We Aim To Slay

I can’t believe we’re already through with the first quarter of 2025! So long April, you have been a whirlwind of projects and activities – and I’m excited to finally be sharing them! 

I was lucky enough to end this month by attending several events during Hartford Fashion Week – and I’m sharing my coverage here, exclusively!

HFW Background & Thursday’s Community Conversation Event

I was lucky to learn about this opportunity from one of my mentors and the editor of the newspaper where I was first hired after college, Mike Chaiken, who explained that the organizers were taking applications for this year’s press pit. 

After being accepted, I started planning my Hartford Fashion Week schedule! Because I was returning from my most recent Florida trip on the same day as the opening event – Sunday, April 20th – I was planning on attending the events held on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. 

Thursday evening was the Hartford Fashion Week “Community Conversations – Q&A with the builders of Hartford Fashion Week” held at Artspace Hartford. I was lucky to sit down with one of the organizers and the Creative Producer, Travis Bivans, whose contributions to the fashion industry are extensive. Bivans – owner of LJE Model Agency – explained that the process of bringing Fashion Week to Connecticut began in the early 2000’s (under the original name of Sound of Fashion Week Connecticut), before this newer iteration was officially launched in 2024. 

A division of Fashion Week Connecticut – owned by Bertha Angelo – this year’s event boasted several events including Editorial Fashion Week (Bivan’s brainchild), shows such as Spotlight Fashion Show, Elemental Fabrics, Fashion is Art, and Couture Collective, and Wednesday’s event which was only open to the participating artists.

But, why Connecticut? From his perspective, the state has always supported national and international artists, both by being the birthplace of numerous models, hair and makeup artists, photographers and videographers, and more, and through Connecticut’s extensive history in the textile industry spanning back to the 1800’s.

“It’s asinine to believe that Connecticut has nothing,” said Bivans. “There’s amazing talent homegrown in CT, shown internationally.”

His hope is to create a direct pipeline from the state to the European markets without the need to go through “major cities” such as New York or Boston, calling Hartford Fashion Week a “platform for us, by us – but diverse.” 

This idea is perfectly illustrated during Wednesday’s event, which Bivans explained was held at Warehouse 860 and included about 20 models and 15 photographers, all working to “create art and foster knowledge and experience throughout the Connecticut artistic community.”

The April 2025 Hartford Fashion Week schedule was as follows: Hartford Fashion Week 101 and Elemental Fabrics held on Sunday, April 20th; two Spotlight Fashion Shows, held on both Monday, April 21st, and Tuesday, April 22nd; Fashion Creatives held on Wednesday, April 23rd; Fashion is Art held on Friday, April 25th; and Couture Collective held on Saturday, April 26th. 

Moving forward, Bivans and Angelo plan to host events biannually, in April and October – with this year boasting the launch of New Haven Fashion week to be held October 13th to 19th – and I’m excited to share that I’ve been asked to host one of those events!

My Takeaways & Fave Pieces!

As I explained above, I was able to attend three of the events held last week – Thursday’s Community Conversations, Friday’s Fashion is Art, and Saturday’s Couture Collective. After gaining so much information directly from the source on Thursday, I was really looking forward to experiencing the fashion!

Before I even get into the looks I have to be honest – I’m not a fan of streetwear. I don’t typically like the styling or the fit of certain accessories or clothing items. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that there were so many pieces amongst the designers in the “Fashion is Art” presentation that I may be changing my tune! Saturday’s “Couture Collective” was much more aligned with my personal style and philosophy – extravagance mixed with classic lines and chic silhouettes! 

Here I’m showcasing my absolute favorite pieces from Friday & Saturday before sharing pieces from each collection!

Art of Soul – Body Painting by Joy Monroe

An artform that is rarely showcased – bodypainting – closed Friday’s show and opened Saturday’s, showcasing two exquisite performances and the artwork of Art of Soul, bodypainting by Joy Monroe. There were many aspects that impressed me in both presentations, but I was especially captivated by the red look, which reminded me of so many of the looks gracing the 2024 Met Gala red carpet! 

Collections By Designer

Friday Evening: Fashion is Art

Friday evening’s Fashion Is Art presentation showcased all that streetwear has to offer, and may have changed my mind about the aesthetic! 

Unruly Human

This collection of bomber jackets was a perfect way to start the evening, reminding me of crisp spring weather in New England. A huge advocate for accessorizing, I love how each jacket makes the simple combination of jeans and a t-shirt instantly elevated!

Stonington

Stonington brought an edginess to streetwear, combining the silhouettes typical to the streetwear aesthetic with the grungy vibe of distressed denim and flannel patchwork. But, it was the pink hoodie look that truly stopped me – that Capri Sun duffle bag and cow print boots were speaking to me!

Open Minds

It was at this unfortunate point in the evening when my camera crashed and I was only able to recover a few of the photos, including these two photos. Not show, of course, was my favorite piece – a mini skirt made from repurposed ties!

AMT

Similar to above, the crashed camera completely hindered my coverage. But there were several pieces that caught my eye, especially this black and red two-piece set which I was lucky to grab shots of at the end of the show!

BEC

BEC’s presentation called to the 19-year-old version of myself, stomping around my college campus listening to TOOL. This 90’s grunge-inspired collection was one of my favorites from the night!

Saturday Evening: Couture Collective 

Saturday evening’s Couture Collective was right up my alley showcasing exquisite tailoring, dramatic detailing, and a clash of everyday-wear-meets-formal-wear!

Roots Wear

There were many pieces in this collection that spoke to me, most especially the multi-colored items as I tend to gravitate towards bright colors as soon as the weather warms up! From my perspective, this collection perfectly blended traditional African textiles and silhouettes with the functionality of modern basics – a bridge between culture and the preservation of those cultures!

BEC

This was the second presentation of the designer BEC, and while the overall aesthetic had continuity, the only pieces to be shown both nights – from my perspective – were the fuzzy sunglasses (an accessory I’m aching to get my hands on!). 

The grunge aspects of this collection are right up my alley – I love a grayscale color palette, and I appreciate distressed details – but there were two design concepts that I keep seeing and I’ve yet to decide how I feel about them: using button down shirts as a skirt and leaving the sleeves to dangle; and adhering frayed threads as an attempt to add texture. BEC wasn’t the first designer to include those details, nor will they be the last, but I have to know – what are your thoughts on details such as these?

Kelly

Now we’re speaking my language! As a longtime pageant competitor and titleholder, I am partial to evening wear, and Kelly’s collection spoke directly to my soul! So many of these pieces caught my attention as pieces that would be perfect for my upcoming competition for the title of International United Ms!

Sentry Girl

I love the overall juxtaposition of evening wear meets daytime, injecting luxury into your everyday routine! Take for example the opening look, a beautiful floral print suit – ideal for adding a flair to your office attire – made perfect for running errands or catching flights, ala the joggers. Or the hooded, camel colored snake print, midi dress shown above, which I’ll be dreaming of for years to come! 

Mrs. Kay

Similarly to Sentry Girl the Mrs. Kay collection offered exquisite formal wear, ideal for any evening or formal event – not sure how to make sense of a dress code? Check out this post where I break down the most common Western dress codes! – as well as elevated suiting, a trend that has been growing in popularity on runways worldwide. 

La’Moo

If you read my recent New York Fashion Week recap post – you can read it, here! – then you’ll remember that I have a weakness for a flashy headpiece and this couture bridal collection by La’Moo did not disappoint! Not only did this show include the most magnificent headpieces, but, the show closed with a chilling performance of a blood splattered bride, limping down the runway!

What Do You Think?

Fashion Week Connecticut will return this fall, making their way to New Haven in October! In the meantime, you can learn more about all of these artists and the Connecticut fashion scene by following Fashion Week Connecticut on social media!

I’ll be back next week to share my thoughts on the 2025 Met Gala red carpet – and make sure to check out my thoughts on last year’s event, here!

Have a great rest of your week, and remember to SLAY!