ExcellStyle VOL XX | Page 29

We get to name drop Joshua Christensen of Project Runway Season 9 fame this year. Even though most know him from the popular TV series, he has some serious design chops and people will leave remembering his designs. It has truly been a joy to put together these six diverse and talented designers for the Runway Tulsa Finale. How important is it for the up-and-coming designers to be a part of Runway Tulsa? We look for those newcomers early on in the season. These are the gems we want to discover and showcase to the Tulsa fashion audience. We consider the potential of someone’s career and our goal is to help them along. We provide a professional venue, professional models, DJ, lighting, stage and most importantly the attentive fashion crowd to enjoy the night. At the end of the day this is a huge opportunity for them to step up and show that they belong on the same runway as the established designers in the show. It is important for their development both from a confidence standpoint and because it gives them a much bigger stage, in most cases, than they have had a chance to show on. Do you believe RWT’s long-term goal of making Tulsa a destination for young fashion designers is a realistic possibility? Trussardi Milan Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2016/17 Absolutely! New York, Paris, Milan and London are the major fashion capitals, however fashion lives in our daily lives and is found everywhere. Talent comes from one’s own perspective on the subject and how they interpret it. People move to those major cities to carry on, however the biggest names started somewhere and usually not from those four cities. Showcasing and creating a spotlight on fashion in Tulsa is an important step in the process. What Runway Tulsa is planning with regard to mentoring students, providing access to top notch facilities and supplies and building bridges to larger markets and educational and training centers is amazing. From what I’ve seen of Tulsa I have no doubt that the community will embrace what’s going on. What do you see as the limit to what Runway Tulsa can achieve? What limits??? (she laughs) What’s that, I don’t think in limits but rather believe one thing is a stepping stone to the next. With the team we have here Runway has the opportunity to grow and grow. As far as I’m concerned the sky’s the limit to what we can achieve in Tulsa. I hope everyone is as excited about this year’s events as I am. I’m certainly looking forward to an entire week of great events and many years to come! Todd Snyder New York Fashion Week Men's Fall/Winter 2016 RUNWAY TULSA SPECIAL EDITION 29