Northwest Arkansas may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of fashion. But thanks to Interform that's changing.
Interform’s NWA Fashion Week is the last week in March, spreading across three days, each show with a different theme. The themes revolve around community, creativity and industry, bringing much more than just fashion to Arkansas. Berenice Alcala Jimenez
“Every single day, coming up to the Ledger, from getting sponsorship lounges, to models, to designers, all the things," Jimenez said. "But honestly, it has been such a fulfilling experience. We have such a great team, a supportive community, and everyone so far has had such good feedback. The preparation has been arduous. And it's been a lot of hard work, but it's been so worthwhile.”
This year's fashion show was unlike the other fashion shows in the past.
“The venue is sold out all three nights," Jimenez said, "the designers energy backstage just getting models ready then working on their collection. Even our very unlearned students who have been working on their garments for so long, and then getting to see their hard work on the runway. It's just that energy.”
But what makes Interform special is the fact that they pour straight into the creative community of Northwest Arkansas. Being a nonprofit, they strive to be at the forefront of Creative Growth and change in the community. The organization is a self sustaining design led fashion and art industry in NWA, Interform operates completely on donations, fundraising, and sponsors like Pantene, L'Oreal and Walmart. Mark Blonko, a sponsor from L'Oreal, attended the fashion show and says L'Oreal was a sponsor last year as well.
"Just to be able to help ideate and create kind of concepts at the show," Blonko said. "But also to see where the money goes through like the Create program and through the Learn program. It's just really cool to see the designers and them being able to showcase on the stage alongside Project Runway. That's a once in a lifetime experience right there. So it's amazing to see that life comes to life and gets better and better every year."
Mark has been able to see the good Interform has accomplished within the years he's worked with them.
“So I've been helping out with inner form for the last five years," Blonko said. "So it's been really cool to see the evolution of Interform throughout that time."
But Interform isn't just about the show night, they're a learning department for experience and growth. They take designers, stylists and photographers of any experience level and offer free resources and education. So when show night comes around their team is well prepared. A few of these resources are sewing workshops, modeling classes, apprenticeships and
manufacturing. Interform also gives back to the community by supporting local businesses and having them be a part of the fashion show as well. Interform helps break the barriers surrounding the fashion industry. So they include all ages, genders, races, and sizes in their shows. According to their website, they “uplift and center the creative works of those who are underrepresented by using their platform to encourage others to do the same.”
Rochelle Bailey, communications manager for Interform said they not only walk the walk, but they talk the talk.
“So you're going to see people on the runway who look like the community that we actually serve," Bailey said. "So it's not just people of one size and people of one race. It's all sizes, all races, all gender identities. The whole goal is to be inclusive, right? It's not to be exclusive. And that's what we see in the fashion industry is it's very exclusive to size to money to opportunities. And so Interform has kind of turned that on its head and said these opportunities, whether it be for beginning sewing classes, or for someone to be a model or for someone to be a designer should be for everybody in the community, regardless of their socio economic status because the designers participate for absolutely free we don't charge them and the sewing classes absolutely free. You can take the sewing classes for free so we really wanted to be inclusive on all spectrums, not just with fashion."
Auditions are also held for models of all experience levels too Mari Leigh Smith, a first time model in the show, said the audition process for Interform was simple.
“The audition was so amazing," Smith said. "They had everything set up perfectly. They were really nice. And it all felt safe and comfortable. I was never like, pushed out of my boundaries or anything. And they had the show set up amazingly. They gave us really, really direct directions. And there were really no questions. By the end of it all. They had covered everything. And we went over the walk beforehand, they had everything prepared and scheduled. And it was all just perfect and phenomenal. It was really surreal."
Smith said being a model in northwest Arkansas can be difficult at times. But opportunities like Interform make it easier.
“I like it here a lot," Smith said, "I just wish it was easier to connect. But I loved being with so many models in one room and being able to connect with a lot of people that are a lot interested in the same things as me. But I also have to say the feeling on that runway was just incredible. You couldn't breathe but you were breathing and you weren't thinking but you weren't thinking and it was like just keep your eyes on the prize. And it was so fun. I loved it.”
Casey Lee Cohagen, who has a history of working with Interform, believes Interform is really changing the scope of fashion in the community.
“I think Project Runway people are here so I just can't wait to meet so many new creative and talented people,” Cohagen said.
Jimenez said this year's show was incredible and might be hard to top, but they only plan on getting bigger and better.
“And I envision just Interform as an entity going so large" Jimenez said, "that people just say 'Hey, I want to be a part of this. Like we don't even have to do any more outreach anymore. People just know also I would love to get more national recognition down the line expand outside of local and regional boundaries, just for it to be just this I mean even as an educational institution because I think that is the goal is to uplift our creative community to to such an amazing extent that we can provide so many resources just to see a grow to have even more learned students have even more, you know, make this a bigger thing. So I can definitely envision that for the future."
All aspects of inner form bring together a sense of community while also making northwest Arkansas a place where the fashion industry can grow.
