When you think of the world’s iconic fashion hubs, cities like Paris, Milan and London spring to mind. Of course, New York also tops that list, though it’s more a testament to the heavyweight shows in Manhattan than any outer-borough couture culture.
But that all changes Thursday, February 18 when designer Delali Haligah, who lives in Laurelton, was raised in London, and has shown her work on runways from Europe to the U.S., debuts her Queens Fashion Show.
“I just got sick of coming back to Queens and having nothing to be a platform for anybody here who is a designer,” explained Haligah, who noted the popularity and accessibility of the seven-year-old Brooklyn Fashion Week compared to the larger, prohibitively expensive “New York” events.
Space at an exclusive fashion show can run tens of thousands of dollars, Haligah said, noting that the inaugural Queens event, taking place in Long Island City through February 20, will only cost designers a few hundred.
A team of 12 has been tasked with organizing the event, which consists of 16 designers – all Queens based – who will show their work at an opening night gala, a young designers initiative, an expo and a finale runway show.
The designers range from Qristyl Frazier – a contestant on season six of the hit TV series “Project Runway” – to Haligah’s 11-year-old son, whose jewelry will be a part of the young designers show.
“You’d never know that they are right here, down the block or on the corner,” Haligah, a 29-year industry veteran, said of the talented designers who either call Queens home or ply their trade within the borough’s limits.
She is already thinking ahead to future Queens Fashion Weeks and hopes to expand them to include designers from outside the borough. But Haligah’s events will never lose that Queens feel, she emphasized.
“We all need a leg up right now and if we don’t shine a spotlight on Queens no one else will,” she said.
Fashionistas and neophytes alike can check out the designs at the Holiday Inn Manhattan View and the Standard Motor Products Lofts. More information and tickets, which range from $10 to $20, are available at www.queensfashionshow.com.
