This event started with educational panels on Saturday afternoon talking about social and environmental issues related to fashion.
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Although the event is called Northwest Arkansas Fashion Week, the one-day event began on Saturday, November 12 with educational panels covering fashion-related social and environmental issues.
In one of the panel discussions, the leaders discussed beauty standards in fashion and cosmetics. A Walmart representative spoke about the importance of being inclusive in merchandising.
“We have to represent those clients or they’ll go somewhere else, right? So, I mean, we talk about the importance of people as clients, but also the people in the room who make decisions about how to serve those clients.” , said. Sonia Spinks, Walmart’s senior director of merchandise operations.
Spinks says that Walmart Beauty aims to be intentional in serving all customers.
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“It’s always been important to serve all customers, but when you have a plan that your provider partners understand, you know diversity and inclusion isn’t just the right thing to do,” Spinks explained. “It’s also good for business, and when you intentionally plan for those things, you see the results and it’s very exciting.”
This fashion show is the sixth annual fall fashion week and the first time it has been associated with Crystal Bridges. Since the event is so close to the midterms, this year’s campaign is “Model Citizen.” This event was also Interform’s big fundraiser – it raised money through ticket sales (which were sold out) with all proceeds going to “Emerge”, a residency program.
“We wanted to put together a campaign that would encourage people to do their civic duty and vote, but then also make it fashionable,” said Zack Ridenoure, Interform’s creative and communications director. “We did what we could and now we have changed it to move towards diversity.”
The fall fashion designers belong to the “Emerge” designer residency program. Through the show, Interform highlights local designers and is said to have one of the most diverse runways.
“We have a standard of diversity at interform, that every show has multiple races, ethnicities, sizes, ages… that way, every time you watch a show, you’re possibly yourself in that as well,” Ridenoure said.
Interform says it will present its next show “Emerge” in the spring.
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