After successfully bringing High Point Fashion Week to the Triad for the first time last October, co-founders Shay Johnson and Geovanni Hood are proud to be back this fall for another week of style. Aware of the traffic High Point Market brings to the city, there was no reason for High Point to continue being the only city in the area not holding a fashion week of its own.
With a mission to showcase fashion, furniture, art, and community to creatives from all walks of life, High Point Fashion Week is scheduled to run from this upcoming Friday, October 20 through next Tuesday, October 24.
While neither co-founder is a fashion designer, both Johnson and Hood are avid lovers of style who decided to fuse furniture and fashion in the name of producing High Point Fashion Week. The event has not only established itself as another highlight of the evolving city, it has produced a number of opportunities for participants all over the country and locally. “Believe it or not, there are a lot of people in the area interested in modeling even if they have not had their first go at it,” said Hood. “They’re interested in getting that first experience so we get a lot of people that come out for that.”
With models traveling in from as far as Tennessee, designers from all over the region get to watch these models in action and make selections on the spot of whom they want walking the runway for their collection during the event. While the casting process is similar for both adult and child models, this year, High Point Fashion Week partnered up with non-profit organization D-UP for the recruitment of additional child models. Initially founded to promote healthier living to combat childhood obesity, D-UP now encompasses comprehensive services for children, adults, and families by promoting health, education, and life readiness.
Through its work, D-UP gives back to children from disadvantaged neighborhoods, and thanks to its partnership with High Point Fashion Week, a lot of these children will now have the opportunity of a lifetime — modeling. Among the elements that make the event stand out, this year’s kids’ fashion show “La Fleur” is much inspired by the participating children’s growth process into fully bloomed flowers by the time they walk the run away on their event night. French for flower, “La Fleur” will also count on returning child models from several modeling agencies throughout the state.
Another unique highlight the event is looking forward to this year is its designer competition Fashion Wars: Upcycle Challenge Competition. Through a partnership with Triad Goodwill, High Point Fashion Week provided the nine participating designers with $50 to go into Goodwill and pull conventional and regular wear pieces off of the store rack to create an upcycled look. An ongoing staple of High Point Fashion Week, the designer challenge will have no assigned judges and allow the audience to choose the winner, adding the interactive piece the event looks to permanently establish.
High Point Fashion Week’s various events will showcase several designers, all of whom will be introduced on the Opening Night Trolley Tour along with participating models, partners, sponsors, the event’s team, and of course Johnson and Hood. On this evening, the co-founders will take the opportunity to welcome all to High Point Fashion Week, while also extending gratitude to all involved who make the event possible. “We do a lot of the footwork,” said Johnson. “But we also have a lot of people behind us.” On this team is a very special individual, multimedia artist Courtney Yellock, who creates the magic as lead videographer.
Originally from Virginia, Yellock first began coming to North Carolina due to studio work he was producing on behalf of his portfolio. He eventually moved to High Point and is currently living in Greensboro. When High Point Fashion Week was first looking for people to join its media team, Yellock submitted a request to join and attended a rehearsal. After showcasing his ability, High Point Fashion Week not only asked him to come on board but quickly appointed him to lead videographer based on his talent and work ethic. Yellock has since been responsible for the majority of High Point Fashion Week’s video production.
A multimedia artist focused on videography, photography, and street art, High Point Fashion Week has both welcomed and nurtured Yellock’s vision. “They allow me creative range on all my projects,” said Yellock. “They trusted my vision that I would create good work for them, and that’s what I actually love about it, they allow me to be myself.” Due to his work with many of the models since the first season, Yellock fell quickly into a natural rhythm filming them and now counts with a solid rapport amongst them. He regularly finds himself and the models playing off of each other’s energy allowing him to know exactly what to look for during production.
Often, Yellock steps into a session with specific ideas, but once filming starts things may change quickly sending him down a different route. Keeping an open mind and allowing himself to flow with the setting’s moment has led him to produce many of the films he has done for High Point Fashion Week. Naturally, he spends most, if not all, of his time behind the scenes, but not without the acknowledgment of a team that is tremendously proud to have him and looks to celebrate him and his work. “I’m just here to inspire others to do the same thing I’m doing,” said Yellock. “Do what you want the world to see.”
High Point is continuously growing and establishing itself as a city committed to its people and their accomplishments. High Point Fashion Week is no exception as it returns for a second season making the Home Furnishings Capital of the World yet another home for the fashion world. Having thoroughly reflected on the first season’s success, the event points itself as the best of the best, hence this year’s concept Crème de la Crème. “Last season was like, hey, look at us, but this season is the ‘we are here’ season,” said Johnson. “We are not going anywhere, we knew what the people wanted, and every year you can expect that.”
DALIA RAZO is a bilingual journalist, fine arts educator, and doctoral student at UNCG.