Press Release | SohoMuse & Runway 7 Present ‘Runway Muse’ at NYFW
In a partnership between SohoMuse, the professional networking website for the global creative community, and Runway 7, the New York Fashion Week vertical fashion platform, SohoMuse & Runway 7 are proud to present Runway Muse, an inaugural fashion student runway competition, on Thursday, February 10th, 2022, at 1:00 PM at Runway 7, held at Sony Hall, 235 W 46th Street. The event will be live-streamed and showcased in front of a live audience of fashion VIPs, influencers, press and buyers. Runway7 will also host Fashion designer Malan Breton’s show along with live entertainment the following evening, Friday, February 11, 2022, at 7:00 PM.
Hosted by SohoMuse co-founder/CEO and Billboard recording artist Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin, the runway competition – one of the ticketed New York Fashion Week events at Runway 7 – will feature 16 graduating student designers culled from fashion schools around the country, including the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, Drexel University in Philadelphia, and Istituto Marangoni Miami. Critiquing the students’ two original designs – one athleisure/streetwear and one edgy nightlife look — will be five esteemed judges: Fashion designer Naeem Khan, who presented his S/S 2022 collection at Runway 7 in September 2021; writer, designer, and pop culturist Mickey Boardman; author and life coach Elliot Carlyle; actress and model Debbie Dickinson; and fashion writer and designer Joseph DeAcetis.
The inaugural fashion student runway competition will allow young designers to be mentored by SohoMuse lead designers, learn how to create and develop their line, and then sell it. With this competition, SohoMuse will provide mentorship and job opportunities to the next generation of designers. Three student winners will be chosen, all receiving a dream come true: Their first fashion collection will be manufactured by Runway 7’s expert team of pattern-makers and seamstresses, plus an all-expenses-paid runway show to debut their new fashion line at Runway 7 during New York Fashion Week in September 2022.
The first prize winner will be awarded an original 20-piece collection; the first runner-up will be awarded a 15-piece collection; and the second runner-up will be awarded a 10-piece collection. Runway 7 will hold product development meetings with the winning designers, and all designs will be produced by Runway 7. In addition to a professionally produced runway show during NYFW in September 2022, all winners will have their lines featured in SohoMuse Marketplace, an e-commerce retail platform. Each designer will have an e-boutique designated for one year for direct-to-consumer sales and online exposure.
“We wanted to create an opportunity for young designers, who would soon be coming out of school and entering the workplace, to be mentored and nurtured,” said Costin. “Giving them access to fashion industry insiders for valuable advice and direction, plus the chance to create the line that they have always dreamed of, and then to be able to sell it and showcase it in their first show, is an incredible opportunity. The business of fashion is just as important as the creative aspect,” said Costin.
“Becoming a success in the fashion industry can be especially challenging to a student who may be blessed with an innate design talent yet lacks the specific skillsets to hone their craft and the backing to produce a first collection. That’s where Runway Muse is a true game changer,” says Amy Montoya, Runway 7 Director of Operations and a partner in Runway Muse.
“Runway 7 is proud to play a role in empowering the next generation of fashion designers,” said Anthony Rosa, founder of Runway 7. “Our platform is unique in the New York fashion industry – Runway 7 is the only fashion vertical that will cut, sew, and manufacture your collection and produce the runway show to launch it. We are the total package and have the infrastructure to produce fashion industry superstars. We are excited to see the talent that emerges from the Runway Muse competition.”
The student designers competing in the inaugural Runway Muse competition are Jamie Avadis, Bryan Barrientos, Alejandro Bárzaga, Neena Bui, Belkys Costa, Eve De La Font, Francys Lorena Herrera, Carmen Lee, Jacqueline Mones, Owen Rogoff, Alyssa Seelal, Desislava Simeonova, Ghena Spatola, Yvari Toussaint, Helen Troshyna and Lisa Husberg. The students represent the following schools: including Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA), Fashion Institute of South Florida (Miami, FL), Fashion Institute of Technology (New York, NY), Fashion Careers International (FCI) Fashion School (Los Angeles, CA), Instituto Marangoni Miami (Miami, FL), Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) (Boston, MA), Miami International University of Art & Design (Miami, FL), THOS Fashion School of Design (Boca Raton, FL), and Austin Community College Fashion Incubator (Austin, TX).
Limited tickets are available at the Runway 7 website, ranging from general admission to front row and VIP tables with cocktail service. Fifty percent of ticket sales go to Mount Sinai Medical Center for MS Research.
All individuals entering the show venue must provide full-course COVID-19 vaccinations consistent with state and federal law. Masks are required indoors, except in designated eating and drinking areas or for models walking the runway. There will be reduced guest capacity in show venues with appropriate spacing.
