tell people you have to be in it to win it.”
Joel said he proudly carries Atlanta with him, and it’s part of who he is as a designer. Atlanta’s culture is rich and pervasive, even if it cannot fully sustain the fashion industry.
“Atlanta is that cool kid sometimes that don’t know they’re cool,” Joel added. “I went to New York, and I took my city to New York.”
“It’s always different when you’re from a place,” said Muhammad, who transitioned as a New York designer to Atlanta for a slower and less hectic lifestyle. “The beauty of the story is seeing it from both perspectives.”
Simultaneously, Joel uplifted AUC students for their work and going to school in Atlanta. But he said he had to remind them during the Adidas Originals fashion show mentor program that they had to operate with the urgency of a Milan, Paris or New York production. He advised them from “playing in the kiddy pool.”
“You want to broaden your horizons to make yourself more available,” Joel said.
About the Author
Brooke Leigh Howard is a reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Black culture team, UATL.
