Bronx Fashion Week is back.
After a successful inaugural event last fall, the organizers will put on a runway show during Bronx Week this May before returning for their second annual event later this year.
“It’s a kick-off to give a taste of what’s coming in September,” said president and founder Flora Montes.
The May 9 show at the old Bronx Borough Courthouse will coincide with an art exhibit put on by No Longer Empty in the rehabilitated landmark.
The event will be celebration of visual art as well as fashion, said event director Ed Garcia Conde, and will revolve around the theme of ‘the essence of beauty.’
The theme fits the old courthouse, said Conde, which was beloved by the Melrose community even as it stood neglected for years, before recently being refurbished.
“The venue is a perfect fit,” said Conde.
At the May event, which will include a VIP Reception and cocktail party, product launches from diverse sponsors, and several performances in addition to the runway show, details about the fall’s multi-day event will be revealed.
Last year’s Bronx Fashion Week at the Andrew Freeman Home, featuring three days of fashion and business expos, was a huge success, said Montes, and people have been reaching out about the future of the event ever since.
“The response was tremendous,” said Conde.
Although the Bronx gave birth to designers Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein, as well as fashion icons such as Jennifer Lopez and the late Lauren Bacall, the borough lacked a significant fashion-related event, said Conde. But the organizers found that there was a thirst in the borough for opportunities to celebrate high fashion and art.
“There definitely was a need that we filled for the people of the Bronx,” Montes.
The events are also a celebration of the borough, highlighting landmarks as well as local designers, make-up artists and models that might not otherwise get exposure, said Flora.
“It’s all about being able to uplift our community,” said Conde.
And while she wouldn’t reveal specific plans for the future growth, Montes said Bronx Fashion Week is here to stay.
“We have high expectations,” she said.
For more information on the event, visit www.faceb
