Alternative Fashion Mob ends fashion week by celebrating local artistry

Alternative Fashion Week 2018 will close its finale runway show Saturday at Express Live by featuring the work of 17 local designers, and, for the first time, a marketplace featuring local vendors.

Kelli Martin, co-founder of Alternative Fashion Week, said the finale and marketplace will give emerging and local designers the chance to share their work with full creative control.

“This is a platform for emerging and independent designers,” Martin said. “Giving them a platform where they can express their creativity, but not limiting their creativity.”

Rachel Murdoch, front-of-house manager for Alternative Fashion Week, said people attending the finale runway show should expect to see talent many in Columbus likely didn’t know existed in the city.

“There is going to be great music, low prices, and a marketplace. There is something for everyone,” Murdoch said.

All the events during the week normally take about a year to organize, Martin said. This year’s finale will be run by five members of Alternative Fashion mob, a nonprofit organization that orchestrates fashion events all year, and two fashion designers.

Murdoch said there are about 100 volunteers and models in addition to the core team to make the event possible.

Martin said she got the idea to bring a fashion week to Columbus after she worked on fashion week events around the country.

“I wanted to create a fashion week for designers who might not be able to afford other events around the country,” Martin said.

To make sure that new designers without funds can participate in the event, the organization raises money to cover material cost and give scholarships to some designers, Martin said.

The doors for this year’s finale runway show will open at 7 p.m., and tickets can be bought at the door or online at universe.com/afw18 for $25 to $100.

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