Virginia Fashion Week - West Point Tidewater Review

Searching for high-end fashion in Hampton Roads may seem like trying to find a mermaid in Arizona.

But there's more "Project Runway" action going on in Tidewater than people may think. And that's exactly the message Ann Leister plans to proselytize during Virginia Fashion Week, which is taking place in Williamsburg for the first time this year.

During the five-day event, scheduled for Oct. 9-13, dozens of Hampton Roads and Richmond-area designers will send their creations down the runway in what Leister describes as the area's only New York City-style fashion event.

Leister began the showcase in 2007 as a way to promote her modeling agency and offer local designers a chance to test their skills at a professional fashion event. While bridal shows and urban designer events are more common in the area, high-end couture designs are harder to find.

'Fashion is art'

From the beginning, the fashion week events have taken place in Norfolk or Virginia Beach, Leister's hometown. This year, Virginia Fashion Week's main events move to Williamsburg, where Leister hopes to draw crowds from both Hampton Roads and Richmond.

The move also, in part, pays homage to groups in Williamsburg who are working to make the Colonial town an arts destination.

"Fashion is art," says Leister. "There are so many talented people in Virginia. We want to do what we can to let Virginia be known for that a little bit."

And designers at Virginia Fashion Week are getting noticed. Last year, a Chesapeake designer was spotted at the fashion event and asked to design clothing for a movie. The production, Leister says, is still in progress.

Still, pursuing a dream of fashion design in an area that is heavily traditional and mostly transient can seem futile.

Second careers

Many local designers, like Gayatri Khosla, have pursued fashion as a second career.

The York County mother has paired her upbringing in India with her love for modern American fashion to create a comfortable, practical and beautiful sari that will be featured on the runways of Virginia Fashion Week.

"This is a way we can fuse our love for India and our new home," she says, referring to her business partner and childhood friend Rati Bahadur.

Designing under the label Yatra Collection, the ladies are more focused on retail than some of the other designers participating in Virginia Fashion Week. The Yatra Collection of saris and tunics is sold at more than 75 boutiques around the country; Khosla and Bahadur employ a team of artisans in India to handle the intricate embroidery on each piece.

"This show will be the first time we have used professional models," Khosla says. "We carry size 2 to 16, and we always use real women to showcase our looks. My main model is my hairstylist."

Lipgloss & Stilletos

Fashion design is also a second career for Leslie Thompson, of Newport News, but she admits her looks are primarily designed for the runway.

Thompson describes her collection as avant-garde. And the name of her business — Lipgloss & Stilletos — suggests that her designs are meant for those women who wouldn't dare leave the house without those fashion staples.

"It's bold," she says, "No one would wear it walking down the street, unless you're bold. And that's me, basically."

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